It's OK to GO GRANDMA!

I was taking care of a 92 year old woman who was on our floor for comfort measures only. She was dying, and it was only a matter of time. Her 70 year old daughter with PROFOUND hearing loss stayed at her bedside. One evening, the patient had a mini-seizure. The 70 yr old daughter began calling family.

Within a half an hour, a granddaughter showed up. She was in her 30s and had been to the hospital before. She was brash to the point of being rude. She looked at Grandma and said "Well, she's not DEAD! I guess I'll have to make some calls!" Then she stormed out of the room.

Other family members began to arrive. The patient's condition hadn't really changed and they were annoyed to have been called in for a 'false alarm'.

I went to the nurse's station to chart and the next thing I hear is the granddaughter yelling "GRANDMA, YOU CAN GO!" "IT IS OK TO GO GRANDMA!" "JUST GO ALREADY!"

I jump up and run to the room. I have heard of "permission to die" but I've never seen a family member SCREAM it at the patient! I open the door and ask how everyone is doing - my eyes scanning the room. The granddaughter says .....

"She keeps forgetting she has a catheter in and she wants to get up to pee. I keep telling her to go, but she won't."

HAHAHA.

We put a bedpan under her to give her the sensation of being on the toilet and she 'went'. She didn't die until a few days later though