Kidney disease is one of those ailments which gradually worsen over time progressively. Eventually both you and your aging family member may find yourselves wondering if it’s time to bring hospice care into the equation. There are some specific circumstances involved in kidney disease that might indicate that it’s definitely time to consider hospice as a treatment option.

When Lab Tests Are Getting Worse

Your family member’s doctor is likely to be your first warning sign that her health is worsening. Her doctor is likely running lab work regularly that helps pinpoint where her various levels are and when she’s in a danger zone. At some point, her doctor may recommend that it’s time for hospice care to take over.

When Your Family Member’s Symptoms Are Getting Worse

The symptoms of kidney disease, such as shortness of breath and fluid retention, become worse as the disease itself worsens. Your elderly family member might have her own least favorite symptoms, like swelling in her extremities, that are a warning for her. When those symptoms are getting worse, hospice can help to relive that discomfort.

When Your Family Member Doesn’t Want Dialysis Anymore

For many people with kidney disease, is the line. For some patients, dialysis is painful, time consuming, or simply unpleasant in some other way. It’s not uncommon at all for people with kidney disease to decide that they want to stop dialysis treatments. When she makes that decision, hospice care providers can step in and help her to manage her symptoms in other ways.

When She No Longer Wants to Use Active Treatment Methods

Other treatment methods, like medications that help to lower blood pressure and treat swelling in arms and legs, can become a problem for your family member at some point. She may decide that she no longer wants to deal with the side effects or other issues associated with those treatment methods. At that point, she may feel more comfortable allowing hospice services step in and show her other ways that she can manage the effects of kidney disease on her body.

Ultimately there are a lot of different reasons why your family member might determine that hospice care is right for her at this time in her battle with kidney disease. Hospice can vastly improve her daily quality of life and help her to manage her symptoms in the time that she has left.

If you or an aging parent are considering hospice care in Easton, PA, please contact the caring staff at Serenity Hospice today. Call (215) 867-5405.