There is a common misconception that the goal of hospice care is to hasten death, regardless of the desires of the patient and family. In reality, Four Seasons provides hospice care on your terms. You ultimately choose your care path while we walk alongside you and your family in those decisions and challenges. Norman Gordon embraced this time of his life when he knew it was time for more care.
Needing More Care
After being in Four Seasons Palliative Care for COPD, Norman knew when it was time for hospice care. After the Palliative Care team assessed and agreed that hospice care was needed, they made arrangements to bring a hospital bed to Norman’s home he shared with his wife, Marilyn. But by that Sunday night, Norman was having significant trouble breathing.
“In the middle of the night, Norman was suddenly unable to breathe without the assistance of his CPAP machine. We were both scared. We called Four Seasons right then. A nurse came and provided him with medication to help him breathe and calm him down. Arrangements were quickly made for a new oxygen tank and that was also delivered shortly in the middle of the night. It was scary. When he woke on Monday, he looked at me and asked me to call Four Seasons to be moved to Elizabeth House. He felt he needed more care.” -Marilyn Gordon
Agreeing that Elizabeth House could provide better symptom management than what could be done in the home, Norman’s care team moved him to Elizabeth House the same day.
Moving to Elizabeth House
“I think being at Elizabeth House helped him to stay alive a few more days. It was a big comfort for us to have him a little longer and know he was comfortable. We knew we wouldn’t have another scare like we did at home and if we did, they would take care of him.” -Marilyn Gordon
When Norman arrived at Elizabeth House, he talked with them about how long he truly had. He even arranged to have his attorney come to finalize some changes he had planned to his will during this time. The following Thursday after he was admitted, Norman expressed to Marilyn that it was time to go.
Hospice Care on Your Terms
“I stayed at Elizabeth House that night and when he woke up, he told me it was “move up day.” While Norman was on oxygen, he still could not physically breathe on his own. So, he needed a CPAP machine to push the oxygen into his body. By Norman’s choice, the CPAP was removed later that day. The doctors provided medication to keep him comfortable because they thought it might take a while. But I knew that once the CPAP was removed, it wouldn’t take long. And it didn’t. He was gone by 1pm.
That’s how he wanted it. Norman was of perfectly sound mind this whole time. He lived his life on his terms and he left on his terms, which hospice care allowed him to do.
Norman taught our whole family a lesson in how to handle this part of your life. We were so blessed with the strength that he had. That’s not to say that he didn’t want to live; of course he did. But he was a smart man and made peace with what he knew was happening in his body. After he passed, I thought okay, he showed us how to handle [dying]. So now, I’ve got to show my children how to handle grief. This is an inevitable part of life. You realize that you’re always going to miss the person when they’re gone, and you have to learn to live with it. But once you come to terms with that, hospice shouldn’t be a scary thing. It’s something you do for yourself and for the people you love.” – Marilyn Gordon
Four Seasons is Here for You
If you think you or a loved one may be ready for Palliative or Hospice Care, or if you’d simply like to begin a conversation about what level of care may be appropriate, call Four Seasons today or contact us online. We are here to help you navigate your end-of-life care options and connect you with the right care and the right time.
