If Hospice "killed" my Husband they did a rather poor job of it and it took them 3 years to do it. While they were slowly "killing" him they had a Nurse come in each week. She would order medications and check him out. A CNA would come 2 sometimes 3 times a week to give him a shower, order supplies. We got visits from a Social Worker, a Chaplain and a Volunteer a few times. We got all the equipment that I needed to SAFELY care for him.
I think the Alzheimer's and Vascular dementias did a "better" job of killing him.
No. I feel like CHF and advanced dementia killed my mother at 95, and hospice helped keep her comfortable during her end of life process.
I feel like a brain tumor killed my father at 91 and hospice helped keep him comfortable during his end of life process.
Realize that Medicare STOPS paying hospice once a patient passes away, so what would be their goal in "killing" them? Not to mention euthanasia is against the law and hospice companies would've been closed down decades ago had your feelings been valid.
Hospice provided the support and meds that my MIL needed to keep her comfortable and at home. (In retrospect, not a great plan, keeping her at home--but that's water under the bridge.)
Her comfort meds were Xanax, Valium and Tramadol. No morphine b/c she wasn't in any pain.
From being placed under Hospice care to her death was about a year, exactly. Hospice most assuredly did NOTHING to hasten her death.
My FIL's oncologist gave him a whopping dose of morphine at the end of his life. He asked the 'kids' if they would allow him to do this to help ease his discomfort in struggling to breathe. I saw him pull the biggest syringe I've ever seen out of his pocket and stood with his back to the family and injected this morphine into the IV. (He was shielding the 'kids' from seeing this happen.)
FIL passed within 10 minutes. I spoke with the Dr afterward and thanked him and he said "you saw what I did, then?" I said 'yes, and thank you so much for your compassion'. I never told the 'kids'.
Hospice can be, and often is, a true godsend. May not feel like it at the moment--but what's the point in hanging on to life for one or two more days, in agony and misery--just to say you were tough?
Hospice was called in for my dad - they provided medical equipment for him to stay in their home and comfort meds - but again - not morphine - until literally his last week of life. His prognosis without the massively invasive surgery - was less than 6 months. The recovery from the surgery was reported to be horrible and incredibly long and painful. My dad made the decision to live what quality of life and time he had left.
That turned out to be about 2 months. Hospice was called in, they assisted in a number of ways - but did not hasten his death. When he got to the point where he was in pain - they were there to administer pain meds to ease his pain.
His condition is what killed him. Not the end of life care that he received.
Your profile says that you're caring for your 43 year old mom in a nursing home. I'm a bit confused. Why would your mom at that young age be in any type of nursing facility, and is she the one you think was "killed" by hospice? So until you explain a bit more, all I can say at this point is that hospice doesn't "kill" anyone, and I'm sorry for your loss.
I am afraid that we get these sadly misinformed posts all the time, yes.
Often family members are at odd when a person requests end of life care. Those not in favor of ending a hopeless fight often become quite "unreasonable" and in their grief their thinking patterns tend to go a tad wonky.
I can only say this. Hospice is end of life care and it is ordered by a phyician at the request of a patient, or suggest by MD when there is no longer any hope of treatment and a patient is expected to die. This care provides COMFORT and this is often through medications to prevent agitation, worry, sleeplessness and difficulty with bowels, bladder, phlegm production, swallow but MOST ESPECIALLY WITH PAIN. Pain medications are given in palliative care and in Hospice care in greater amounts than is normally done due to addiction concerned with other patients. And if there is any pain or agitation, in hospice, said medications WILL BE GIVEN. These medications will be given whether or not they may hasten death by some few seconds, minutes, hours or even days. They are given to provide relief from needless torment in a dying patients.
If you continue, after speaking with Hospice, MD, grief counselors, to have trouble processing your feelings please do consider cognitive therapist of Social Worker in private practice who is working with life transitions.
You admit that the level of medication they are given is more than would normally be given and that it speeds up death.
That's where the problem lies. Either the protocol of Hospice speeds up death or it doesn't. Those of us concerned with this level of "care" are making the very valid point you just made.
And, for those of us who had a loved one put under hospice care before they should have been, who were then given those medications at levels that sped up their death, we have seen first hand the consequences of this "one size fits all" protocol of just dosing patients indiscriminately.
I don't have an issue with euthanasia. I don't even think Hospice is *intentionally* seeking to kill people or running some sort of Medicare/Medicaid grift (although, it's possible it happens on a very small scale just statistically speaking). BUT, I do KNOW that it's protocol and view of "comfort care" is legalized euthanasia. Those of us who have dealt with it directly, just want that point validated. That's all.
