On hospice for COPD mother broke hip w/multiple fractures dr at hospital sure she would not last its 4 wks and now hospice says no recert?!? She is laying there being a trooper. I've helped her fight through delirium and struggle with the in ability to get up for the bathroom. Now hospice says they are done and I am left to find a surgeon that will try to do a non-anesthesia repair. I feel like hospice wanted her to die and now that she didn't its too much work for them. Her general doctor hasn't even responded in person and says go get an Osteo doctor. Is this compassion? Hospice Nurse kept saying they don't do curative treatment. Well I sure hope they feel good about that saying. I feel like they have left us in a worse state - well actually I know they have because she still has terminal COPD and know a broken hip too. No offer for an epidural procedure or a nerve block for pain. I've had to go research all these options on my own and I am currently looking for a compassionate surgeon in the Council Bluffs/Omaha area.
My mother broke her hip. Surgery was not recommended. She went on hospice, since she did seem to be dying. But she recovered gradually and after 3 months she was clearly not dying and hospice "graduated" her off the program. We took her then to the orthosurgeon. There was nothing to be done for the hip. She is wheel-chair bound but content, a year later. Hospice helped manage the pain in her hip. If we had wanted "curative" care we would have had to get her off hospice first.
Sad, I know, especially in such an emotional time of your life. I've experienced hospice for Mom and for my husband. Both organizations were amazingly compassionate and helpful. But they have to follow their rules.
Not even physical therapy.
Going off hospice is not a bad thing. Their care approach is totally different than a treatment team's approach.
The person freaking out may not be the person who checked the loved one into hospice. For my mother, I was the only one of 4 daughter and 3 sons who was willing to actually sit through the intake process. We all agreed this had to happen, but I'm the only one who heard the explanations. I tried to pass on all the key points. The situation for freaking out never came up, but I can see how other family members could have felt blind-sided.
Putting a loved one on hospice is usually a very traumatic, emotional event. Because I'd been on AgingCare and other forums I already had a fair idea of how it works. But I can understand how all the careful explanations could go in one ear and out the other.
Having a loved one on hospice with an acute need is also traumatic. During that emotional time it may not be easy to remember the description you were given of how hospice works.
Maybe there are some hospice organizations with sloppy procedures. This is a big country! Uniformity isn't always perfect. But in my experience hospice organizations do try to explain how the system works and don't expect families to figure it out for themselves. (Which is no criticism of people who do freak out. This is a very emotional time!)
My husband's hospice nurse was awesome about dealing with acute care needs immediately. Once she examined him and went out to her car to get a catheter kit. (Don't leave home without it?) I was so grateful he got relief and we didn't have to take him anywhere. I was cautioned more than once not to call 911 without first calling them to cancel hospice, so there would be minimum complications on the administrative/financial end.
Cwillie, what care is available in Canada for end-of-life?
I'm fearful I won't have sufficient support available to me if my mom needs more intensive care. For now I have a doctor who is willing to make house calls a few times a year, a nurse who checks in on us once a month and a psw who comes in twice a week to help with bathing and give me respite. The problem is that they are all separate entities and the care is not coordinated, although our nurse did contact the doctor and advocate meds for mom's anxiety. I know that many people do choose to die at home, but I'm really not sure how that will actually work. As health care is a provincial responsibility there are no national standards so I have no idea how the other provinces are doing things, and I did try to research this when I was making my decision on how to care for my mom.
Given her COPD and chronic pain issues the morphine was probably a reasonable med to try. Not everyone on it will suffer from delirium, and given her history with another opioid medication I would think it was less likely to expect her to have any severe side effects.
I understand your outrage when those you have entrusted to care for your loved one have let you down. Navigating the health care system can be like walking a maze with a blindfold on, never sure if we are making the right choices. I have often wished for someone to hold my hand and guide my way.
I think you can take comfort from the others here who have had similar stories and a positive outcome. It sounds as though your mom is being taken care of now and is being kept comfortable?
I agree killing people is not only unprofessional, it is morally wrong and actually illegal if they are caught. Unfortunately they get away with it cause the family is usually so distraught to know where to turn and go to for help to stop it from happening again. I will still try to figure out ways to help others even if it is just stating what happened to my mom. Not everyone has heard what happened.
You had a bad experience several years ago. I am sorry for your loss. But your constant rants are disrupting, off-putting and damaging to those seeking INFORMATION. Please stop over generalizing. You risk being seen as quite imbalanced.
She is going to start wondering about the wonderful caregivers on this site as they try to get you to go elsewhere for your own help, for your own good. New posters have no idea about the many many questions you've posted with your own agenda, not really desiring a solution or any answers that differ from your agenda. I am reporting all your posts from now on, and this post explaining hopefully why you should stop, and go for help. Apologizing in advance to everyone who may disagree with my advice to Flowgo. I will take that risk.