I heard that he actually had children but there had been a falling out some years ago. I never found out what the details were but it sounded as if there was no way to mend these relationships. It was as if he no longer had children, it was something that we couldn’t talk about. His speech became less easily understood if the topic was raised at all. The closest family he had was his niece. She was devoted to his care and visited regularly, as she had done when he was at home.
Everything had become a struggle before his admission to our inpatient unit. We provided basic nursing care with only a small amount of medical support and he had responded well to being looked after. He accepted he could no longer live alone and his family found him a hospital-level care facility close to where they lived so they could easily visit. On the day he left our hospice for his new home, I wished him well.
Just over a month later he came back for a visit. This time he brought his closest friends and family, including his two children. I’m not sure what had happened but they were all there together. There was warm friendly chattering going on in the lounge. Food was being shared while he held court. He was in fine voice and he enjoyed entertaining everyone who had gathered. Many of his guests said thanks to him for all that he had taught them over many years, in some cases a lifetime.
His daughter had prepared a song, and decided to sing it to him while he could still hear it. She played backing music with her smartphone and sang “Fields of Gold” the Eva Cassidy version. Everyone in the room was moved by her song, as her father sang along. Sometimes healing can occur at the end of life.
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