Category Archives: carers

Palace of Care – Healing in the Hospice

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Photo by Riho Kitagawa on Unsplash

I’ve had relatives who’ve come in before but they never made it out, they died after a couple of weeks. When he was asked to come in we were pretty nervous, we didn’t quite know what to expect. Yeah, we were scared. We had to do something though. His tummy pain was real bad, but it was his anxiety and panic attacks that were the worst. He’d freak out and I didn’t know what to do. I’d freak out too. His pain was controlled after a couple of days in hospice, then his panic attacks settled down. This was despite having received the worst news ever, that he had cancer.

We didn’t know they were looking for cancer during the last three months. We thought they were trying to find out why he was constipated. We didn’t know why he had lost 30kg of weight. He had always loved food but then he had no appetite. The poos kept on changing, sometimes hard, sometimes soft, sometimes with blood. They stuck a tube up his bum to have a look but they had to stop because the sedation they gave him almost killed him. It was a shock when the hospice doctors told us that the other doctors thought he had cancer.

The other great thing about being here in the hospice is that it is neutral ground. It was safe for him and his ‘niece’ to meet up here. You allowed us to have some space and they were able to start talking. Yesterday they ended up just going to a cafe together and they sorted out the issue between them that had kept them apart for decades. He’d done some stuff in the past. He’d done his time. Coming here to hospice allowed them to heal. Deep healing of the spirit happened yesterday. He came back a changed man. A father and daughter were able to connect with each other, to start to build a relationship that had been broken for years. It was good for the grandchildren to see this happen. It’s good for the whole family. We couldn’t have done it without what you have provided us here. It means so much to us. Thank you so much.

Palace of Care – He’ll Be Right Mate

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I didn’t know what to do. He tried the spray and it helped his breathing and panic a bit. Then he needed it again and again. He wanted to call an ambulance and go to the hospital. I didn’t think that would help much. They might’ve taken him to hospital and then eventually back to the hospice.

When he couldn’t catch his breath he freaked out. He started panicking. He was too scared to go to sleep. He was scared he was about to die. I’ve never seen him so scared. I stayed up with him through the night. We’re both pretty tired.

He’s felt safer since coming back to hospice. He’s more comfortable because there’s always people who know what to do. I didn’t know what else to do. I’m not sure if I could handle giving him injections. It was stressful at home.

I just want him to get better. If his breathing was better then he wouldn’t panic. Maybe then he could get to sleep at night instead of during the day. He went outside and felt a bit better in the cold. Having the window open helped.

You can make him better right? If you get the right medications then he will be back to normal again. Then everything will be fine. Just have to get the right medications, then he’ll be right again.

Palace of Care – The Last Dance

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Photo by Jusdevoyage on Unsplash

Thank you for taking him home, that would’ve made him really happy.

As soon as he got home he wanted to go back to hospice. He really likes it here. When he was last here he was dancing with the nurses and singing as well.

How did it go at home?

It was hard. He didn’t know what he wanted. Things kept on changing quickly. We couldn’t cope with him at home. He was very confused at times and demanding and angry.

Unfortunately, the people you are closest to can be treated the most harshly when people are very unwell.

Is he in a coma?

Yes.

But he’s still able to move at times, and he opens his eyes but doesn’t really interact.

Yes, that can happen. He is deeply unconscious but may still be able to move. At other times he might be more wakeful, with lots of ups and downs. This is normal for dying people. He might have only days left to live, but it could be much shorter. No matter how much time is left we will try to make it as comfortable as possible.

Thank you.

Palace of Care – Keeping a Promise

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In our family, our word is our bond. When we say something, we mean it. We promised him we wouldn’t take him back to hospital after his first operation. But we broke the promise because he was too unwell. He had another operation but it didn’t work out, everything fell apart. He was in too much pain. We again promised him not to go back to hospital, but then the blood clot happened. He was in so much pain, and we had to wait so long before the nurses would come to see him. We were all crying, all three of us.

He wants to go home. Even if it is just to die at home. To watch one more football game with his son. That’s all he wanted. To go back to the home that he built for us. We kept asking them to let him go home. Instead, they sent them here to your hospice. This place is nice enough. You people are all nice, but he wants to be at home and spend time with his family.

