Hospice or Hospital When Your Time Comes?

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  1. Hospice or Hospital

    • 153
      Hospice
    • 9
      Hospital

162 members have participated

After this last hospital experience, I have chosen hospice. It will probably start next month.

Specializes in Med/Surge.

Definately Hospice and preferably at home. I so wish we could have done this for my sister but we were all in denial when the end came for her. The Hospice nurses that I have met through the hospital are what have convinced me.

I don't know you Fran, but my thoughts and prayers are with you.

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Specializes in ER.
Neither. I plan to take things in my own hands before I am unable to do so.

:yeahthat:

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With my dh's grandmother currently in the middle stages of Alzheimer's, I know that hospice is a blessing. The last hospice nurse wasn't so good, but we have her in a new setting and hopefully she'll get a better hospice/nurse.

I've been doing so much thinking about this lately, but I guess I'm young and haven't thought that far ahead. Once I get into the throes of ns I'm sure that I'll have more info to make up my mind.

For me, I guess it depends on the situation. I talked with my dh about it this evening and I'm still at the "Full Code" point. However, if I'm diagnosed with something like Alzheimer's I would insist on good hospice care, not only for myself, but for my family. Hospice offers so many things that a hospital can't offer on it's own.

However, I would only go into hospice only after there was no hope of recovery.

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Hospice, of course! I am a hospice nurse of 7 years......I know the benefit that hospice can give.

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Hospitals are no place for dying people, and I have had more than a few patients who were in hospice care transferred to our acute care setting

because somebody panicked at the last minute. Not to denigrate hospice and all they stand for, but my experience has been poor.

I will save up enough narcotics to do it my way, and my husband and my best friend (a nurse, thank God) agree.

Cate

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My prayers are with you Fran. When my time comes, I hope I can be at home with hospice involved. I work in hospice and it is a good place to die. I would not "off myself." I think any kind of suicide is a sin. I think that anyone who kills themself comes back as a ghost.

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Specializes in ER.

Then I wonder if a ghost can haunt an online bulleting board?

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Specializes in LTC, CPR instructor, First aid instructor..

Thank you, cat. This last experience in the hospital was what convinced me to chose hospice where I'll be able to be around my family and home environment. There was a head-on car wreck Memorial Day night. An 8 yo was brought into our unit all smashed up. He didn't make it, and was placed onto a litter where he was taken to the morgue. How do I know? I heard and saw the whole thingl I had a new RN who insisted on leaving my door open.

When I began to talk to her about it, she asked me if I saw it on the news:rolleyes: Get real! Then the charge nurse said, "he's gone" and asked 2 helpers to take him down to the morgue, and asked them if they were alright. they both answered in the afirmative.

After that, I had a very familiar buxom nurse enter my room, and she began to ask me questions.

Do you feel light-headed?

Do you have pain anywhere?

Does your heart feel like it's going to pound out of your chest? etc.

I asked her her name, and she replied, "Mud," and sometimes it's muddy water." I then replied, "I know you".

Extreme;y impersonal and very cold. and the visiting hours were restricted with no one under 12 allowed in there. So there I was, sweating, due to the hot weather and high humidity. (there was construction going on at the hospital) I missed my family terribly. At least in hospice I'll never have to live that nightmare again.

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

When my maternal granfather was DX with CA lung with mets to brain in 1981, gentelmen in next bed was poseyed, NG tube fed with wrist restraints. My GM who was on walker as just had hip replaced, took one look at that gentlemen and said to family "that's not the way to live our last days" and promptly got living will made for both of them.

Gramps came to my parents home where he resided 3 months; last 2 weeks he was inpatient hospice care and passed comfortably pain free. Twenty years later, a week after celebrating her 93rd birthday, Nana appeared to have CVA, minimally responsive with CAT negative. ST came in and said " feeding tube", I said "Hospice as POA. Had her signed up in 48hrs. Since we couldn't arrange private dutyCNA on Dec 22nd so she could go back to her adssisted living home, she too went to inpatient hospice as my parents declined to have her at my home. Died about 2 weeks later after awakening and recognizing great grandsons and telling staff "my family does love me".

I'm sorry for those who've had poor hospice experiences. Entering hospice while actively dying, does not give enough time to prepare everyone or show family/pt all that Hospice can offer. Choising to enter when you've had enough with hospitalization/being sick is better option.

Sure hope your massage therapist Fran will continue as she provides pain relief. If not, I'll be up to rub your back in a hearbeat. :redbeathe

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Specializes in LTC, CPR instructor, First aid instructor..
When my maternal granfather was DX with CA lung with mets to brain in 1981, gentelmen in next bed was poseyed, NG tube fed with wrist restraints. My GM who was on walker as just had hip replaced, took one look at that gentlemen and said to family "that's not the way to live our last days" and promptly got living will made for both of them.

Gramps came to my parents home where he resided 3 months; last 2 weeks he was inpatient hospice care and passed comfortably pain free. Twenty years later, a week after celebrating her 93rd birthday, Nana appeared to have CVA, minimally responsive with CAT negative. ST came in and said " feeding tube", I said "Hospice as POA. Had her signed up in 48hrs. Since we couldn't arrange private dutyCNA on Dec 22nd so she could go back to her adssisted living home, she too went to inpatient hospice as my parents declined to have her at my home. Died about 2 weeks later after awakening and recognizing great grandsons and telling staff "my family does love me".

I'm sorry for those who've had poor hospice experiences. Entering hospice while actively dying, does not give enough time to prepare everyone or show family/pt all that Hospice can offer. Choising to enter when you've had enough with hospitalization/being sick is better option.

Sure hope your massage therapist Fran will continue as she provides pain relief. If not, I'll be up to rub your back in a hearbeat. :redbeathe

Awwww schweetheart, I just might hold you to that. Now go enjoy your son's graduation.

PS------Had a wonderful evening with family last noc. Barbecued chicken and all. I just loved it.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Wondeful Fran.

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Not 100% sure yet but I think hospice. I love to be comfortable and enjoy life till the last second. Right now it's hard to think of it though since I'm not even 30 yet...Why do we have to get old!!!:uhoh21:

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