Dementia Patients will be considered to be in the terminal stage of dementia if they meet the following criteria: BOTH 1 and 2. 1. Stage 7 on the Functional Assessment Staging (FAST) Scale, described as: a. Unable to ambulate without assistance
b. Unable to dress without assistance
c. Unable to bathe without assistance
d. Urinary and fecal incontinence, intermittent or constant
e. No consistently meaningful verbal communication: stereotypical
         phrases only or the ability to speak is limited to six or fewer
         intelligible words.
2. Patients should have had one of the following within the past 12 months: a. Aspiration pneumonia
b. Pyelonephritis or upper urinary tract infection
c. Septicemia
d. Decubitus ulcers, multiple, stage 3-4
e. Fever, recurrent after antibiotics
f. Inability to maintain sufficient fluid and calorie intake
        demonstrated by either of the following:
      • 10% weight loss during the previous six months
OR  • Serum albumin < 2.5 gm/dl

If a patient meets the medical criteria above, they are by definition eligible to receive hospice services. Some patients may not meet the criteria, but may still be eligible for hospice care due to comorbidities or rapid functional decline. Contact your Samaritan Care Hospice Consultant for further information.