I had a friend who was terminally ill with cancer. As she became very weak and ill, she called and arranged for hospice to come about once a week. The hospice ladies were wonderful. They visited with her, myself and her sister, who were her caregivers. They taught us how to administer shots for pain, should she need them. They talked alone with her about dying and tended to her spiritual and emotional needs in ways that her sister and I could not, for dying and death were their business. They were warm, compassionate, caring and sometimes funny. They were helpful and supportive to the sister and me. As my friend grew sicker and weaker, they visited more often, even daily. They were on call 24/7, and when my friend had a crisis they came immediately and got us through it. When she died, they were there promptly as well, and walked us through the process of dealing with the necessary steps of whom to call, what to do. Their support and just having their familiar, comforting faces at that time was invaluable. They were our angels.
NO. Hospice is not euthanasia, it is about keeping people comfortable until their last breath. Assisted death is available in some places but even there it is something the patient has to arrange and consent to.
Hospice accepts folks who have a life limiting illness who agree that they are no longer going to get treatment to cure that illness. Folks enrolled in Hospice get care to treat their symptoms and their pain, and to ease their breathing.
Hospice often uses morphine as an effective pain medication. Morphine can also ease difficult breathing for someone who has congestive heart failure.
Hospice evaluates patients prior to accepting them for care. Often, by the time hospice is called in, the patient is already actively dying. Thus, it is not difficult for hospice to predict with accuracy how long before someone is going to die, with or without any medications that make the experience less painful or terrifying.
My mom had congestive heart failure. Dying from that feels like drowning. I did not want that for her. We called in hospice to give her morphine to help ease her breathing and to shield her from the gasping for breath that she would have otherwise endured.
I am sorry for your loss. I hope these explanations help.
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As my friend grew sicker and weaker, they visited more often, even daily. They were on call 24/7, and when my friend had a crisis they came immediately and got us through it. When she died, they were there promptly as well, and walked us through the process of dealing with the necessary steps of whom to call, what to do. Their support and just having their familiar, comforting faces at that time was invaluable. They were our angels.
Hospice cares for people who are terminally ill and dying.
Hospice provides palliative care to people who are terminally ill and dying.
Hospice provides emotional care to people who are terminally ill and dying.
Hospice provides spiritual care to people who are terminally ill and dying.
Hospice accepts folks who have a life limiting illness who agree that they are no longer going to get treatment to cure that illness. Folks enrolled in Hospice get care to treat their symptoms and their pain, and to ease their breathing.
Hospice often uses morphine as an effective pain medication. Morphine can also ease difficult breathing for someone who has congestive heart failure.
Hospice evaluates patients prior to accepting them for care. Often, by the time hospice is called in, the patient is already actively dying. Thus, it is not difficult for hospice to predict with accuracy how long before someone is going to die, with or without any medications that make the experience less painful or terrifying.
My mom had congestive heart failure. Dying from that feels like drowning. I did not want that for her. We called in hospice to give her morphine to help ease her breathing and to shield her from the gasping for breath that she would have otherwise endured.
I am sorry for your loss. I hope these explanations help.