mitzu Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 My Dad is coming home after a stay in Rehab, where they couldn't do anything much due to his extensive disease. He's going to be at home, on hospice. He's bed bound, confused, still eats if fed. Can anyone share experiences about hospice? How long does it take to get a bath aide? Are they helpful? Any cons? this is my first experience with hospice. i would appreciate any info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginnyde Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 Every hospice is different. The amount of care can depend on the size of the hospice, your insurance coverage, really many factors. I was not totally satisfied with the one we had and did not find out until too late that we could have 'shopped' hospices to make sure they could cover our needs. The one we had was very understaffed and therefore not dependable. I hope you get a great one, there are many. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 We had a very good experience with Hospice. We had an RN that came twice a week and I had an aide every day that helped with bathing. I also had access to volunteers that could come in and sit with Dennis so I could run errands or rest. I never took advantage of this service, as I never left him after Hospice came on board. They had a wealth of information to share with me, which was very helpful. If I needed to call anyone, they would always return my calls very promptly. The only bad experience I had was with the grief counseling they offer. I desperately needed to talk to someone on the day after Dennis' memorial service and got no help. But...all in all, I would have to say my experience with Hospice was more than satisfactory. Like Ginny said, they are all different. Some are very under staffed. I hope you get some wonderful, positive results. I'm keeping you and your dad in my prayers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calintay Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 Sorry I have no exp. with hospice but wish your dad and yourself strength and comfort during this difficult time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmm17 Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 I'd like to share my families experience with hospice. My grandmother was quite ill, and had cancer of the pancreas. They sent her home and advised us to contact hospice. We were a little uncomfortable at first but it turned out to be a wonderful blessing. The people there are amazing. They are highly training in helping people deal with pain and emotions as well as other "end of life" issues. They provide great advice and counseling to the family and patient. They helped us arrange a hospice nurse to help out at our home, and get a hospital bed for grandma so she could be close to us. Grams was in very little pain b/c they did an excellent job of administering meds, and she was still coherent at the end. Hospice allowed our family to remain with her as long as possible, and i think some of her fears were resolved about dying alone. The hospice program checks up on the family and offers counseling up to 1 year later. I recommend hospice to anyone. It's an excellent program. Im pretty well informed on the topic, because i'm considered being a social worker with the program after grad, so if you have ?,just ask. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBeth Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 It's ironic for me to be reading this post today; as we just had our first meeting and evaluation with Hospice this morning. That said, I, clearly, cannot offer any advice or insight on the process. I do, however, have to ask if anyone else had problems shifting over from the mindset of fighting cancer and finding a treatment to accepting that death is going to happen and finding the means to make it comfortable. I was just not prepared, although I knew, it didn't really hit me until we signed the paperwork...but going forward, there will be no more tests to see where the cancer has spread, no more tests to see how large the tumors are or how advanced the cancer is....it's all about comfort. I'm just not sure that I was emotionally ready to shift gears this way...but Bill was, and that's what matters. Best of luck to you in your experience with Hospice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ma's kid Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 Hello, Mitzu We had hospice for my dad and all in all, we found the nurses very supportive, not only of my dad but of the entire family. Anything he needed, was always delivered quickly. They seemed to anticipate his needs even before we asked for things. The only negative thing we encountered was there was a shortage of nurses and they were spread pretty thin so their visits were sometimes cut short because other families were also in need. Please know you and your family will be in my prayers. Libby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maryanne Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 I personally have not had experience with Hospice, but I know people who have and they have been a blessing. You should shop around and make sure they know what you would want for your dad. So sorry that you are at this point. Maryanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancy c Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 My husband only had one week of hospice before dying. They were absolutely wonderful. I just wish they had been involved sooner in Mike's care. But, it is hard to adjust to the fact this "is for comfort" for the end of life. God bless,Nancy C Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mitzu Posted October 21, 2005 Author Share Posted October 21, 2005 I just wanted to thank you all for your suport and wonderful words. I really apreciate all the answers coming in... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karenl Posted October 22, 2005 Share Posted October 22, 2005 We found hospice to be a great support. Dad did most of the caring for Mum, but hospice were always available when we needed them for pain relief. Wishing you lots of strength to get through this, Karen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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