I am seeking collective wisdom. If your loved one has moderate to severe dementia and develops a fever or other symptoms consistent with COVID-19, would you take them to the hospital? If they cannot understand the questions or explanations, or follow instructions, what good is that?
Would you keep your loved one at home?
Only go to the hospital if the patient develops breathing problems and only after consulting your provider.
At this point, no one is allowed to accompany a patient into the hospital.
Is your husband receiving hospice services? Are you both isolating at home so that he is not exposed?
If he develops breathing problems (the only indication for hospitalization) you would need to talk to hospice first and have him dis-enrolled from hospice, right?
I would not send someone with severe dementia to the hospital alone. I would use the comfort pack meds to keep him comfortable and unaware.
The name Covid-19 strikes more fear due to this being a new disease but if your LO developed influenza or pneumonia what would the plan be for those? Is an advance care directive or similar health care plan in place?
If active treatment is chosen, if unable to manage at home, transfer to hospital would then be required.
If comfort care is chosen, what supports will be available in the home? Family may be unable to come to help as planned & services may be reduced due to the pandemic?
If very end stage of life I would personally want to stay at home but I would need a lot of support.
Is your LO's Doctor someone you could ask this hard question to?
And the advice may greatly depend on where you live.
Frankly the LAST place I would want to be is in the hospital. IF things can be managed at home you are better off there. If however the conditions worsen or on the advice of the physician then it would be a necessity.
Big question is does this person have a POLST or DNR that indicates no intervention? If so then putting them on a Vent is against the directives of the POLST or DNR making the trip to the hospital unnecessary for the most part.