From the article: Am I ready for hospice care?
What was the turning point that made you realize you or your loved one were ready for hospice care? Share your story.
My M-I-L
- My husband's mother was admitted to hospice care when (age 95) the doctor found cancer in her hip which caused her extreme pain. It turned out it was metastatic breast cancer probably 20 years old. At first my m-i-l was worried about hospice but eventually settled in very happily. She was allowed to keep her pet canary and loved all the attention and visitors. She was kept on a low dose of morphine and had no pain at all. After 5 months in the hospice she was told she would have to go to extended care in the hospital. She asked what she could do to prevent this move and was told that the hospice was for people who were dying and she wasn't so she had to go. She laughed and said, "I can do that". She immediately began to slip into a coma and three days later she was dead. Hospice was a great experience for her, all in all. She was ready to go but just having too much fun to let go!
- —Kaytee777
Two Parents -Pancreatic/PSP
- My father had six units of blood and his white count was 8000. His body was rejecting the transfusions. Mom had PSP, he was trying to care for her. Both moved in with us and the physician said Hospice - I was floored. Yet, pleasantly surprised the entire team helped all of us transition through losing Dad. They have been our right hand in caring for Mom. Mom has declined steadily but we have a few weeks hopefully months with her. Transition to nursing home with Hospice helping and continuing the care made the transition less scary for us and for Mom. Absolutely awesome group and I'm proud to know each and every one of the team.
- —kmshamblen
Never were ready for Hospice
- Our local Hospice, for the most part, did their job and did it well. As best we could tell, Mom was in no pain, and she was not struggling for breath due to her COPD. However, it was her doctor who advised us it was time for Hospice. For the family, it was difficult to know what was the right thing to do for Mom, and unfortunately she was unable to tell us how she felt about it. Would she have succumbed had she stayed hospitalized? Probably. But there is something wrong about an 83 year old woman confined to a Hospice Home bed with no fluids, no nutrition of any kind, with fever raging more often than not, for 10 days. Hindsight is always 20/20, and looking back, we would have insisted on continued hospitalization, and fought tooth and nail against placing her in the Hospice Home. Mom may not have lived much longer had she remained hospitalized, but she had no chance at all at the Hospice Home. I miss you Mom. Forgive us for letting you down.
- —Guest Craig
When mom was fed up with chemo...
- We knew it was time to get hospice involved in mom's care when she decided she was fed up with her chemotherapy treatments. She had been told that chemo wasn't going to cure her cancer, only extend her life expectancy. It wasn't worth it though. She was so sick - vomiting frequently, unable to eat because of nausea and terrible sores in her mouth and throat. She had lost so much weight and strength that she was confined to her bed. Her quality of life was non-existent and it wasn't it worth it for her to prolong her death to only live in her personal hell.
- —Guest Andy
