Hospice - used to be just another word

Last Tuesday, I found out my grandmother was dying. My wife and I dropped everything and flew to Florida to be with her, as did the rest of our family. We spent the last 5 days at her side in a hospice center. She died today.
Over the last five days, I’ve acquired a tremendous amount of respect for the good men and women that staffed that hospice center. Compassionate doctors and nurses who understood what it meant to treat a terminally ill person attended all of the details of my grandmother’s care. My grandmother’s medication was to comfort, not to cure. We had a private room with a sofabed and there was no talk of “visiting hours” or “only two people in the room” rules. They gave my grandmother the gift of a painless, dignified death surrounded by those that loved her.
I’m a private person who wouldn’t share this under normal circumstances, but here’s a forum where I’ve got the ear of many future doctors and I want to tell you this: If you think you can’t do anything more for a terminal patient, there may be one more ‘gift’ you can give them. Refer them to hospice.
Something to think about in any case.
Jason

Jason,
I’m very sorry to hear of your loss. sad.gif
Geoff

i am sorry for your loss and i hope that you have wonderful memories to look back on. your story is important because i think in this field we are often concerned about the living and in fact dying is a process of living.
my father-in-law was well cared for by hospice and our family was also cared for by hospice about 2 weeks prior to his death. more than anything else it gave his sons ample opportunity to be with him. when he passed away my husband truly felt he had no regrets and had nothing left unspoken with his dad.
i would like to add too that even if someone is under hospice care many hospitals will still admit them if the care begins to overwhelm the family once they get home. in our state this does not change code status or level of care. it is more respite for the family.

Jason
I am sorry to hear about your grandmother's passing. I'm glad that she had the services of a good hospice to help the members of your family. I think a lot of people tend to avoid the issue of death, even in healthcare, where death is seen as the ultimate failure. Hospice programs bring choice and dignity to death. Take care,
Kathy