Appreciate all the replies about Hospice.
However, the rules vary state to state. Most common thread, terminal.
Dementia/Alzheimer’s is difficult to fit into that equation.
Because, those 2 horrible diseases can last for much much longer.
Timeline isn’t cut and dried.
The criteria for hospice is that Medicare has to approve it so it must fit into one of THEIR categories. Dementia/ALZ IS a terminal disease and as such, allowed by hospice and paid for by Medicare (if mom is determined to have 6 months or less to live). My mom's hospice company used "Senile Degeneration of the Brain" as the category for her approval by Medicare.
You can ask mom's doctor for a hospice evaluation, which is definitely warranted based upon your mother sleeping for 5 days in a row, etc, and suffering from dementia, not to mention what other health issues she may have going on. Or, you can say that 'timeline isn't cut & dried' and assume she'll be denied.
The answer is No if you don't ask.
Hospice is not a State thing its a Medicare thing. States don't have anything to do with Medicare criteria. A lot has to do how big the Hospice agency is and how many staff members there are. But the criteria should be the same. Our local one had to stop excepting clients because of staff.