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Put on Hospice due to COPD and emphysema. He's on 4 L O2 24/7. My dad was diagnosed with COPD 4 years ago at the age of 70. 5 weeks ago, his doctor ordered hospice to keep him comfortable. We are trying desperately to keep him at home (where he wants to be) with the help of RN's 2 times a week. No one will give me an idea of how long we have with him. I am not wishing for him to die, I want him forever, but I feel like I am living in a movie. Help.

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My father was put on hospice and he was doing very well. I had 7 sibling and only one was representing the family. Two of us didn't select the sibling that was representing the family and 3 of the sibling was not aware what was going on and didn't select that sibling to be the represented. Three of my sibling agreed with hospice to put my father on morphine. They gave him morphine 3 x a day. My father was not in pain. Morphine suppress the appetitive and dries you out. Morphine makes you sleep and put you in a coma stage. They also put my father on dementia medication with permission of one of my sibling, which 2 of the sibling didn't agree. My father was not given food or water for 5 days. Two of my sibling begged 3 of my sibling that was in the same town as my father to take him off morphine and dementia medication. We even called hospice and talk to several nurses and they said my sister was the representative for the family and she agree with the treatment plan. Even though 2 of the sibling disagreed, they said the majority ruled. I called 3 of my sibling to get them to send a text and their drivers license to the hospice administrator which that is what he asked for. So, it was four of us in agreement, we didn't want our father on morphine or dementia medication. The four of us asked my brother to be the representative for the family, so we could help our father live. The next day, hospice gave my father a final dose of morphine and he died. Hospice and my 3 sisters killed my father. It shouldn't be legal for one family member to make a decision to put a parent to death. This happened in Louisiana at the nursing home Columns Rehab and Ret Center. Vengeance is The Lord
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Bless you for keeping him home. You will see nursing care increase. When you are really close, you may have aides twice a day. Talk to the nurses when they are there, they are very intuitive about the patients. Share your fears, ask lots of questions, they won't mind.
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Unfortunately, just like movies, you'll have to wait until the end of this one. That's kind of the beauty of life, we don't know how it will end until it does. Your dad is being kept comfortable. He's in the best hands possible right now. You need to take it minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day.
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It's a tough situation, I know from experience. And when a person passes is anyone's guess.

I had to have my mother placed in Hospice care, and all I was told that it could be days or even weeks before her "transitioning/death". So on that Wednesday afternoon of 10/9, she was moved to the hospice facility, and I thought to myself this was going to be torture as I too wanted my mother to live forever, and logically I knew that was not going to happen. And I dreaded the waiting......literally waiting for death...horrendous. So, that Wednesday night I could not sleep..... and as the hospice care facility was open 24 hours a day I went there at 1:00AM, brought up mom's favorite pillow and her radio she always listened to, and I sat with her for a couple of hours and talked to her even though she was comatose. I even opened up her eyes so maybe if she could see, she could see that I was there. I whispered in her ear that she was the best mom ever, and that yes I will see her again on the other side, just not too soon as there is still life to live, and I knew that she would want me to live it. And at 3:00AM I left and went home, and I told her that I would be back in the afternoon to see her.

At 10:00AM on 10/10, I got the call from the doctor that my mother passed away that morning.... I collapsed to the floor, and was also astonished that she was not even in hospice for one full day.

And right now, although I have no regrets in anything as I loved my mother dearly and took the very best care of her for the last years of her life, the greatest relief I have is that I had that last night visit with her and talked with her, shared with her. And I also feel that she knew it was okay to "let go", and I would be okay with her in my heart.

