Patients with Debility diagnosis...

1. Hi All! My first post here and I got some questions to ask. How many hospices use debility as a common diagnosis? I work for a very small hospice that has been shrinking even faster recently. We have a census of only 18 at this time. Of that 18 over half are admitted under debility. I'm thinking that that number is wayyy high. Honestly I feel that a good number of those don't qualify even under debility.
   Just curious how that diagnosis rates in other hospices.
   Thanks

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2. 3 Comments

   Topic Closed
3. 
   Jan 2, '08

   I would say that we have about 5% on our service for debility unspecified. We only use it if there is no other definitive diagnosis and we have documentation of decline. We watch these patients very closely and if they don't decline, we d/c them. It is too risky to keep pts on service that are not appropriate.
4. 
   Jan 4, '08

   I'd much rather see a dual dx vs. debility unspecified. Can they narrow it down some?
5. 
   Jan 5, '08

   What about failure to thrive or as another nurse posted, something more definitive.
   
   That is a red flag for medicare...IMO.
   
   linda
   
   that is like we have a patient who had a cva 10+ years ago, and the diagnosis was "cva", but the medical director said it had to be like "inanition".

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