[Happygal]

As far as Hospice is concerned I have a problem with them. Slick advertising does not change the fact that they are in the business of helping people to die.

Have you ever had a family member die of cancer? Have you seen the benefit of respite care for worn out families, who want their loved one die at home with dignity? I have.

[SoDak]

Unfortunately, me too.

[MarkL]

Agreed. They helped ease my mother's passing from terminal cancer. They didn't "help her die." She WAS dying. They helped make her more comfortable (and the rest of the family, as well) as she was dying.

Mark

[maxwellp]

We have a friend whose husband was dying of cancer and Hospice took care of him. She said they were great and was very grateful for their care right up to the end.

[oreolady]

If you call respite care a "benefit" of hospice, they did nothing for me and would not come to my house on Christmas Day, my husband died the next day and we had been under hospice for 10 months.
The previous poster is right, I was urged, pestered, bugged, to get my husband to wear a green plastic note on his wrist that said "DNR", in order that I would not panice taking care of him and call an ambulance. (read-money )spent. I refused many times, she finally gave up, but I could tell the pressure technique smilingly urged. In his suffering, he didn't need a green reminder to look at constantly of his upcoming death, and heaven forbid- we can't "waste" money on him?
That meant if he even was choking on a chicken bone or broke a bone, or fell,that they would not give him any help- something not even cancer related would apply.
A dear friend of mine worked for a home care many years.
One of her clients was terminal, when she was there doing her work, the terminal lady fell and broke her hip (very painful, and NOT related to the terminal need for hospice.
My FRIEND WAS VERBALLY attacked for calling the lady an ambulance!!! (read: money.)