Dementia can be a qualifying diagnosis for hospice, under certain conditions. Our local hospice does an evaluation. They also offer palliative care (nurse visits but no aide) and "bridge to hospice." I did suspect that with the kind of complex but not imminently life-threatening medical conditions that the very elderly have, dementia might be used as the simplest diagnosis for hospice Medicare when the picture is complex.

I volunteered briefly for our local hospice and all my patients were on for dementia.