The Dying Process: A Journey
As a hospice nurse, the question I hear the most is "How long do you think he has left?" Many times this is a question that's difficult to answer with any accuracy. There is such variation in disease progression that it can be problematic to put a time line on a patient's life. While it's true that eligibility for hospice care requires patients to have a life expectancy of six months or less, some will long outlive those six months while the majority don't access hospice care until they are close to death.
How then can we answer that question at all? My response to the family, loved ones, and healthcare workers asking the question is to explain what the usual progression of the patients illness looks like and to give a general guideline of life expectancy based on where the patient is in that trajectory. Until a patient begins to demonstrate some very specific signs of approaching death, that's the best a hospice worker can do.
The signs of approaching death, also called the dying process, signal that the patient has begun their journey to their next destination. Understanding these signs can help those caring for their dying patient and loved one prepare for what lies ahead.
Comments
Thank you for this. It explains so much.
THANKS FOR THIS INFORMATION. MY SISTER PASSED AWAY HOURS AFTER I HAD LEFT HER IN A HOSITAL WARD. ALL THE SIGNS HAD BEEN THERE BUT I GUESS I HAD BEEN IN TOTAL DENIAL. THAT WAS FOUR YEARS AGO BUT I’M YET TO COME OVER HER DEATH. THE MOST VIVID MEMORY IS OF TURNING BACK AT THE WARD DOOR, SHE LOOKED LIKE SHE WAS BECKONING. I WENT BACK AND SHE TOLD ME THAT ‘I WAS ONLY SAYING THANK YOU’ THOSE WERE HER LAST WORDS TO ME AND ANY FAMILY MEMBER. THANKS FOR THIS INFORMATION
My ex-husband, the father of my children, is dying. Reading this has helped us understand the process better. Thank you for the information; it has been a comfort to know what he is going through and what we all can expect along the way.
A great book to help families thru this process, a way to talk things thru a loss is
“Dance in the Rain: His Joy Comes in the Mourning” by Angela A. Dockter-Harris.
can be found at
tatepublishing.com
barnesandnoble.com
amazon.com
Book can be personalized to each loss or situation. Great for teens up thru adults.
Thank you for this. I am only 30 years old but I lost my Dad 4 months ago, he suffered from COPD but we did not expect him to go so soon. I have found that lately I have been thinking about the hospital alot and thinking about his behavior there and the few weeks leading up. I knew at the time something wasn’t right and now after reading this, I know what he was going through, I guess I was in denial as well. I miss him so much.
I am so thankful because i have lots of informations from you…..
God Bless You………….