This morning he’s different. He’s lost all hope. He started saying goodbye to his house. He thinks he’s never going to get back there. He thinks he is going to die here. We had to get out of hospital yesterday. We couldn’t take it any more. We’ve broken our promise to him again, to take him home. I’ve never seen him like this before. What can we do now?

He’s really unwell. I think his bowel is blocked. I think he is dying. He might only have days left to live, but it could be much shorter. We haven’t been able to make him comfortable yet, but time is running out. We have a chance to get him home today. I’d rather he be more comfortable but I’m worried that if we don’t get him home today, he will miss his opportunity. I know how important it is to him and the whole family to get him home. We can make it happen today.

I’m going to stop the blood thinning medication, as it won’t be able to help him any more. I’d much rather he die quickly from a blood clot than die slowly from a bowel obstruction. I know how much he hates vomiting and making a mess. I know you are all still upset about what happened in hospital but I need you to focus on your husband while he is still alive. You can sort out the hospital stuff later. Right now we need to teach you how to give him injections so that you can look after him at home. All right, we need a bit of time to sort out the prescriptions and other stuff. We’re going to make this happen.

Palace of Care – Fathers and Sons 3

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Generations of his family came together to join the bedside vigil. Grandchildren who were out of town came home to see the beloved ol’ fella. His cheeky smile was still there to greet them all but with each day his energy levels decreased. He needed to sleep more. His appetite dropped off steadily.

They knew time was short. At the start of the admission, over a week ago, they had been told there might only be days left. Dad kept on proving them wrong. He would still rouse to their voices but had become too weak to talk.

The son came in every day and saw his father melting away. Intellectually he was prepared for the loss of a parent. The scenario had played out in his mind ever since the diagnosis was confirmed. The emotional organs always took much longer to catch up with the thoughts.

How much longer could he go on? He had always been strong, but nobody expected him to still be alive. The hospice staff were just as surprised.

“I’m not sure how long he’s got left. If it was anyone else they probably would’ve died last week. I’m not even going to try to guess. He is getting closer, his breathing is changing, and he has become more agitated. It could be hours to days, but that’s what I told you two days ago. He’s going to do things at his own pace, in his own way, just like he always has.”

The son was on the other side of town when the call came through. He raced back in his powerful car as fast as he could, but he was too late. A lifetime of memories washed over him as tears tracked down his cheeks. He had to put his grief on hold as his assigned role in the family took precedence. Someone had to find a funeral director, organize the memorial service and look after everyone else. Again. He took a deep breath in, sighed, and started making phone calls.

Palace of Care – Fathers and Sons 2

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It had been almost two months since the treatments had stopped. It was the right thing to do as the treatments could not be given in a safe manner. It was deemed too dangerous to continue, thus they were finished. The blood test results were all highlighted in the abnormal hue of red. The organs had stopped working long ago, the treatment had been trying to replace the organ function. It had worked until other more important organs started to dysfunction. The family was informed of this change, his son knew exactly what this would mean. Time was going to be short, no one could say exactly how short, but he expected his father would die soon.

Almost two months later and Dad was still doing okay. He had continued to live his life the way he wanted to, as always on his own terms. He had worked almost twenty years longer than most people would have. A physical job that exhausted men decades younger than him, but one he had done until less than two years ago. He’d beaten the odds once again. How long could he go on like this? In the past few days, it seemed like life had caught up with Dad. It was subtle to start with, with more fatigue than usual, and a smaller appetite. At times Dad didn’t know where he was, but he could soon be reorientated. Then he almost fell over a few times. It was more of a slow-motion slide to the ground. Gravity had seemed to slow down around him, and he slid joint by joint to the floor. Although he had lost a lot of weight he was too heavy for his partner to lift off the floor. This had started happening more and more times. A call for help was made, and a team came to see him at home.

I was told that apart from the near falls, the nurse couldn’t find anything else needing attention. They thought he might only have weeks left to live. They recommended that he go into residential care as he would be harder to look after as he became more unwell. I had a different opinion. I had seen this play out too many times before. When people start falling it is a sign that the end is drawing closer. I thought further deteriorations were about to occur, that there would soon be a crisis. I arranged an admission into our inpatient unit.

