Diverse Diagnosis

Legacy Hospice Cares for Patients with Diverse Diagnoses in a Variety of Settings

While Hospice offers care for patients with cancer, Hospice also provides quality end-of-life care for many other patients with non-cancer diagnoses such as AIDS, Alzheimer's, ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), adult failure to thrive, cardiovascular disease, renal, liver, or pulmonary disease, MS (multiple sclerosis), Parkinson's disease, and cerebrovascular accidents. Predicting a six-month prognosis for non-cancer patients often is difficult, but there are some indicators that help point to a six-month life expectancy or less. The following is a presentation of specific diseases with criteria supporting a terminal stage.

End-Stage Pulmonary Disease

Examples: COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), emphysema, fibrosis May include some or all of the following symptoms: oxygen dependency, dyspnea at rest, edema, resting tachycardia, increasing cyanosis, escalating involvement of other body systems.

End-Stage Cardiac Disease

Examples: Arteriosclerotic Heart Disease, Congestive Heart Failure, cardiomyopathy, multiple myocardial infarctions May include some or all of the following symptoms: edema, resting tachycardia, cyanosis, increasing chest pain, prostration, escalating involvement of other body systems.

End-Stage Neurological Disease

Examples: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, multiple strokes (CVA), Alzheimer's disease, trauma/head injury May include some or all of the following symptoms: inability to communicate, inability to swallow, compromised comprehension, diminished mobility, failure to thrive, increased frequency of TIAs (transient ischemic attacks,), escalating involvement of other body systems.

End-Stage Chronic Illness

Examples: AIDS, chronic renal failure without dialysis, peripheral vascular disease May include some or all of the following symptoms: failure to thrive, significant changes in functional abilities, significant changes in cognitive abilities, compromised immunological system.

Adult Failure to Thrive

Formerly known as debility or chronic debilitated state. Symptoms may include some or all of the following: multi-system failure, severe functional deficit, some degree of central nervous system impairment, multiple, intercurrent comorbidities leading to cumulative frailties, patient/family's desire for no further aggressive treatment, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Legacy Hospice is committed to bridging the gap between those who need hospice care and those who receive it. To refer a patient or to discuss appropriateness of a hospice referral, call (208) 895-8686.