Writer’s Note: I wrote the following for a newsletter. I wanted to share it with you  TTG.

Life gets tough. Awhile back you were diagnosed with a disease that could prove fatal. Cancer, heart, stroke,COPD. You were frantic and a bit lost. I am either too young or just not ready to die no matter how old I am. What about my duty to my family? There is no way I can let them down. Spouse, kids, grandkids. Feelings of panic and a helplessness of sorts. You are not alone.

You have been resolute and relentless. You have taken every sort of blow from chemo to dialysis. You have travelled down every dark alley and chased every ray of hope. This experimental drug or that type of therapy. Your life has been docs and meds and waiting for results of tests and scans. You have lost weight, your hair and your dignity. In a very strange way this has been your quality of life. Is this any way to live? I am not sure.

We can’t begin to understand what goes on in the psyche of so many patients. The survival instinct is real but the reality of life keeps popping up in front of them. We can read books or get counseling but the inevitable is real. We all are gong to die. Few of us get to pick the terms and the timeline. It just happens. 

Death is a transition. Just as we came into this world, we will exit to wherever we believe. It is odd that we attach so much preparation to the beginning of life but don’t have a clue  how to deal with death. Probably with birth we have some control or idea of due dates. In death we are not quite sure. Maybe we could be.

 

I have been working as a patient volunteer in hospice for many years. Not too long ago I sat and thought about all the people I have met and interacted with. The number is in the thousands and that causes me great introspection and humility. I have taken note of how people handle things for good and for bad. 

Hospice has become my passion for a very simple reason. It is the one time in my life where I just give and expect nothing in return. Moreover I see the good that we as clinicians, counselors and volunteers can do. At Treasure Coast Hospice we are a team that is at the ready. We know what we are doing but we do so with the utmost empathy, care and love. For all of us it is a calling. We just wish people would do it sooner.

Hospice is not a building but a philosophy. The word itself goes back to the Middle Ages. It was an inn along the way for travelers and the sick. People helping others in their journey. Every death is so unique and so predictable at the same time. We see symptoms we can treat. We are cognizant of changes in the body and the mind. Yet each and every patient and his or her family are like no other. You are a guest in our house and we are there to serve you and love you. 

A vast number of our patients come to us in the last few days or hours. There is a different if not better way. When someone is told they have less than six months to live they are hospice eligible. A simple phone call to our admissions group can answer a lot of questions. Simple may not be an apt definition. We know how hard that is and we will not rush or make any demands. It is more of a get to know one another meeting.

We have an incredible array of resources at your disposal from medical to psychological to spiritual if you want. That is an important disclaimer. Your whole plan of care is developed by you and your family. Whatever we do is approved by you. There are no contracts. You are free to leave hospice at any time. 

As I have been with family and even friends I sense a feeling of relief when people decide to let us help them. I was with a friend for several days. His wife thanked me for just being there, handling things and most of all letting her know what was going on and what to expect. If people trust us we can do some wonderful things. Again, we are in awe of that faith in us. 

Typically someone who chooses hospice early on are patients at home, hospital or in nursing facilities. We come to you wherever you are. We assess and develop a plan. You could be visited by a nurse or Certified Nursing Assistant once or twice a week. Everything is scheduled beforehand. You will meet a social worker who is our jack of all trades from finding the proper equipment for the home, to finding a volunteer to give your caregiver a break to run and errand, go to the store or just have a little time to themselves. We have a chaplain if you want but we never push religion or philosophies in any way. It is just what we do. 

As time progresses our care becomes more frequent and purposeful. We want you to be as relaxed and pain free as possible. The idea that we drug people to death is obscene. We neither help nor retard nature. Our help line is a resource for knowledgable professionals who can assist you with any crisis care. To the end we are right by your side. 

In closing the phrase, “they just called hospice” sounds beyond ominous. We would like that to be a call of relief and not dread. Come and talk to us. We are there for you every step of the way

As always,

Ted The Great

Factoids:

Hospice care is covered by Medicare. We are a non profit here at Treasure Coast. Almost 75% of hospices in the US are owned by private equity. Pardon me if that galls me. I really don’t think people dying should yield the sizable return that private equity demands. That is just me.

Currently we have 625 patients in our care. We have over 400 employees and almost 250 volunteers. A pretty amazing bunch of people. We have 32 beds in two locations but the vast majority of our patients die at home or in a care facility. We have 12 patients in pediatric hospice at this time.

We have a “pinning ” ceremony where we honor veterans. It is a great honor for me and others to do. After reading a citation, we salute them as brothers and sisters in arms. We also have Treasured Pets where we assist patients in the care and feeding of their animals. After a patient passes we have a bereavement group that follows up. We had over 5,000 encounters with their families last year. They do an amazing job and our funding for that venture is from grants and donations.