TRU

Caring For Our Community Since 1976.

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(303) 442-0961 | (877) 986-4766

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Assessment Guidelines

Cancer/Malignancy

For all patients with a diagnosis of cancer, the following information should be obtained:

  1. Diagnosis confirmed through pathology or radiology

  2. Patient is no longer receiving, benefiting from or desiring curative treatment

  3. There is evidence of end-stage disease and/or metastasis

  4. Lab/diagnostic studies have been done recently to support disease progression

  5. Patients who are continuing to receive palliative radiation therapy or chemotherapy will be evaluated for admission on an individual basis

End-Stage Dementia

  1. Dependency in all ADL’s

  2. Unable to effectively communicate with words

  3. Patient is chair or bed-bound

  4. Markedly decreased intake/weight loss

  5. Comorbid conditions (COPD, CHF, diabetes, neurologic/renal/liver disease)

  6. Recurrent infections (pneumonia, UTIs, septicemia, pressure ulcers)

End-Stage Renal Disease

  1. Creatinine> 8U/L

  2. Discontinuing or refusing dialysis

  3. Chronic or acute illness that precipitated renal failure

  4. Urine output < 400mL/24hrs

End-Stage Pulmonary Disease

(COPD, Emphysema, Bronchitis, Cystic Fibrosis, Bronchiectasis, Pulmonary Fibrosis, Black Lung)

  1. No ventilatory support

  2. Poor response to multiple pulmonary medications

  3. O2 dependent

  4. Severe dyspnea at rest

  5. O2 saturation < or = 88%

  6. Presence of corpulmonale

  7. Resting tachycardia > 100/min.

End-Stage Cerebrovascular Disease

  1. Dysphagia, aspiration

  2. Weight loss, albumin < 2.5 mg/dl

  3. Recurrent infections

  4. Karnofsky score < or = 4

End-Stage Neurological Disease

Parkinson’s, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Multiple Sclerosis (MS):

  1. Dependency in all ADLs

  2. Recurrent infections

  3. Impaired respiratory functions/O2 dependent

  4. Has chosen not to receive ventilatory support

  5. Difficulty swallowing

  6. Weight loss

  7. Progressive decline in function over past 12 months

End-Stage Cardiac Disease

The two main categories are:

  1. Congestive Heart Failure or Cardiomyopathy with documented cardiomegaly on CXR

  2. Ischemic Heart Disease ASHD/ASCVD/CAD

Class IV Symptoms:

  1. Dyspnea or angina should be present for any cardiac disease

  2. Dyspnea and original symptoms at rest in spite of optimal medical therapy

  3. Discomfort with physical activity

  4. Multiple cardiac medications

  5. Abnormal EKG or ejection fraction < or = 20%

  6. Critical valvular lesions

  7. If CHF/Cardiomyopathy: evidence of fluid overload in spite of medications (edema, ascites, rales).

  8. If Ischemic Heart Disease/ASHD/ASCVD/CAD: history of refractory angina, arrhythmias, previous myocardial infarction or cardiac arrest

End-Stage AIDS

  1. CD4= count < 25 cells/mcL or viral load >100,000 copies/ml

  2. Patient is not receiving chemo, antiretrovirals or protease inhibitors other than for pain relief

  3. History of successive opportunistic infections

  4. CNS or systemic lymphoma

  5. Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy

  6. Visceral Kaposi’s sarcoma

  7. PPS score of 50% or less

End-Stage Diabetes

  1. History of insulin-dependent diabetes

  2. Severe vascular disease: Cardiac: MI, angina, CHF

  3. Cerebral: CVA

  4. Peripheral: amputation, ulcers, severe hypertension

  5. Frequent infections

End-Stage Liver Disease

  1. Documentation of specific liver disease in history and physical

  2. Abnormal liver enzymes: alkaline phosphates, SGOT, and bilirubin

  3. Elevated BUN/creatinine

  4. Hepatic encephalopathy

  5. Ascites, peritonitis

  6. Albumin < 2.5 gm/dl

  7. Abnormal coagulation

  8. Hepatorenal syndrome

  9. Recurrent variceal bleeds

General Debility

  1. Weight loss within past 3 months (below ideal body weight)

  2. Bed-bound or chair-bound

  3. Comorbid conditions (COPD, CHF, diabetes, neurologic/renal/liver disease)

  4. Recurring infections (pneumonia, UTIs, septicemia, pressure ulcers)

  5. Increasing safety concerns (frequent falls)

  6. Worsening symptoms (pain, dyspnea, cough, N/V/D, edema, BP

Comorbidity Conditions/Risk Factors

  • Aspiration pneumonia

  • CAD

  • Liver disease

  • History of CVA

  • Hypertension/hypotension

  • Difficulty swallowing

  • Unintentional weight loss > 10% body weight

  • Diabetes, Renal disease

  • Refusal/inability to eat

  • Serum albumin < 2.5 mg/dl

  • Pyelonephritis

  • Stage 3-4 decubitus

  • CHF

  • COPD

  • Sepsis

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About TRU

TRU Community Care (TRU) affirms life at every step of your journey with illness and loss. Our vision is to lead a healthcare transformation by engaging with our communities and offering innovative, meaningful care for those living with illness and loss.

Founded as Boulder Hospice in 1976, TRU is a Colorado-licensed, Medicare and Medicaid-certified, nonprofit health care organization serving Boulder, Broomfield, Adams, Jefferson, Arapahoe, Denver, and Weld Counties and beyond. With a focus on providing a continuum of care for members of our community living with advanced illness and loss, TRU’s programs include TRU Hospice, TRU PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly), TRU Palliative Care, Landmark Memory Care, and TRU Grief Services.

TRU Hospice is proudly accredited by The Joint Commission and is a five-star-level hospice in NHPCO's We Honor Veterans program created in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). TRU is a member of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI), the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC), Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders (NICHE), and the National PACE Association (NPA).

Our Services

TRU Grief Services
& Administrative Offices
2594 Trailridge Drive East
Lafayette, CO 80026

TRU Hospice Care Center
1950 Mountain View Avenue
4th Floor South
Longmont, CO 80501

TRU Thrift Shop
5565 Arapahoe Avenue
Boulder, CO 80303

TRU PACE Program
2593 Park Lane
Lafayette, CO 80026

TRU Denver Office
1415 Park Avenue West
Denver, CO 80205

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