Published: June 2, 2025
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Alzheimer’s disease progresses over time. So do a patient’s needs. And since there is no cure for this terminal condition, caregivers often find themselves in need of additional support when their loved one nears the end of their life. Hospice care can help improve comfort and quality of life for someone in late-stage dementia and benefit their caregivers in many ways.
What is hospice care?
Hospice support is designed to offer special care and services to someone whose life expectancy is six months or less. Rather than continue life-sustaining treatment, hospice care focuses on comprehensive support for patients, their caregivers, and family members.
A doctor must provide an order for your loved one to receive hospice care. And while Medicare, Medicaid, and most commercial plans cover hospice, it’s always best to talk to your insurance provider to confirm coverage.
Hospice care is offered wherever one calls home, including an assisted living facility or skilled nursing facility. The healthcare team includes doctors, nurses, social workers, counselors, spiritual professionals, and home health aides. Trained hospice volunteers also may assist.
Working with your loved one and family, the hospice team will create a personalized care plan. Your loved one’s primary caregiver will then coordinate all care with hospice providers, who visit once a week or more often, depending on individual needs. And you should always have on-call access to the hospice staff.
Considering hospice care
Everyone responds differently to Alzheimer’s disease, and some people have symptoms for many years. Alzheimer’s is divided into three stages: early (mild), middle (moderate), and late (severe).
When your loved one is in the late stage, they likely will have symptoms that require constant care, including:
- Bedsores or pressure ulcers
- Difficulty communicating
- Inability to walk or stand on their own
- Incontinence (bladder and bowel)
- Lack of awareness of their surroundings
- Personality changes, like agitation and aggression
- Problems eating, drinking, and swallowing
- Susceptibility to infections, such as flu and pneumonia
- Trouble bathing or getting dressed
Some patients have these symptoms for several months, making it challenging for caregivers and family members to meet all their needs. Hospice care enlists healthcare professionals who prioritize your loved one’s wishes, comfort, and dignity. This team also offers practical and emotional support to caregivers and family members during this difficult end-of-life season.
Benefits of hospice care for people with Alzheimer’s disease
With hospice care, you can give your loved one comprehensive, professional health care tailored to their needs. This can enhance their comfort and allow friends and family to spend quality time with them.
Even if they can’t communicate, their senses are often still functioning. The Alzheimer’s Association recommends talking with them, showing them pictures, playing their favorite music, reading books to them, sitting outside together, and rubbing lotion on their skin.
Benefits of hospice care include:
- Comprehensive care: Hospice workers follow a personalized plan and coordinate care among all providers.
- Emotional support: Therapists and counselors can help family members deal with depression, anger, grief, and more.
- Functional assistance: Hospice providers help with personal care needs, including dressing, bathing, and more.
- Logistics management: Hospice workers order medication, equipment, and supplies.
- Pain relief: The hospice team can give medicines and move patients to help reduce pain.
- Caregiver support: Home health aides and volunteers let primary caregivers take a break or run errands.
Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease is physically and emotionally demanding. But choosing hospice care when your loved one is nearing the end of their life can help. Hospice support provides comfort and dignity for your loved one and practical assistance and greater peace of mind for you and your family members.
At Traditions Health, we understand the importance of compassionate, skilled hospice care services. To learn more about when an Alzheimer’s patient is ready for hospice, please contact us.