How to Work With Hospice: Common Diagnoses for Hospice Admission

Admission to the Hospice program requires supporting documentation of a qualifying diagnosis. While not all of the following criteria need to be met for admission, listed below are some guidelines for the most commonly used diagnoses. Among the many other qualifying diagnoses are Parkinson’s, MS, ALS and AIDS.

Cancer
• Pain
• Anorexia
• Weight Loss, Malnutrition
• Anxiety
• Cell Type
• Metastatic Disease
• Seeking Comfort Measures

Pulmonary
• Dyspnea at Rest
• Oxygen Dependent
• Steroid Dependent
• Resting Tachycardia
• Weight Loss, Malnutrition
• Responding Poorly to Meds
• Refusing to Take Meds
• Frequent Exacerbation

Cardiac
• Recurrent CHF
• Arrhythmia
• Responding Poorly to Meds
• Refusing to Take Meds
• History of MI
• Dyspnea at Rest
• Oxygen Dependent
• Class IV NY Heart Association

Classification: inability to carry out physical activities without discomfort.

Stroke
• Frequent TIAs
• Persistent Vegetative State less than 3 Days Secondary to CVA
• Dysphagia, Aspiration
• Pneumonia
• Weight Loss, Malnutrition
• Less Than 70 Years Old
• Recurrent Infections
• Post-Stroke Dementia

Dementia/Alzheimer’s
• FAST 7A: Dependent with ADLs, Incontinent
• Inability to Communicate Properly
• Recurrent Infections
• Decubitus Ulcers
• Dysphagia, Aspiration Pneumonia
• Weight Loss, Malnutrition

End-Stage HIV/AIDS
• Patient is Not Responding to Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART)
• CD4 Count less than 50 /mm³
• Viral Load greater than 100,000 Copies /mm³
• History of Successive or Recurrent Opportunistic Infections
• Continued Weight Loss and Weakness

Debility Unspecified
• Significant Disability
• Body Mass Index (BMI) below 22kg/m2
• Low Serum Albumin/Hct/Creatinine
• Presence of Medical Comorbid  Conditions of Sufficient Severity to Warrant Medical Treatment.