The Confusing Relationship Between Hospice and Heart Disease

Could heart disease patients benefit from hospice services and when? 

Because hospice services are usually recommended by a physician when all treatment avenues are have been expended, and a patient is expected only to live an additional year, six months, or less, heart disease can make matters complicated for all involved. 

When is hospice right for heart disease patients? 

Though one may receive a diagnosis of severe heart disease, determining when heart failure will ultimately take their life is difficult, if not impossible. Due to heart disease’s complex nature, only a physician can determine if hospice services are the best next choice.

What are some signs that a heart disease patient may be considered for hospice? 

Though rare, it’s not unheard of for a physician to recommend hospice services for a patient who has a combination of the following signs: 

• Advanced coronary disease with bouts of severe chest pain due to angina
• Has expended all surgical options for treatment
• Has personally decided not to opt for any additional treatments

Why would hospice be the right choice for those with a terminal heart condition? 

When all treatments aimed at recovery from heart disease have been expended, hospice care can help these patients find more day-to-day comfort than they may have ordinarily received toward the end of their life. This care includes management of their pain, shortness of breath, and other persistent discomforts. At times, managing these symptoms in lieu of aggressive attempts at curative treatments actually result in fewer instances of hospitalization and an overall higher quality of life. 

Many loved ones and patients of advanced heart disease who were ultimately forced to undergo hospice services in the last few days of life claim they wish they had sought out hospice care much sooner. 

Palliative and Hospice Care in the Greater Tulsa, Oklahoma Area

If you’re looking for nurturing and professional hospice or palliative care services in Tulsa, Oklahoma, look no further than the friendly assistance from Cura HPA Hospice & Palliative Care.