08/18/2026
Our collab with Penny Smith - designed as always by the talented Brett Wagner - came out beautifully.
We wanted to express how challenging it can be to decide if a loved one, particularly someone living with , is in need of care. Families often feel like they're "giving up" by discussing hospice, but the reality is that hospice can provide SO many wonderful benefits for patients & families. Did you know: you're able to call a hospice company yourself, you don't need a note from a physician to do it!
Some fast facts about hospice thanks to Nurse Penny:
➡️ Patients will be considered to be in the terminal stage of dementia (life expectancy of six months or less) if they meet the following criteria. Patients with dementia should show all the following characteristics:
1. Stage seven or beyond according to the Functional Assessment Staging Scale
2. Unable to ambulate without assistance;
3. Unable to dress without assistance;
4. Unable to bathe without assistance;
5. Urinary and f***l incontinence, intermittent or constant;
6. No consistently meaningful verbal communication: stereotypical phrases only or the ability to speak is limited to six or fewer intelligible words.
➡️ Patients should have had one of the following within the past 12 months:
Aspiration pneumonia;
Pyelonephritis or other upper urinary tract infection;
Septicemia;
Decubitus ulcers, multiple, stage 3-4;
Fever, recurrent after antibiotics;
Inability to maintain sufficient fluid and calorie intake with 10% weight loss during the previous six months or serum albumin