So, my friend, we really do not know when the end will come, so spend the time with them, make every single moment count because we truly do not know when that moment will be. God bless you and your family.
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Time is a question that can't always be given and what you are asking for is what a doctor doesn't know. If you think about when you are born doctors can only give you and expected natural time of birth and sometimes they get lucky on the day but as far as the time it can't be given until after it happen and a time of death is not given until after a person expires. Something are not in man's hands and that life unless it is homicide or suicide other wise it nature and God way of saying your life it in my hands and I given you a time to be born and a time to die and no man can take this away from me. Because there is a God even if you don''t know it are not. for what ever reason that you may not have been able to know this information now is a time for you to learn something knew because you are asking question that you not getting answer too and maybe you are asking from people who don't have the understand of life and death either. Just enjoy the time that you have left because when the time comes there is nothing that we can do to make it happen long than God expect it too. Now if it not their time we can come to the understanding that prayer(talking with God and know that He is able to make a person well and heal them if it's His will then He can) Then you know that God is real but don't just try God for this reason only and expect God just to do it because you ask remember this one thing He know what you ask for before you ask but learn to accept His way ans trust Him to help you if God doesn't grant life longer than you expect. At that time you will need a comforter to help you cope with the grief and pain and sorrow that you as a person might go thru. He able to do that in away that will blow your mind because to ask Him to help you there is nothing to hard for God to do. He can do way more than nay person that you will ever know and want hurt you in the process cause He loves you more than you really know right now at this moment. God Bless you
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No sounds in the lungs is a good thing, but I think you meant abdomen. No bowel sounds means imminent death. I am sorry for your heartbreak.
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While a physician can say not long, it doesn't mean he/she can predict the actual time a person has to live. Spend as much quality time with him that you can as you know his time here is limited. You may never know ahead of time that his passing is very near. I commend you on trying to keep him at home where he will be most comfortable. Hospice services are usually very good and help to keep the patient comfortable. I know this is a difficult time for your family. Do the best you can, spend time with him and discuss things that need to be said before he passes. I'm sorry for his disease and I know waiting for the inevitable isn't easy.
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I tried to get an answer to the question. My Mom had a severe stroke. After pushing hard, the doc finally said the average person with such a stroke lives one year. She lived 4.5 years. However, our nurse practitioner was able to tell us within days of her passing. By the time she refused water and food, it was easier to predict. I know it's hard but try not to worry about it and try to focus on providing comfort. Best wishes.
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Everirishlas has summed it up perfectly. No one can give you a prediction. We are not there, have not examined him and do not know his history. As his Dr has ordered comfort care only which usually means no more trips to the ER, no hospitalization, usually no antibiotics for chest infections he clearly expects it to be a matter of weeks or less. However that being said many loved ones survive much longer at home cared for by loving family members than they would in a hospital. The oxygen is at a high level but even that can be increased bu linking two machines together. No one can hear breath sounds which mean his lungs are pretty much clogged up so any little exertion is going to cause extreme breathlessness. It may be impossible to get him out of bed to walk a little but it is helpful to prevent blood clots to have him move his legs in bed and if he can't bend and stretch them for him or massage the calf up towards the heart. Sometimes leaning forward and even sleeping over a pillow on a bed table can be helpful. Is the hospice giving him liquid morphine to help his breathing. Many people are afraid to use morphine because they think it will kill them. In this case it eases the sensation of breathlessness and makes the patient more anxious.
As said above there is no way of predicting the end but as things progress your RNs will see signs that indicate the end is getting closer.
as long as several family members are prepared to help there is no reason Dad can not be kept at home. If it becomes too much there are usually hospice beds available in local hospitals wher he can recieve the simple comfort care you are providing. just becaus he is in a hospital does not mean he will recieve agressive treatment if he is on hospice. Do make sure all the necessary paperwork is in order and you know his final wishes because things change very fast. your hospice social worker can help you with this. not a short answer to your question I am afraid because there isn't one. Blessings.
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There isn't one person who can tell you, "He has ______ months/weeks to live." There's just no predicting.

When someone goes on hospice it's not like pulling a trigger. Just because someone goes on hospice doesn't mean that death is imminent. He could last for months and months, no one knows.

I'm a nurse in home healthcare and I've had patients who were on hospice for months, I've also had patients who were on hospice for a few weeks, even a few days. My dad died a week after going on hospice and we thought he'd have much more time.

Don't let the term "hospice" get to you. Just because your dad's on hospice doesn't mean he's going to die right away. Some people are put on hospice then taken back off after 6 months or so. Each situation is different.
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