What educational opportunities are available to family members who keep their dying loved one at home?
I am a retired nurse with a few years of hospice experience. Almost a year ago, we had hospice care for my dad. I found the education I was given was very poor. I keep wondering how people without a medical background do it? For example, while unconscious, I needed to give my father his pain medications orally, without choking him. He also had urinary pretension, a common occurrence with someone dying. Our hospice nurse did not teach me how to handle these situations. And even though the agency stated they wanted me to be the daughter, not the nurse, it seemed to me that I was the nurse. The nurse also asked me, "Have you read over the signs and symptoms of dying with your mother yet?" I guess I was pretty disappointed in the services we received. It was the worst thing I've had to do. I needed support too and it was not there. Thoughts?
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