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Stage 8, Hospice & End of Life...

SDianeL
SDianeL Member Posts: 1,180
1000 Comments 500 Care Reactions 250 Insightfuls Reactions 250 Likes
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in Caring For a Spouse or Partner

Sadly, I'm in Stage 8. My husband & soulmate Lonny passed August 12th after a rapid decline. One of the many questions asked on this forum is when to know it's time to call hospice & how do you know when someone in Stage 7 is moving to Stage 8. I recently saw a video on Facebook that I wish I had seen 2 years ago. It's by Suzanne B. O'Brien. She is a Doula & leads the Doulagivers Organization. I went to her Facebook Page and found lots of information & comfort. I am not affiliated with her or her group. She has a book called "The Good Death" - "A Guide for Supporting Your Loved One Through The End of Life." It is available on Kindle. She also has 4 free videos on Facebook each talking about the 4 signs someone is getting ready to pass. And she has a video about when to call in Hospice. The 4 signs she talks about were exactly the way my husband progressed but I had not seen her videos at that time and I was in denial. My thoughts and prayers are with all of you and especially those in Stage 7. 💜 Here's the link to her Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/Doulagivers

Comments

  • Jgirl57
    Jgirl57 Member Posts: 546
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    Member

    Thank you! Great reference and info. I admit this is the one area I have not been able to read/prepare for ( other than documents).

  • mrsdee13
    mrsdee13 Member Posts: 20
    10 Comments 5 Care Reactions 5 Likes
    Member

    Thank you, SDianeL; I am sorry for your loss. I hope you are doing okay. Hopefully, I can prepare myself for my DH when that time comes. Today, he is in early stage 3. This is truly an awful disease.

  • Biggles
    Biggles Member Posts: 259
    250 Care Reactions 100 Likes 100 Comments 25 Insightfuls Reactions
    Member

    Thank you SDianeL I am so sorry for your loss and hope that you are at peace. I hate this journey and I welcome any help along the way. Frustration is setting in with my darling DH and I am sometimes at a loss how to distract/comfort/help him it’s such an awful journey for us all. I really have no idea what stage my DH is at he’s still walking around but can’t do anything anymore, doesn’t understand the simplest request eg pass the salt, needs help with dressing, shaving, eating but so far doesn’t need help with the toilet and is not incontinent. I will watch the videos and the other references. Sad isn’t it? Thankyou.

  • fmb
    fmb Member Posts: 526
    500 Comments 250 Care Reactions 100 Insightfuls Reactions 100 Likes
    Member

    "Hospice Nurse Julie" has some very good videos on YouTube and TikTok about the whole hospice process and end-of-life care.

Commonly Used Abbreviations


DH = Dear Husband
DW= Dear Wife, Darling Wife
LO = Loved One
ES = Early Stage
EO = Early Onset
FTD = Frontotemporal Dementia
VD = Vascular Dementia
MC = Memory Care
AL = Assisted Living
POA = Power of Attorney
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