bandersnatch88

I don't have any reading suggestions, and for that I'm sorry. However, there are a few documentaries about hospice care that may ease your fears. Off the top of my head, Serving Life (Narrated by Forest Whitaker!) and Camille Adair's series "Solace" are two awesome films on the topic of hospice and dying.

One interesting fact I've learned about hospice care is that it is normally ALWAYS covered by Medicare and other forms of insurance. Also, in order to retain funding it HAS to have volunteers on staff. Often times people have the same fears you've mentioned having, and a volunteer isn't someone paid to come see you; they're the few members on staff who are there for no other reason than to be of service to you in your time of need. If you find yourself in need of hospice services, you WILL NOT die alone, and those who care for you will do everything they can to enhance the quality of the time you have left.

I just started volunteering with a hospice. From what I've come to understand, sleeping more is often part of the dying process. How then do you tell if the doses of medications you're giving are affecting their sleep? This is probably a dumb question to you, but I'm genuinely curious.