On arrival, he was still pretty good. Able to walk in and converse with our staff. There was no discomfort, he was relaxed and happy. He and his partner settled in quickly. Over the weekend the family arrived and spent time with him. His son was glad that Dad had been admitted, and that the family’s distress had been relieved. The doctors said they’d see what happened over the next few days.

Two days later and Dad needed help to get out of bed. His arms and legs had lost their strength overnight. A further deterioration on top of those that had occurred already. Dad was starting to slip off the edge of the cliff. If he continued to descend at that rate, he might only have days left to live. The son came in again to have an important conversation with him. To find out what he knew about his condition.

“It’s pretty shit. I don’t have much time left.”

“Is there anything you still need to do, to sort out?”

“No. I’d like to see my siblings and our family.”

“Okay Dad, I’ll make some arrangements.”

A steady stream of visitors came over the course of the next week. Every day his son would check in with him. Every day Dad looked a tad smaller. His happy smile was still there but he became less able to follow conversations. Every day he slipped a bit more cognitively.

A steady stream of visitors came over the course of the next week. Every day his son would check in with him. Every day Dad looked a tad smaller. His happy smile was still there but he became less able to follow conversations. Every day he slipped a bit more cognitively.

Palace of Care – Fathers and Sons 1

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I always say that people can hear us even if they are in a coma. I believe they can hear us even when they appear to be dying. The family in the room wanted him to hold on. His son was on his way from overseas. Due to arrive that evening. I’m not sure how long it had been since they had seen each other. Likely it had been a while as COVID flight restrictions had meant that many families had been separated for much longer than usual. He wanted to see his son. His son was already on the plane somewhere over the Pacific Ocean. Thousands of miles away, 33000 feet up in the air. Everyone was willing the plane to arrive faster.

I wasn’t sure if the son would make it in time to see his father. My patient was in his bed, not able to respond to any of the voices in the room. I counted the pauses in his breathing. 10 seconds, 11 seconds, 12 seconds, Gassssp. The longer the pauses the closer a person is to dying. My best-educated guess was that he only had hours left to live. I knew that his son was still at least seven hours distance away. I didn’t want to scare them but they needed to know of my concerns. No surprises.

“I’m not sure if your Dad can hold on for much longer, I think he might only have hours to go before he dies. He might not be able to see your brother. He will try and hold on for as long as he can, but his body is too weak. He knows that his son is on the way to see him, and he’ll try his very best, but he might not be able to keep on going for so long. There’s nothing I can do to keep him alive. It’s up to a higher power than us humans.”

I spent the next seven hours attending to work tasks. Seeing other patients. Discussing other patients. Writing emails to organize things for patients. Phone calls related to patients. I wondered if my patient would be able to hold on for much longer. I knew he would be trying his best, but he had no reserves left. The cancer had taken away his precious energy. It was removing both quantity and quality of life. It was beyond the control of sheer willpower, no matter how strong the person was. I couldn’t extend his life, no one in the world could, no matter how much money they had. They wouldn’t be able to buy him extra lifetime. I could try to make him more comfortable. I would try to reduce the pain that had been gnawing at his leg for so long. I would try to calm the distress revealed by his furrowed brow. To ease the worries of his gathered family members. I would try my best to make him more comfortable. To look after his family. That’s what I could do. To give him the best chance of seeing his son, or at least to be seen by him again.

Palace of Care – I’m in charge now

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She had become sleepier over the course of the week. She would still rouse to voice at times. Her eyes would open for a few seconds and then close again. A few days ago she was still talking but her voice became weaker as the days passed. It was becoming harder to understand her and then she stopped talking.

She had been unresponsive two days ago and would only make occasional sounds when being washed or turned in bed. This is what happens as a person dies, they become less able to communicate. She had gone into a coma.

We encourage people to say what they need to their unconscious loved ones.

“They can hear you and understand you. They will try and respond but may not be able to do so anymore. Tell them what you need to.”

The nurse was talking to the husband about who the patient had wanted around.

“She wanted her friend to come and visit.”

“I think she is too unwell now, I don’t think she should come over.”

“But she specifically had asked for her to come.”

“Doesn’t matter. I’m in charge now.”

Immediately from the bed came two sharp coughs.

A phone call was then made and the friend visited later in the morning.

