Hospice care is so beautiful and very much needed in our communities.

Hospice was wonderful for us with both my Dad and Mom

I am in total agreement with you.
I will say one thing. We have many OPs who come to Forum who were not fully informed about hospice, what it is, what it means, and that it is basically comfort care for end of life. They were often worried and disturbed and in some instances shocked and in dismay. That is so sad because communications could have prevented it. We have also seen on forum those families where the siblings are divided, some unready and unwilling to let go while others are wishing for the peace and comfort of the LO.
So I just think that communication is so important.

My experience with two different hospice agencies was nothing short of wonderful. During my wife's 15 months in MC, someone from hospice was with her almost every day. It may have been the aides who showered her, or the chaplain, or the music therapist, or the case mgr. I started with one agency and was very pleased with their care and service to her. The case mgr, I'll call her D, kept me informed by phone of my wife's meds, her moods, and whether she was having a good or bad day. I visited one day to find that D had changed agencies. I was so pleased with her care that I immediately transferred my wife's care to the new agency so I could keep D as her hospice nurse. Occasionally, D and I would run into each other at MC. She would sit down with me and discuss my wife's progress and what the care plan was.

My wife fell into a coma for the last 14 days of her life. During that time, someone from hospice was with her 24/7. The nurses worked 12 hr shifts and besides documenting her every hour of care, and with my wife being in a coma, the nurse would comb my wife's hair, massage her arms and legs, keep her clean and dry, and move her to prevent sores. The agency had to continually alter the work schedule because they didn't think my wife would live a day longer. Several months later, the agency hosted a memorial celebration for all the LOs that were lost that year. I'll never forget the care, compassion, and companionship these agencies showed my wife.

FunkyG,

What a blessing you were to the patients and their families!

You certainly went through a lot in your time with your husband. I am sorry that you had to stay on top of the situation to monitor his care.

You were a darling wife and I know that your husband appreciated your warmth and compassion. That is the definition of true love.

I know that there can be a high turnover of caregivers in hospice work. Some people stay put while others move on for various reasons. It’s always good to monitor everything closely.

Thank you so much for volunteering your time and assistance to hospice patients. We need more people in this world like you!

Take care.

I volunteered for a hospice agency for 8 1/2 years, and I enjoyed every minute of it. It was an honor to be able to spend time with folks whose time on this earth was limited. I got to see them in their homes or in a facility, and I also tried to bring something along with me that they enjoyed, whether it be a small snack, music, picture books, the Bible, or whatever else. I had to stop when my husband's care was starting to require more of my time, but plan on hopefully starting back up with it, when this Covid issue calms down more.

I'm glad that you're having a great experience with the Hospice agency you have chosen for your mom, however not all hospice agencies are created equal as I have stated on this forum multiple times. When it came time for my husband to go under their care, unfortunately the agency I volunteered for, had done some restructuring, and their services were no longer offered in my area, so I went with the the main hospice agency in our city. I guess because my husband was under their care for the last 22 months of his life in our home, and hospice isn't used to people living that long under their care, I wasn't thrilled with the overall care my husband received. I had to stay on top of them ALL the time, to make sure he was receiving the care he needed and deserved. I know that the hospice office dreaded my calls which I pretty much had to make weekly, but I really didn't care as I had to do everything in my power to make sure things were done right. It was amazing how many of his nurses didn't know how to change a supra pubic catheter(only one actually knew how), and how his first nurse actually put her blood pressure cuff right over my husband's picc line to get a blood pressure reading, which is a huge no no, as it can cause blood clots, which I had to learn about myself. The fact that they allowed my husband to suffer in excruciating pain the last 6 weeks of his life, where I was told that unless I had him brought in to their facility, there was nothing more they could do, I will never forget either. I could go on and on, but it would take up too much space.
Now he did have some nice nurses and all but one of his aides were great as well, however, I just hated that I had to stay on them all the time, and that they let him down in his final weeks.
But I can also say that the care that my husband received at the actual hospice facility was much better than the in home services. He was there twice, the first time directly from the hospital when I was told he only had days left to live, and a second time to try and get his pain under control. Both of those stays were night and day compared to our in home experience. It's a shame, and certainly shouldn't be that way, so count your blessing for sure that you are pleased with the care your mom is receiving.

So just a word to the wise, do your homework when picking out a hospice agency as they are not all created equal.

Elaine,

I agree. Their main purpose is to keep the patient as comfortable as can be. What a blessing for this service to be available to us.

I agree!!! Hospice is the best. My father had hospice at home (before my mother became a hoarder) and my mother n law had hospice. Both were great experiences. They would tell us step by step what was going on.

They did use morphine at the very end of their life. It’s the humane thing to do. No suffering!!!