In early 2015, my mother’s health began rapidly declining. Two trusted registered nurses encouraged me to ask her physician to order a hospice consult. When my father and I approached her doctor with this request, he refused, commenting that she was not ready. He stated that he would agree to make the referral to hospice when she had two or three days of life remaining. We insisted and, thankfully, within the week my mother was accepted for care through Hospice of the Foothills (HOF). She passed away four months later.
Because my mother was a recipient of the quality professional and compassionate care that HOF provides, the last months of her life were pain free and peaceful. My mother, father and our entire family felt our prayers were answered when we received the loving guidance from someone we could trust. We are eternally thankful to HOF and for the wonderful care their staff provided.
Then, in the spring of 2016, my father was suffering from dementia and extreme pain. Again, there was a struggle with the same doctor to get a referral. Once my father was accepted for care with HOF, his quality of life improved dramatically. We were again blessed by having the same visit nurse and case manager that had taken care of my mother. My father’s comfort was a top priority, and his pain was expertly managed. Each time the caregivers arrived to visit my father he would say, “I feel relieved knowing that all is well with my world.” They would always reassure him that “Team Pat” was watching over him. I knew that I could call with any questions or concerns. With HOF overseeing my father’s care, I was confident that his directive to “keep me comfortable” was being honored to the highest possible degree.
For my family, a very important aspect of HOF is the spiritual care available. The spiritual care team visited my father regularly bringing God’s love and compassion. The blessing of their visits was instrumental in my father’s peaceful transition.
Bereavement support offered by HOF was extremely beneficial to my father and me. After my mother died, dad began attending a HOF support group. He found that attending the group was very helpful and the weekly commitment gave him purpose. My father attended the group until his own health began declining— that is when I began attending. I was able to grieve the loss of my mother while overseeing the care of my father. Later I attended the grief support group to grieve the loss of my father. Bereavement support offered by HOF has been essential in helping me find joy once again.
The journey taught me that family members may need to become outspoken advocates for the patient. It is the right of each patient and their advocate to instruct the physician to request a hospice consult. Since my parents’ physician resisted upon each request, I insisted that a request be sent to Hospice of the Foothills immediately, being specific since not all hospice care is equal. Along with clinical expertise and care, HOF brought comfort, relief and compassion. I remain exceedingly thankful for the final months and days that were filled with love, joy and sharing.