Palace of Care – Singing Together

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Photo by Haley Rivera on Unsplash

His grandmother had never learnt English, and all conversations at home were in the indigenous language. At home, he also learnt another language, the language of song. He was one of the guitar players and could sing traditional songs in their language. It was important to pass on his culture and he became a teacher, passing on his knowledge to the next generations. His ethos was full integration, two cultures living together in harmony. That’s how he raised his children, and to provide for them, he moved overseas in pursuit of a better income.

He missed his home and he craved being able to talk in his grandmother tongue. He would visit his cousins as often as he could. Grandmother’s rules applied and only their native language would be spoken in their home. He had to translate for his wife to understand the jokes and conversations. His family ended up in both countries, and during any reunion, the guitars would come out and the favourite songs would be sung together.

The songs kept him going during the first cancer. The treatments were rough, but he completed them, and they worked. Things were different with the second bout of cancer. Nothing went well. The cruellest thing of all was the cancer’s effect on his swallowing and voice. Two of the things he loved the most were taken away from him. He couldn’t eat his favourite foods, and he couldn’t sing his favourite songs. More and more bad news from the doctors. They told him time was short, that there were no treatments left. He told them he wanted to go home, that he wanted to be with his family for the end of his life. The team wasn’t sure if he was well enough to make the trip but prepared for it anyway.

He couldn’t sleep the night before the flight home, he was too excited. He didn’t sleep on the plane. There were various delays which meant he didn’t arrive at the hospice until late evening. He was pleasantly surprised by the staff greeting him in his language. The family visited and they celebrated his safe return. He was exhausted but the thrill of being together with his family in their home country kept him awake into the early hours of the next morning.

He met the rest of the medical team the next day, and they used more words from his language. They invited him to their singing practice scheduled for the following morning at 9.15 am. They all looked surprised when he turned up sitting in his wheelchair. The assembled staff was like a United Nations assembly. Though they were all of different ethnic origins to him, they were singing songs in his language. His family joined in the singing, and then he gave his critique. “A+ for effort, just need more practice with some of the songs. It’d be better with a guitar, I’ll get my daughter to play next time.”

They made him comfortable and kept things as simple as possible. He went home to his family after joining the following week’s singing practice, this time accompanied by guitar playing. The hospice held his bed for longer than usual, but his family looked after him well and he didn’t need to go back. Generations of family and old friends visited him with their music and laughter.

The pain worsened, and he was worried that he was about to die. He wanted to go back to the hospice, he trusted that they would make him more comfortable. His family attended the weekly singing practice and were encouraged to play their guitar and sing even more. Beautiful harmonies were heard from his room in the afternoon. His family surrounded him with love and the last thing he ever heard was the harmony of them singing to him, “The Lord’s Prayer.”

Palace of Care – Doting Children

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“The Oncologist told us they would only live for another three weeks.”

“When was that?”

“Three months ago.”

“The good care you and your sibling provided kept them going. Now they are tired, and their body can’t handle the cancer anymore.”

“We are at breaking point ourselves. We can’t sleep well, and the tears keep coming.”

“You are both very close to your parent, you have looked after them well.”

“The last months had been hard, but the last weeks have been terrible. We have had to help with everything.”

“They are exhausted. Yesterday they told me they thought their time was short, that death would happen soon. I agree with them. We will get them through this, and get you and your sibling through this too.”

“The phlegm is causing them distress, and the breathing. They couldn’t relax last night. The medications helped briefly but then they couldn’t lie still. I kept awake too. They keep on asking for water, but it will go into the lung. Their swallowing is getting worse.”

“If it will make them feel better they can have some water. It won’t make things much worse but might bring them some comfort. If they developed an infection I wouldn’t treat it, as it might be gentler to die of the infection rather than dying of cancer. We’ll change the medications to make them more comfortable.”

“Please do, make them comfortable. Too much suffering already. They were always proud of their appearance but in the last weeks, no energy to do anything.”

“They’ve hated not being able to do what they want?”

“Yes, they even asked about assisted dying. They’ve always been so independent, not being able to do anything for themselves has been awful.”

“Natural death is going to happen soon, they wouldn’t make it through the assisted dying assessment process. They’re likely going to fall asleep soon. We’ll keep them comfortable.”

“Thank you doctor, can we stay here in the hospice.”

“Of course, you all need to stay here, we’ll look after you all.”