NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - 28
continued from previous page
scan showed a small hemorrhage
in the frontal lobe. Granny was
agitated, not eating, and declining.
So now what?
Just three weeks earlier we had
lost Momma. Now our family
was deciding on inpatient
hospice for Granny.
Betsy Bryan, "Momma"
great-grandchildren?", and "is
this the right thing to do?" I did
not have answers. I had memories
and emotions for this woman I
loved; I did not want to think,
"Momma is dying."
All the signs were there; it was
her time to die. The family began
the journey with Momma. I have
worked in three different inpatient
hospice facilities. It's easier for me
to study the staff, their workflow,
their EMR, their census, their
medical director - this is what I
know. My wife reminded me that
this time, I was there for Momma
and our family. I was not "The
Doctor" now; I was family.
Staff managed Momma's
symptoms quickly and she had
two good days talking and
28
interacting. We had made the
right choice, albeit not an easy
one. Long days and nights at the
hospice home wear a family
down. Hospice staff participate in
these experiences daily. We think
how hard it must be for the
patients and families. When you
are on the other side, you feel the
sorrow and you learn a lot about
the value of hospice care.
Momma died peacefully four days
later. We returned home to North
Carolina, only to receive a phone
call that "Granny" was in the
hospital. Granny was my wife's
78-year-old maternal grandmother.
She had Alzheimer's disease, had
fallen at home, and had developed
altered mental status. She was not
eating, she had a UTI, and a CT
NHPCO NewsLine | Winter 2017
My wife, daughter, and I
packed the car and headed
for Florida. I took the time
from work, but I was still on
call and was on the phone,
giving orders the entire trip.
Once again, it was easier for
me to do my work as a
hospice physician than
confront what I had no
control over. We were losing
both our grandmothers within
three weeks.
As we arrived in the middle of
the night, we received a call
letting us know Granny died. She
had declined quickly. That was
truly a blessing. After all the
heartbreak and tears, we went to
Granny's house and celebrated
her life. This is what she would
have wanted.
Those two experiences remind
me how hard end-of-life
conversations are for families. We
as palliative care providers need
to remember it is different when
there are memories and emotions
involved. No matter how
informed our families are, these
decisions are not easy. And, it's
hard being on the other side. We
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017
Table of Contents
NHPCO Strategic Vision
Message from Edo
Hospice Lessons Learned
Las Vegas Tragedy
Facts and Figures: Hospice Care
Baystate Health (display ad)
Strategic Accomplishments
State Hospice Profiles (display ad)
Other Side of Conversation
Social Security Disability in Hospice
2018 Webinar Series (display ad)
New Videos
Two Premiere Events
The Coalition
ACP Online Certificate
Meet Zinnia Harrison
Consolo (display ad)
Successful Outreach
We Honor Veterans in 2017
Creative Arts Contest
Content Licensing (display ad)
Member News
Career Center (display ad)
Council of States Spotlight
News from NHF
2018 NHF Gala (dsiplay ad)
News from We Honor Veterans
Pet Peace of Mind (display ad)
Lighthouse of Hope (display ad)
Online Resources
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - intro
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - 1
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - Table of Contents
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - 3
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - NHPCO Strategic Vision
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - Message from Edo
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - Hospice Lessons Learned
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - 7
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - 8
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - 9
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - 10
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - Las Vegas Tragedy
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - 12
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - 13
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - Facts and Figures: Hospice Care
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - 15
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - 16
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - 17
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - 18
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - Baystate Health (display ad)
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - Strategic Accomplishments
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - 21
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - 22
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - 23
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - 24
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - State Hospice Profiles (display ad)
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - Other Side of Conversation
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - 27
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - 28
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - 29
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - Social Security Disability in Hospice
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - 31
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - 32
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - 2018 Webinar Series (display ad)
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - New Videos
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - Two Premiere Events
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - The Coalition
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - ACP Online Certificate
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - Consolo (display ad)
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - Successful Outreach
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - We Honor Veterans in 2017
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - 41
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - Creative Arts Contest
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - 43
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - 44
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - Content Licensing (display ad)
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - Member News
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - 47
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - 48
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - Career Center (display ad)
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - Council of States Spotlight
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - 51
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - News from NHF
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - 2018 NHF Gala (dsiplay ad)
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - News from We Honor Veterans
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - Lighthouse of Hope (display ad)
NHPCO NewsLine Winter 2017 - Online Resources
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