last Christmas wish

[smurfynursey]

Does anyone else have patients that want to die for Christmas? They aren't suicidal by any means...just ready to die and are tired of being sick.

I am new (sort of) to hospice, all I've done before this is working with kids, and they have all been too delayed/sick to verbalize that notion

[areensee]

This is probably unusual as most patients do not their families to remember every Christmas day as the day of their loved one's death. Most patients would prefer to die either before or after. However, we are born into this world in our own unique way, and so why shouldn't be expect to leave this world in the same way? Some might attach meaning to dying on such a special day, and if so, so be it. Our job is to support the patient is a holistic manner, not to tell them what it "right" or "wrong".

[smurfynursey]

I'm not saying its right or wrong, just asking if others had the same experience. And I agree, Most familes would hate to associate Christmas with the date of their mother/sister/daughter/friend's death. We had quite a few patients that died shortly before or shortly after Christmas this year.

[tewdles, RN]

Not Christmas specifically, but some do have specific events or dates that are part of their EOL goals.