My 99 year old mom lives with me and my husband. Both my parents have been on hospice for CHF. My dad passed away peacefully at 98 three weeks ago. My husband and I lived with them as Primary caregivers and hospice was a great service and support. My Mom is 99 with dementia and anxiety disorder. Her CHF symptoms have pretty much disappeared and her biggest issue is age decline. She is 90% immobile after my Dad's death. Dementia has worsened and she now lives with us. She needs 100% care. I have relied on hospice for shower care and meds help as well as emotional support. The only meds she takes are anxiety and depression meds. I have been told that because she is really suffering from age decline and not really dying of CHF, Medicare will no longer cover hospice for her. I am devastated. My stress levels are already so high that I'm not sleeping, I'm having heart palpitations and am depressed and anxious all the time. She needs someone in the room with her all day and won't watch television...she just sits on the couch with glazed look. She is also grieving my dad through her dementia....
I'm unsure how to do this without hospice. She cannot go out to doctors anymore. I cannot shower her...my back is deteriorating from lifting and dressing her. I find myself thinking it would be best for her and me if she passed away. Then I feel guilty because she is a sweet, fragile lady that is so appreciative of what we're doing for her. But she is afraid to die, which keeps her living...even as miserable as she is. Feeling abandoned by hospice and feeling like we're being thrown into a cold ocean and must learn to swim....or drown.
Hospice does have CNA’s for bathing but to my knowledge they don’t come daily (this is to address Alan’s comment). But you have hired your own CNA to augment the Hospice CNA hours.
You get a huge “atta girl” for fighting the good fight for your mom.