Replies

When I was on hospice, for my husband's brain cancer (and the rule is a person must be DECLARED by their doctor terminal within 6 months to qualify for help), I battled them a lot oover the wristband issue, but held out and won.
They wanted him to wear a green plastic DNR wristband, in case someone inadvertantly called an ambulance, so that they could "save" that possible cost!!!!!!!!
I refused, after being married 39 years, (knew him well enough)didn't feel that he would like to wear this reminder that he is dying every day until he did, and also felt insulted that they mistrusted me in my judgement of calling an ambulance!!!!!
(Which, I never did, but would not have hesiteted if he had been suffering.!!!!!)

A friend of mine was a home helper, her client, an elderly lady on hospice, fell down and broke her hip, while my friend was there helping her.
My friend called an ambulance, this lady was in EXTREME pain, and the hospice chewed her out, for calling them. Shame to waste the money, doncha know.
They instruct you to ONLY call them for emergency, but when I called them on Christmas EVe day, it was THE NEXT DAY, CHRISTMAS, BEFORE ANYONE CAME OUT!!! Overnight, too.
It was not an emergency, tho, or I would have called an ambulance, he died the next day, and did need some help, oxygen, when I called for help.
I was too distraught at that time to complain,(to hospice) tho, was blessed had lots of family there to help.Altho, after, when they sent a form asking for care opinion, I GAVE IT TO THEM, they never called me back, so probably didn't like my opinion.The only reason I kept with them is that I needed the link to the doc, for many, many med changes.
Sorry to be long-winded, just thougght you would like to be aware of things you may face as volunteer, bless you, tho, you can keep your own opinions, tho, and not fall for thier policies of money issues!!!!
Sounds like you are a good person, and could be very valuable to dying patients, outside of the money issue.

Thanks for your story - I am very interested in others' experiences with Hospices. I took care of my elderly mother for 5 months while she was on home Hospice care, I had very few complaints - most of the nurses were nice (not all) and the nurse's aids were *really* nice. But their policy of drugging patients to the max with psychactive drugs I found repellent. After a while, my mother was on a couple of anti-depressents, pain pills which actually she rarely took as she felt very little pain, sleeping pills, an anti-anxiety drug, and there may have been more. It helped to cloud my poor mother's mind even more - and since she had been a life long alcoholic, it was sad. I wasn't in control of the situation, the rest of my family was, and they are all anti-religion (except for me) so it was a tense situation. But somehow we all managed to get 'er done!