Comments on: Aging (and Dying) in Place http://takingcareofthefolks.com/aging-and-dying-in-place/ education~encouragement~engagement Mon, 23 Apr 2012 22:29:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: admin http://takingcareofthefolks.com/aging-and-dying-in-place/comment-page-1/#comment-1560 admin Tue, 13 Dec 2011 23:39:45 +0000 http://takingcareofthefolks.com/?p=704#comment-1560 Hi Jackie, Thanks for your comment and I'd be delighted to respond to Susan's post. I'll do that NOW! :) Hi Jackie,

Thanks for your comment and I’d be delighted to respond to Susan’s post. I’ll do that NOW! :)

]]> By: Jackie Herships (Little Old Lady) http://takingcareofthefolks.com/aging-and-dying-in-place/comment-page-1/#comment-1558 Jackie Herships (Little Old Lady) Mon, 12 Dec 2011 13:42:56 +0000 http://takingcareofthefolks.com/?p=704#comment-1558 Hi Shelly: What a terrible story. And a tough nut to crack esp. in this time of corporate hospitals where bottom line is everything - cost control rules. Doctors, nurses, patients - not even close. Susan Lyons has just begun to guest blog for us about the husband she is now caring for who is diagnosed w/ dementia. She is a journalist and loves him very much. But as you can imagine, it is difficult. Could you reach out to her w/ a comment? Her first entry is titled "A journal begins: "A Parallel Universe: Living Alongside Dementia"' http://tinyurl.com/6rkl5an Jackie Hi Shelly: What a terrible story. And a tough nut to crack esp. in this time of corporate hospitals where bottom line is everything – cost control rules. Doctors, nurses, patients – not even close. Susan Lyons has just begun to guest blog for us about the husband she is now caring for who is diagnosed w/ dementia. She is a journalist and loves him very much. But as you can imagine, it is difficult. Could you reach out to her w/ a comment? Her first entry is titled “A journal begins: “A Parallel Universe: Living Alongside Dementia”‘ http://tinyurl.com/6rkl5an

Jackie

]]> By: admin http://takingcareofthefolks.com/aging-and-dying-in-place/comment-page-1/#comment-254 admin Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:48:01 +0000 http://takingcareofthefolks.com/?p=704#comment-254 What a horrible experience for you, Judith !! I am so sorry. It's unforgivable that you would be left alone like that. Clearly there are many changes that need to be made within our health care system and a big change needs to be how to care for our aging and dying population. Reading Dr. Rokavec's comment explains a lot about the hospital philosophy. When I was referring to "hospice", my idea was more that palliative cares would be done at home (and that a home health aide to spend the entire night aside the patient would be a covered expense, so that the primary caregiver could sleep and NOT be left alone). What a horrible experience for you, Judith !! I am so sorry. It’s unforgivable that you would be left alone like that.
Clearly there are many changes that need to be made within our health care system and a big change needs to be how to care for our aging and dying population. Reading Dr. Rokavec’s comment explains a lot about the hospital philosophy.
When I was referring to “hospice”, my idea was more that palliative cares would be done at home (and that a home health aide to spend the entire night aside the patient would be a covered expense, so that the primary caregiver could sleep and NOT be left alone).

]]> By: Judith Tramayne http://takingcareofthefolks.com/aging-and-dying-in-place/comment-page-1/#comment-253 Judith Tramayne Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:32:09 +0000 http://takingcareofthefolks.com/?p=704#comment-253 And I have a different opinion of Hospice. My husband was disagnosed "terminal" because of melignant melanoma two months before he died in 2001. The Hospice personnel in Grant County rarely visited and when they did, they were cold and couldn't wait to leave. The Home Health Care Aide who came twice a day to change his sheets and clean my husband up was the only person who helped me keep my sanity. I was informed by Hospice that no matter the time when my husband died, they would be there to help. All I needed to do was make a phone call. I did at 2 AM on December 26th. The nurse who answered said "she couldn't make it." Her tone of voice told me she didn't like being woke up. So for 3 hours I sat next to my dead husband waiting for the creamation society to come from Spokane to pick up his body. Alone and scared, I phoned the Deputy Coroner to make sure I would not be in trouble because there was nobody to pronounce him officially dead. She talked to me for 45 minutes and assured me it was fine. She even volunteered to come over. There was more caring from her than I received from any of the personnel in Hospice. So I will definitely not be campaigning for Hospice to receive any money. At least not in Grant County. Do I agree that Hospitals do not leave a person with any dignity when a patient is dying? Yes! That's why I agreed to my husband's wishes that he die at home. Would I do it differently now knowing what I know about Hospice? Yes, I would have left them out of the equation. Judith And I have a different opinion of Hospice. My husband was disagnosed “terminal” because of melignant melanoma two months before he died in 2001. The Hospice personnel in Grant County rarely visited and when they did, they were cold and couldn’t wait to leave.

The Home Health Care Aide who came twice a day to change his sheets and clean my husband up was the only person who helped me keep my sanity.

I was informed by Hospice that no matter the time when my husband died, they would be there to help. All I needed to do was make a phone call. I did at 2 AM on December 26th. The nurse who answered said “she couldn’t make it.” Her tone of voice told me she didn’t like being woke up.

So for 3 hours I sat next to my dead husband waiting for the creamation society to come from Spokane to pick up his body.

