It took 2 tries but I have found a hospice organization that is very helpful. The nurse came out yesterday. She does live 45 min away but says there is always a nurse on call for emergencies that is closer. She answered all my questions and more. Meds will come from Glenview, not Evanston like I thought.
Today a social worker came out and is putting a bereavement counselor in touch with us. A volunteer will also be in touch to allow me time each week to get a few things done. An aid will also be available to help with cleanliness. A walker, wheelchair, gel pad for the hospital bed and bed table were delivered today.
I remember how efficient hospice was for my parents. It takes a special, caring person to work for hospice.
My first hospice choice did not go well last week. I do acknowledge that the contact person who came to our home may not represent their hospice program. However you would hope that a hospice organization would make sure that their intake person has a suitable personality to make the first contact with a patient.
What a hospice staff person should never do:
-continually sort through her papers and look very disorganized
-not be able to find contact names and numbers
-answer a cell phone call not related to patient they are speaking to
-not be able to explain the difference between palliative care and hospice
-make the statement that "all of our hospice patients are on narcotics even if they are not in pain."
-insist that IV hydrations are not done even if ordered by a Dr.
-ask the patient what he does for a living and then respond negatively by saying "isn't accounting the most boring of all jobs"-especially to an Accounting Professor of 31 years.
After the last statement was made, I stood up and stated that our meeting was over. When we walked out of the house I told her she was rude and that I could never use their services. I then reported her to the hospice admissions dept.
Nothing, Absolutely Nothing has been easy since Larry's diagnosis!
