Hospice and travel

[ForNards]

Hi, I am new to this forum.

My dad was "tentatively" diagnosed with ALS a year ago...I say tentatively since it seemed that none of the physicians he saw wanted to say so for sure and kept having us get other opinions. Finally, in October, he was "officially" diagnosed with ALS. He is 74 years old.

As I write, I am sitting by his bedside in the hospital. He was admitted last Thursday because he was having trouble breathing and aparently his CO2 level was high. He has been on a BIPAP at home since October and had a PEG tube put in in November. He's on oxygen now in the hospital, but didn't have oxygen at home.

Yesterday, we were visited by Palliative Care and Hospice. It looks like they want to release him within the next few days to in-home hospice care.

My questions are: he doesn't seem to be experiencing any of the high CO2 side effects we've read about - no nausea, vomitting, or headaches - so why does he have to be on hospice? And, if we put him on hospice, does that mean he can no longer travel? He and my mom live in NY (as does my brother, about 1 hour away from them) and I live in PA. He wants to come spend a week with me, my husband, and kids. He also wants to see Yellowstone National Park.

I'm just frustrated because I feel like this happened so fast...he was just diagnosed and now we're being told he has less than 6 months...

 

[MtPockets]

My Doctors have put me on hospice twice now. Presently I am on Home Health Care. One time they had to add Oxygen at home due to low O2 levels, but somehow that worked out.
While on Hospice I would advise them when I would not be home due to Doctor trip or whatever. They were flexible and also provide the respite care option where I would have a sitter or go into home for afew days to give my wife a break. My Mother in law was on it for a year before she passed from cancer. They really helped the family a lot.
A lot depends on your local service, ask questions to see what all is available.