Death Panels a Solution to Unwanted Intrusion at End of Life

by Abe R Feaulx, Special Reporter When death is near, and no cure is available, more and more patients are turning to hospice to meet their end-of-life needs. To meet those needs, more and more hospice agencies are building hospice homes. These state-of-the-art facilities provide a place for patients to spend their final days, away from the commotion of the hospital or the dreariness of the nursing home. A hospice home is a free-standing facility designed to provide a private and comfortable setting where patients can die peacefully, often surrounded by friends and family. Yet many hospice homes are finding that privacy can be difficult to maintain, especially in the final hours. “We were sitting next to dad at the hospice home as he took his final breaths, and someone barged in to ask what he wanted for dinner,” said Tim Jordan, whose father was dying of cancer. “She meant well, but I wish there had been some way for her to realize what was going on, without me having to say ‘he’s dying here.’ “ Nancy Underhill had a similar experience: her mother was approaching death just as a member of the maintenance staff walked in to repair the broken television remote. “We mentioned the remote when she first arrived, but when they came in to fix it two days later, she was near the end and we were saying our goodbyes. The timing couldn’t have been worse.” One hospice agency plans to put a stop to inadvertent intrusions in the final moments of life. H...
Source: Pallimed: A Hospice and Palliative Medicine Blog - Category: Palliative Carer Workers Authors: Source Type: blogs