hospicegirl

Thank you! It's definitely not for everyone, but I have the right constitution and the time. It's important to me that no one die alone.

honey, morphine is not the only drug. they literally give people methadone to numb the pain. the goal of palliative care is to keep a person comfortable, and the doctors, nurses and hospice workers will do everything and anything in their power to manage pain levels. don't you worry about that.

it's not hard. it's like a little light goes on in my brain and all i want to do is support them, let them know that they are safe and loved. usually it's a relief when they go.

it hasn't really changed my view on death (which is that nothing happens after OR we become ghosts), but it has changed my perspective!

saddest thing? when people in nursing homes aren't taken care of properly.

best? when you crack a joke to someone on their death bed and they smile.

i have done this more than once, but all of my patients were unable to speak.

it is difficult because you have to guess about their personality, their lives, their wishes and their mental state. but it makes it easier because i don't have to listen to a dying person, which can be a very depressing experience.