Found within the article on this page:

http://www.aafp.org/afp/20031015/tips/2.html

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Criteria For Eligibility for Medicare Hospice Benefit

Stage 7 or beyond according to the FAST scale
Unable to ambulate without assistance
Unable to dress without assistance
Unable to bathe without assistance
Urinary or fecal incontinence, intermittent or constant
No meaningful verbal communication, stereotypical phrases only, or ability to speak limited to six or fewer intelligible words
Plus one of the following within the past 12 months:
Aspiration pneumonia
Pyelonephritis or other upper UTI
Septicemia
Multiple stage 3 or 4 decubitus ulcers
Fever that recurs after antibiotic therapy
Inability to maintain sufficient fluid and calorie intake, with 10 percent weight loss during the previous six months or serum albumin level less than 2.5 g per dL (25 g per L)

FAST = Functional Assessment Staging Scale; UTI = urinary tract infection.

**Information from Schonwetter RS, Han B, Small BJ, Martin B, Tope K, Haley WE. Predictors of six-month survival among patients with dementia: an evaluation of hospice Medicare guidelines. Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2003;20:105-13.

There is some "sliding" with criteria. Our hospice explained that a person need not fit criteria for Stage 7 completely and that Stages often overlap.

If there are additional diagnoses such as diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, they too assist with acceptance.

Somewhere I have the actual writings from Washington re their Medicare criteria. I will see if I can dig it up. It's long, and it was VERY difficult finding it.

When and if I do locate it, I will get it to everyone.

I have been told that in order for Medicare to pay for "Hospice Care" is that the patient has to be previously hospitalized. My spouse was hospitalized previously and placed in a nursing facility for one night. It was too traumatic so I brought him home. I know now we must have Hospice Care for him as his health is deteriorating rather fast, he is in stage 7. I am not sure how to proceed. Any help is appreciated.

Vera, I don't think that's true. I "qualified" both parents for Hospice care and neither had been to the hospital near the time we did the interviews. They DID have to have a doctor's recommendation for Hospice, though. Maybe whoever told you that it was hospital... had it confused with having a doctor on board with it.

Thanks Johanna! That information will be (as all your info is!) invaluable!