Hospice

[gvstn]

37. I have experience with in-home hospice which is different than in hospital.

With in home you may like some nurses/aides and not be so fond of others. In hospital you probably don't see everything of the interactions between your loved one and the aides/nurses.

Once you fully accept that hospice care is only palliative it gets easier. We all want to "save" our loved one up to the last minute but hospice is about saving them from pain or suffering.

Morphine is usually used to make breathing more comfortable. If your father is struggling to breath the morphine eases that fear response but will not cause him to stop breathing it actually helps make it easier to breathe.

I wish you and your family strength and peace. My mother died this Spring and I am not handling it well even 6 months later. I cared for my mother for several years full time and now that she is gone it is difficult to redefine myself. Be patient with yourself and your emotions.