Alone and scared, I phoned the Deputy Coroner to make sure I would not be in trouble because there was nobody to pronounce him officially dead. She talked to me for 45 minutes and assured me it was fine. She even volunteered to come over.

There was more caring from her than I received from any of the personnel in Hospice.

So I will definitely not be campaigning for Hospice to receive any money. At least not in Grant County.

Do I agree that Hospitals do not leave a person with any dignity when a patient is dying? Yes! That’s why I agreed to my husband’s wishes that he die at home.

Would I do it differently now knowing what I know about Hospice? Yes, I would have left them out of the equation.

Judith

]]> By: Kathleen Rokavec, MD http://takingcareofthefolks.com/aging-and-dying-in-place/comment-page-1/#comment-252 Kathleen Rokavec, MD Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:32:42 +0000 http://takingcareofthefolks.com/?p=704#comment-252 Oh Shelly, I couldn't agree more! I, too, am very passionate about this topic. I am on the same side--but with a different view. I am a hospital doctor who sees this everyday and sometimes want to scream! I have very little voice when I try to change the system one patient at a time, so I have written a book to try to help patients and families through a hospital stay. In it I explain that: "there can be obstacles to dying in the hospital. The reality is that hospitals have long been places where sick people receive diagnostic tests and treatment in order to help them recover. The shift to “relief of symptoms only” can be difficult for the doctors, nurses, and other staff if they have not been trained to deal with dying patients." www.thehospitalbook.com Oh Shelly, I couldn’t agree more! I, too, am very passionate about this topic. I am on the same side–but with a different view. I am a hospital doctor who sees this everyday and sometimes want to scream!
I have very little voice when I try to change the system one patient at a time, so I have written a book to try to help patients and families through a hospital stay. In it I explain that:
“there can be obstacles to dying in the hospital. The reality is that hospitals have long been places where sick people receive diagnostic tests and treatment in order to help them recover. The shift to “relief of symptoms only” can be difficult for the doctors, nurses, and other staff if they have not been trained to deal with dying patients.”
http://www.thehospitalbook.com

]]> By: Sheila Martin http://takingcareofthefolks.com/aging-and-dying-in-place/comment-page-1/#comment-251 Sheila Martin Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:25:50 +0000 http://takingcareofthefolks.com/?p=704#comment-251 Oh, Shelley ... no wonder you've been so upset about your Dad's last days. I well remember going into the hospital and finding my Dad in restraints. I am angry again just thinking of it. Later, as it became clear he wasn't going to survive, we asked that he be moved to Hospice. Hospice was still within the hospital, but it felt like another planet. (A wonderful planet.) Their whole orientation was about keeping Dad as comfortable as possible ... AND they also focused on supporting us, the people who loved him. I am now a passionate evangelist for Hospice -- whether at home or in a hospital. Oh, Shelley … no wonder you’ve been so upset about your Dad’s last days.

I well remember going into the hospital and finding my Dad in restraints. I am angry again just thinking of it.

Later, as it became clear he wasn’t going to survive, we asked that he be moved to Hospice.

Hospice was still within the hospital, but it felt like another planet. (A wonderful planet.) Their whole orientation was about keeping Dad as comfortable as possible … AND they also focused on supporting us, the people who loved him.

I am now a passionate evangelist for Hospice — whether at home or in a hospital.

]]> By: admin http://takingcareofthefolks.com/aging-and-dying-in-place/comment-page-1/#comment-249 admin Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:15:01 +0000 http://takingcareofthefolks.com/?p=704#comment-249 You're absolutely right ! A week before my father was admitted, we were playing Cribbage ! Nurses are just too busy ( this, I know from my own work experience) and their aids are too undereducated....and sometimes, they just don't care. You’re absolutely right ! A week before my father was admitted, we were playing Cribbage ! Nurses are just too busy ( this, I know from my own work experience) and their aids are too undereducated….and sometimes, they just don’t care.

]]> By: Linda Ellingsworth http://takingcareofthefolks.com/aging-and-dying-in-place/comment-page-1/#comment-248 Linda Ellingsworth Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:09:51 +0000 http://takingcareofthefolks.com/?p=704#comment-248 AMEN to that. Hospitals are horrible places for the elderly. My mother entered one last April (walked in of her own accord) and after 3 weeks, left on a stretcher, unable to walk, feed herself or speak coherently. She was turned into an invalid for the convenience of the staff. This was due to her being a difficult dementia patient. Ironically, the nursing home she was transferred to found a med that helped her regain herself, they gave her PT, and she is now a functioning, walking person again. She was even able to leave the dementia unit and move to the regular part of the nursing home. But we have got to change the way our elderly are treated by medical professionals in hospitals. There is no respect, no dignity and no understanding of what it means to have quality of life at an advanced age. AMEN to that. Hospitals are horrible places for the elderly. My mother entered one last April (walked in of her own accord) and after 3 weeks, left on a stretcher, unable to walk, feed herself or speak coherently. She was turned into an invalid for the convenience of the staff. This was due to her being a difficult dementia patient. Ironically, the nursing home she was transferred to found a med that helped her regain herself, they gave her PT, and she is now a functioning, walking person again. She was even able to leave the dementia unit and move to the regular part of the nursing home. But we have got to change the way our elderly are treated by medical professionals in hospitals. There is no respect, no dignity and no understanding of what it means to have quality of life at an advanced age.

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