Hospice Care for late stage dementia with Betsy Wurzel - Episode 8

The conversation is about hospice care and the experiences of caregivers and patients with hospice. Diane Carbo shares her positive experience with hospice care for her father, but also acknowledges that others have had negative experiences. Betsy Wurzel shares her negative experience with hospice care for her husband, who had Alzheimer's and experienced terminal agitation. She felt unsupported and not heard by the hospice staff, and they did not listen to her requests for help. Betsy also notes that there is a lack of education about hospice care and dealing with younger patients with Alzheimer's who may not exhibit typical end-of-life symptoms. Diane and Betsy both discuss the challenges of being a family caregiver and the lack of training and support for unpaid caregivers who provide the majority of home health care in the country. They also discuss the limitations of Medicare in providing hospice benefits and the need for change.