Pm care changes to post

Published Jul 14, 2010

4 Posts

does anyone have written guidelines for an in-patient hospice for pm care.?

please read some of the extras i have been including in my pm care and give feed back as to whether you have done these things yourself and if you think they are a good idea or not.

if i know the patient well and we have talked about how they want to die then it is easy to respect wishes. obviously the family are includued in this process.

giving a full bed bath and making every effort to present the body to look as immaculate as possible for the family .yes, and that includes the patient who had a bed bath one an hour ago.
asking the family if they wish to participate in the last bath to allow closure. when family is not available having 2 staff members/ perhaps a volunteer work together. i was taught that since most patients develop a terminal fever it's nice to bath them .it seems from reading other threads on this topic that this is a matter of personal opinion and there are no set guidelines. obviously if they have a religious /spiritual preference for handling the body then we respect that .personally my belief is that we are midwifes and just as a midwife baths a new born baby, so the hospice nurse baths her patient for the next journey.
placing a flower on the bed /pillow if a lady. making the room clean by removing all medical equipment and supplies. making it appears like "home". making sure a box of tissues are nearby and chairs and available for the family. i also try not to dress the body a ghastly hospital gown and try to use colored sheets so it feels more like home.
handling the body with the same gentleness and respect (as if they were still alive) right up to the point of leaving in the pick up vehicle. i always follow the deceased as they wheel them out and watch that they are gently placed in the vehicle. i support family members as the body leaves the building as this is can be incredibly painful goodbye
making the room smell good with a hint of aromatherapy if permitted.sometime playing relaxation music.
offering to light a candle if permitted and obviously no o2 around

[color=#7f007f]this is very close to my heart and a part of hospice care which i feel should not be skipped. :redbeathe