I feel like hospice helped my father at a time when he was so very tired and exhausted from years of slow, insidious heart failure. They had no interest in killing him, for the minute he died they ceased to be paid. They provided him with comfort, compassion, and competent care in his final weeks. What more could any of us expect? It was beyond sad to see my beloved dad go, but knowing his wishes I could never want it to be different. I’m sorry for whatever you’ve experienced and wish you peace
I felt that way when my father was in-home hospice many years ago. The nurses were never able to be reached. It was a horrible experience for me. However, last year when my husband was dying, his doctor recommended an inpatient hospice center. I finally consented and it was a beautiful experience. They took wonderful care of my husband during his remaing days. I was with him as his wife and not his caregiver. Not all hospice programs are created equally. I have changed my mind on the hospice experience.
While they were slowly "killing" him they had a Nurse come in each week. She would order medications and check him out.
A CNA would come 2 sometimes 3 times a week to give him a shower, order supplies.
We got visits from a Social Worker, a Chaplain and a Volunteer a few times.
We got all the equipment that I needed to SAFELY care for him.
I think the Alzheimer's and Vascular dementias did a "better" job of killing him.
We get this question and stories many times here.
I think Alva's post says it all.
I was very relieved when my husband went into Hospice and died, he was out of pain, finally.
Seek counseling if need be.
I feel like a brain tumor killed my father at 91 and hospice helped keep him comfortable during his end of life process.
Realize that Medicare STOPS paying hospice once a patient passes away, so what would be their goal in "killing" them? Not to mention euthanasia is against the law and hospice companies would've been closed down decades ago had your feelings been valid.
Her comfort meds were Xanax, Valium and Tramadol. No morphine b/c she wasn't in any pain.
From being placed under Hospice care to her death was about a year, exactly. Hospice most assuredly did NOTHING to hasten her death.
My FIL's oncologist gave him a whopping dose of morphine at the end of his life. He asked the 'kids' if they would allow him to do this to help ease his discomfort in struggling to breathe. I saw him pull the biggest syringe I've ever seen out of his pocket and stood with his back to the family and injected this morphine into the IV. (He was shielding the 'kids' from seeing this happen.)
FIL passed within 10 minutes. I spoke with the Dr afterward and thanked him and he said "you saw what I did, then?" I said 'yes, and thank you so much for your compassion'. I never told the 'kids'.
Hospice can be, and often is, a true godsend. May not feel like it at the moment--but what's the point in hanging on to life for one or two more days, in agony and misery--just to say you were tough?
That turned out to be about 2 months. Hospice was called in, they assisted in a number of ways - but did not hasten his death. When he got to the point where he was in pain - they were there to administer pain meds to ease his pain.
His condition is what killed him. Not the end of life care that he received.
I'm a bit confused. Why would your mom at that young age be in any type of nursing facility, and is she the one you think was "killed" by hospice?
So until you explain a bit more, all I can say at this point is that hospice doesn't "kill" anyone, and I'm sorry for your loss.
Often family members are at odd when a person requests end of life care. Those not in favor of ending a hopeless fight often become quite "unreasonable" and in their grief their thinking patterns tend to go a tad wonky.
I can only say this.
Hospice is end of life care and it is ordered by a phyician at the request of a patient, or suggest by MD when there is no longer any hope of treatment and a patient is expected to die.
This care provides COMFORT and this is often through medications to prevent agitation, worry, sleeplessness and difficulty with bowels, bladder, phlegm production, swallow but MOST ESPECIALLY WITH PAIN.
Pain medications are given in palliative care and in Hospice care in greater amounts than is normally done due to addiction concerned with other patients. And if there is any pain or agitation, in hospice, said medications WILL BE GIVEN.
These medications will be given whether or not they may hasten death by some few seconds, minutes, hours or even days. They are given to provide relief from needless torment in a dying patients.
If you continue, after speaking with Hospice, MD, grief counselors, to have trouble processing your feelings please do consider cognitive therapist of Social Worker in private practice who is working with life transitions.
That's where the problem lies. Either the protocol of Hospice speeds up death or it doesn't. Those of us concerned with this level of "care" are making the very valid point you just made.
And, for those of us who had a loved one put under hospice care before they should have been, who were then given those medications at levels that sped up their death, we have seen first hand the consequences of this "one size fits all" protocol of just dosing patients indiscriminately.
I don't have an issue with euthanasia. I don't even think Hospice is *intentionally* seeking to kill people or running some sort of Medicare/Medicaid grift (although, it's possible it happens on a very small scale just statistically speaking). BUT, I do KNOW that it's protocol and view of "comfort care" is legalized euthanasia. Those of us who have dealt with it directly, just want that point validated. That's all.