Hospice patients with Bi-paps and C-paps

[Blackcat99]

At my hospice lately, we have been getting a lot of people on Bi-paps or C-pap machines. Is this happening at other hospices too? I thought these machines were similiar to ventilators? Why are hospice patients being put on these new style of ventilators? I thought hospice was about dying a natural death? Thanks:wink2:

[EricJRN, MSN, RN]

CPAP can help with the insomnia that goes along with sleep apnea, so it's about comfort and not really an attempt to reverse a disease process.

[leslie :-D]

cpaps & bipaps are not considered life-sustaining, unlike vents.

yes, i've had sev'l.

leslie

[Blackcat99]

Thanks EricEnfermero and earle58. I have a guy who has to wear his pap 24 hours a day!!!! Poor guy, he is so weak that he has to take it off just for a few seconds at a time in order to take his pills and a bite of food. After he does that he is exhausted and has to rest. They say that if he would remove his mask that he would die right away. He is alert and oriented.

[doodlemom]

We have been getting a lot of these patients recently, as well. Most of them hate to wear them and get agitated.

[KellieNurse06]

I think it is definetly comfort.....who wants to see a person dying because they are struggling to breathe??? That's just horrible.....

Some people just lose their respiratory drive, how terrifying would that feel to be going through that? I can't even imagine!

[Blackcat99]

Yes, it must be very scarey not being able to breathe. I can't even imagine how awful that must feel to a person.