Hospice is a service that millions of people around the world have enjoyed. However, if you’re unaware of what hospice is, I will encourage you to read this blog and come back. This blog will be the story of my experience with hospice, and it will help to have a base understanding of what hospice is and why it’s essential.
Before I begin, I want to clarify that this experience does not involve any patients of Aspire Hospice or their families. Although I work for them today, this story happened years before I heard of Aspire Home Health and Hospice. Additionally, I won’t be sharing any personal information about anybody involved. So, without further ado, I’ll begin!
Growing up, I was very close to my great-grandmother. She and I used to watch movies together and get snowcones on the weekends. She made me a blanket when I was born, and I still have it today. I really couldn’t have asked for a better great-grandmother, and I’m so grateful to have so many fond memories with her.
Then, soon after my tenth birthday, she had a stroke. She spent a week or so in the hospital before she moved to her home. I remember visiting her after she arrived home and holding her hand. I thought she might be cold, so I brought the blanket she made me so she could use it. My mother told her that I was there with her, and she squeezed my hand as hard as she could. After her stroke, she was very weak. She wasn’t able to do much more than squeeze her hands. But even though she couldn’t speak, she was still able to communicate with me to let me know that she loved me and was happy I was with her.
It took me a while before I looked around her bedroom. I didn’t notice there was a person in the room with us that I didn’t recognize. I only knew they were wearing the clothes doctors wore in hospitals, and they seemed like they were ready to help my grandma. So, I asked my mom who they were, and she said they were doctors who were there to make sure grandma wasn’t feeling any pain and was as happy as she can be. I asked my grandma if she was feeling okay and happy, and she squeezed my hand. I told her that I loved her, and she squeezed again. Finally, my mom told me that it was time to go home. So I kissed my grandma on her cheek and went home.
Later that night, we got a call telling us that my grandma had passed away, holding the blanket she made me. She was comfortable, happy, and wasn’t in any pain. I was sad that she was gone, but I was happy that she felt happy and peaceful.
As I got a little older, I learned that the nurses in the room were hospice nurses. I found out that they were the ones in charge of making sure my great-grandmother felt as comfortable and happy as possible. I couldn’t be more grateful for them because my grandma’s final days were happy, comfortable, and peaceful. Because of them, I’ll have these fond memories to cherish for the rest of my life.
If you want to learn more about hospice services, please give Aspire Hospice a call today.
