Does morphine mean the end?

I’m glad he was peaceful. When Mom is having bad times i would rather watch her sleep for a day than watch anxiety and confusion. She was pretty good today after a bad day yesterday. Tried to pick up a spoon to eat which hasn’t happened in a long time. Tomorrow is shower day so I come prepared with donuts and apologies for the aids. We do what we can... ha.
You are doing a fantastic job overseeing your Dads care and he would be so proud of you and thankful if he knew all you were doing for him. You deserve a beer and a peaceful night as well knowing he’s being well taken care of.

Thanks Rocket. He seems to be more stabilized than he was before. That is a relief as I thought my insistence that the nursing home feed him triggered this episode. He is sort of catatonic when we left him tonight but peaceful What about your LO?

Karsten, how is your Dad doing tonight? How are you doing? Thinking of you. Hugs.

I think hospice morphine is sublingual or buccal administration and not pill form. The morphine the poster above is taking is probably pill form.
Sublingual (under the tongue) or buccal (between the gums and cheek) takes less time to be effective as it is absorbed quickly into the bloodstream; pills take longer to take effect.
Hospice morphine is given for quick relief in a liquid suspension/elixir.

I have been on morphine for 10+ years for back pain. I was on other opiates for the 12 years before that. I am the caretake for my wife who had been in a NH since Nov. 2017.

Karsten, I thought morphine was only for pain when hospice brought it in for my mom. They told me that it eases breathing in people with lung issues and takes away their discomfort with breathing. My mom had pulmonary fibrosis, so her lungs were stiff. It helps them not feel like they're fighting for breath. That's what they told me. Be sure to talk to the hospice nurse, he/she should be very knowledgeable and able to give you good information.

Karsten yes, it could very well mean he is dying. You’ve said that lately all he wants to do is sleep & his appetite is sporadic.
Of course no one knows for sure, but discuss the rationale with hospice and/or his doctor there.
There are other signs of impending death the hospice nurse was able to inform me of. My mother did exhibit these signs two days before she passed.
It’s so individual, however, that your hospice team is your best resource.
Hugs to you...

My Mother was on Morphine for the last 9 and a half years of her life after she broke her neck and then other falls,ETC. happened and she also had COPD. It helped her pain a lot and it certainly wasn't the end for her.
It was just to control the pain and make her more comfortable.

Okay, so when my mom went on Hospice, it was because she was in pain and the pain meds, even doubled, were not helping. So they initially started a low dose of morphine which clearly helped with whatever hurt. But it also eased her breathing, which had been somewhat labored, because shed had pneumonia and underlying CHF.

My hope, maybe misplaced, was that if we could get her past the pain and get her breathing better and more deeply, she might actually recover. She died three days after the low dose of morphine was started. She remained on that low dose. Her passing was very peaceful.

Nursing home for breathing

Karsten, I agree with Barb above, we need more information. Who is "they" when you reference morphine? Why is Dad being given morphine? If your Dad had major surgery, chances are he could be given morphine to help reduce the pain.... I had morphine after two surgeries.

You need to ask more questions of the Staff where Dad is staying. Or if Dad is at home, to ask the visiting nurse.

Are they giving it for pain or for his breathing?