Question:
My husband had a fall due to service connected disability nearly 4 months ago. He is a 100% P & T disabled Vietnam Veteran. He had a feeding tube, a diaper & oxygen. He’s now in a short term care VA contracted nursing home. The VA social worker says he doesn’t qualify for Long Term care in a nursing facility. They are offering hospice which entails euthanasia or for us to go on MediCal & review our finances. VA benefits prove different! He only has until July 2,2021 in the skilled nursing unit and then we have to make a decision or they'll kick him out! We need help!
Jim's Reply:
The story you tell me sounds as if it's been determined by knowledgeable health care professionals that he's approaching the end of his life. He isn't eligible for a long term care facility at the same time he's eligible for hospice. Long term care implies that he is expected to reside there for a year or more whereas eligibility for hospice care says he is anticipated to pass in less than 6 months.
Hospice care is not euthanasia.
Euthanasia implies that actions are taken to assist a person to die and that just isn't the case with hospice care. Hospice care provides a level of dignity, comfort and freedom from pain and all of it is usually paid in full by Medicare.
I worked with a local hospice years ago when my father passed. The caregivers who helped us were outstanding, sympathetic and compassionate.
The best advice I can offer you is that you can get him settled into hospice care and allow him to be pain free and comfortable while you pursue other care choices for availability and so on. If VA has denied him a space and recommended hospice care, time is of the essence and you should move quickly. Good luck.