Lesson #1 - Hospice is amazing!

Okay, I only have two experiences with hospice care, but they were both amazing.

Even though my mom was the first to really start declining, it was my husband's mom who went to the hospital on Wednesday, February 20th, 2013 not feeling well. She was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia at age 77. She went to hospice at my brother-in-law's and sister-in-law's house in Cannon Falls on 2.27.13. The hospice workers visited us at the house on March 1st. They were amazing! They were patient, kind, encouraging, and helpful as we navigated these new waters. Sadly, my mother-in-law died a week later without receiving many of the services. But just having the conversations and her input while she was able to express her opinion was valuable. It was incredibly hard to lose her so quickly, but we were all able to be with her and say goodbye. More on that later.

My mom had lots of ups and downs from October 2010 until her death in May 2014. During the last few months of her life, I was starting to genuinely get worried about our ability to care for her in-home. My sister Ann (I think . . . it may have been me or Louise) contacted Allina and invited a hospice worker to come out and meet with us. All four of us 'kids' were there with my dad. I invited my mom to come out to the living room, but she declined. I wish I had photographed her smirk! It seemed to say, "Go ahead and meet about me. It's not like I'll cooperate." The hospice nurse was kind, a good listener, and asked some questions we needed to think about and answer. Unlike my mother-in-law, my mom didn't have a particular diagnosis that would trigger the need for hospice. I forgot the name of the rating scale they use (I'll look it up and blog about it later), but although her dementia and confusion were troubling, she still recognized us and knew our names! I think we finally settled on "weight loss" for the diagnosis. She had lost a lot of weight at the end and didn't seem very interested in food or eating.

Ugh! I could go on forever! Suffice it to say, hospice workers (in my experience) are trained and experienced in working with families. They can "read" the dynamics and figure out what's best for the patient. They also prepare the way for things like the death certificate and how to handle different situations. I'll share more later, but if you're a hospice worker - Thank You! You make a powerful difference in people's lives!