Options for patients released from Hospice care?

They sent the body to the wrong place?! OMG! How could that happen?

Hospice carefully wrote down all the details of after-death plans in our very first interview. They contacted the mortuary shortly thereafter to confirm expectations. They worked with the research clinic where the body was to be sent for autopsy. When I called to report that my husband had died (in our home) they checked their records and confirmed again where the body would be sent and they took care of requesting the removal. The mortuary showed up within an hour. I was very grateful not to have to be dealing with the details at that time.

Your Dad's body was LOST?! OMG. I think that would put me off hospice, too.

I am truly sorry that you went through such a traumatic experience. I will be interested in what the attorney comes up with.

But I still maintain that it is not appropriate to blame all hospice programs throughout the US for the terrible experience you had. Many people who use this forum have been or will be faced with end-of-life decisions for their loved ones. A campaign to destroy the reputation of the hospice concept itself is really not helpful.

Thus far I am so glad for hospice. My Mom going through rehab in 3 nursing homes and at home was a terrible time with stage 4 bedsore and a broken leg suffered in NH #2. . This awful rehab mode went on for about 11 months until someone finally listened to me about hospice. Mom was just not able to stand or walk and getting her to doctors and specialists appointments in a wheelchair with a special hired van was a huge ordeal. Mom hated the PT sessions, and we had a couple of real fools as PT therapists. The hospice staff is much more understanding and compassionate about her condition. Everyone is different and some people are rehabable...but Mom clearly was not, and thus far hospice has been a relief for her as they keep her clean and comfortable when she can't be moved. It is too bad that one bad hospice company gives all the better ones a bad rep. Those companies that make mistakes like losing someone's body should be dealt with legally.

Katie222, is your mom of sound mind? Is hospice considering her terminal? Your mom sounds a lot like my mom physically. My mom's mind is good. I have had people tell me to look into hospice for all the reasons you mentioned, but I don't consider her terminal. Mom is non rehabable. In fact she just had a five day stay in the hospital and I was hoping for some rehab to help just give me some extra help but rehab wouldn't even consider her. We have aides helping which is working for now but I'm not sure where we will go from here. I'm just taking one day at a time.

Kannie, Somewhere along the line last year, my Mom was diagnosed with Alzheimers, though she recognizes us still. She is diabetic. She was diagnosed with inoperable abdominal cancer 13 years ago and the tumor is still there. She has hardly been eating the last few weeks. She has been on hospice for too a few months.
I have heard of people being on hospice for 3 years in some cases. I hope you get the help you need soon. That is how I take things...one day at a time.

Katie222, Keep doing what you are doing as long as you can. My mom was in the same condition: sound mind but bedridden due to a fall and broken hip. I am an only child with no relatives or friends to help out. I felt I could not care for her at home since I am not well myself. The doctor put my mom in an unskilled facility, turned her care over to Hospice, and abandoned her.

What you should know is that Hospice provides no rehabilitative of curative care. They are there just to provide comfort care and pain relief primarily through the use of narcotics.

I stayed with my mom every day. She died after a month. I was extremely close to her and feel guilty for not having been able to do more for her that may have extended her life or at least provided her with the comfort of spending her final days at home which is what both she and I wanted.

Grieving, I am so sorry. I just want to acknowledge your story and tell you that I, and so many others, can relate because we begin to feel so helpless and beaten down when we have no one by our sides, helping us fight. I know you did the best you possibly could. I also feel guilty for not being strong enough to do things I feel I should be doing...or should have done. Just know you did the best you could. God bless.