The world of hospice care

Hospice provides end of life care to patients who are terminally ill. Some may have cancer, others have Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease. Many have end stage cardiac disease or and failing kidneys or livers. Others have lived a long healthy life and it is just their time to go. Regardless of their diagnosis, one thing they all have in common is that their time here is very limited. My goal as a hospice pharmacist is to make their last few days to weeks as comfortable as possible. No one needs to be alone, or suffer unnecessarily. Below is a story of a patient and family that i still remember vividly almost 10 years later.

Our patient who we will call Jane, lived a long happy life with loving family members ever present as her time left in this world drew to a close. She was in her mid 80's but had a very sharp mind despite her age and deteriorating condition. She was fully aware her situation yet was surprisingly upbeat, had a wonderful sense of humor and not afraid to leave this life to start her next. She joked that if she knew I was coming, she would have put on some make up (and the next few visits she actually did put on make up). I remember her well because she was the first patient I have ever visited, but more than that, she taught me the most. Jane had a heart condition and was bed bound, her legs were swollen from fluid retention. Her main complaint was that she was in pain from a hip fracture and had difficulty sleeping at night. The nurse who was giving her care showed great compassion. Everything she did from taking blood pressure to changing wound dressings to just listening to stories Jane was telling was done so professionally yet casually enough that sometimes it looked like they were long time friends catching up.

We came up with a regimen to help with Jane's pain and insomnia. We visited her twice that week. On our next scheduled visit, we learned that she had passed away. A while later, I got a letter from her family. They thanked us for the care we gave and to let us know that she died peacefully and without any pain or suffering.

Hospice focuses on the quality of life rather more so than the length of life. We can't control how much time someone has here, but we can certainly make the last moments as comfortable as possible. I wish I knew about hospice when my grandmother was still here. It saddens me that she may have not gotten the best care towards the end of life. This is what drives me to help others as their time approaches. If you have a family member or know anyone who may be in this position, do some research. Help make their time here as comfortable as possible.