Conclusion: Personal
In the blog area of this class we have discussed many issues involving hospice using scholarly research and articles. As we have come to a close of this course I want to give each and everyone time to discuss their personal views of hospice. There are no rights or wrongs to your views. I will open this last blog share with my views of hospice to break the ice. I would like to know if you came into this course with one view of hospice and ended this class with another. Discuss why and what changed your minds.
I came into nursing with little to no experience of hospice and then my father was given a terminal diagnosis of intentional cancer that was inoperable. Being the only female child and the baby of six, Dad spoiled me rotten. My mother only had myself and one surviving brother to lean on during this time.
My father’s physician called a family conference and stated that all that could be done for my father had been done and we were at a cross roads in his treatment. The physician had a hospice case worker present for the conference to educate the family on what we were facing in the months to come. We could let nature take its course or we could go with hospice either in the home or a facility. Dad had always stated he wanted to die at home in his own bed so this decision was set in stone.
The physician educated us to the pain processes that my father would go through if we let nature take its course and what hospice could offer my dad. It was a no brainer for me but it was a very hard decision for my mother and brother. They had always believed in life at all cost. I asked for a little time to talk with the family. I played a little dirty by pulling my dad’s brother into the discussion and he had seen members of his family suffer and other use hospice. Mom and my brother finally came around to the idea of giving hospice a trial run.
After one week on hospice my mother was given the gift of a hospice volunteer that was there to help her, give her breaks and time to herself. Mom called my brother and myself and said the trial was over and hospice was in the home until the end.
Eleven months into the diagnosis my father passed away. The time could not have been worse. He died on the anniversary of the deaths of his parents and brother that were killed in an auto accident, Christmas Eve.
This has been 19 years ago and I never forgot the loving care that my dad and mom received from the hospice nurses, aids, chaplains, and volunteers. They staid involved with the family for a year after dads passing.
When given the opportunity to go into hospice I was a little torn as to what to do? I was worried that that it would be too raw on me and bring back my dad’s death. Well it did bring dad’s passing back to me but it was in a very good way. I had been given the path of how patients and their families should be taken care of. Hospice will always be a love for me due to the great people that helped my family through a very hard time.
Dee
