scary evangelist woman
I feel like my family is a carcass lying in the middle of the dessert and the various hospices around here are the vultures.
The last rep to visit my home was so distasteful, disrespectful and irritating that it sent me into a mad crying fit after she left. My dad is barely cogent at this point. I don't know if it's the medication, his deteriorating health or plain depression but he is barely able to communicate. Hence, it takes him a long time to answer and the lady who visited today was completely incapable of waiting. The hospice rep (VITAS Houston) was supposed to be answering our questions, not shoving glossy brochures in my dad's face and presenting the history of her unit with her fucking power point printouts.
I was about ready to get up and slap her when she kept snapping her fingers at my dad and asking him to wake up. "Don't go to sleep on me," she's say in a cheerful voice.
Aren't these people supposed to be properly trained?
She prayed for my dad which I guess was comforting for him, but it all left a bad taste in my mouth. All the showiness and shit. Pseudo Christian concern. She went on about how she wanted to "save" one of her jewish patients. That did it for me. I decided I was gonna hate her, but when she almost got my heavily medicated dad to sign a consent form that sealed it for me. Get that woman the hell away from my dad!
I intervened stating that this was a lot to swallow and that I wanted him to think things through. "I'll call you guys tomorrow!" she said as she left.
Please don't fucking call us.
There is just too much going on. We got a torrent of phone calls from various hospice reps and palliative care units this morning. It's like we've got a sign hanging on our front door advertising that we've got a dying human being or something. My dad just wants to rest right now! Ugh.
The social worker, Lynn sure made hospice sound like fluffy bunny rabbits and rainbows. The last rep made it seem like hoards of nurses would be invading our privacy. She also mentioned that there was no such thing as a hospice house where my dad can be amongst others who are terminally ill---and I just don't believe that.
*sigh*
I have so much on my plate right now. Gah. Okay, here's my to do list:
-Call my boss and get the next two additional weeks off so I can get things in order
-Call Lynn the social worker and get a lot of the conflicting info straightened out
-Schedule out other hospice reps while I'm here
-Request a Mandarin speaking rep for my mom
-Ask the palliative physician if he can siphon off the fluid in my dad's abdomen and ankles on Monday
-Somewhere in there acknowledge Trav and I's 5 year wedding anniversary date
-Check up on my aunt who has breast cancer (she and my mom are unable to speak to each other due to their personal griefs...)
-Give my mom a massage
-Vacuum upstairs
-Catch up on email inquiries
The last rep to visit my home was so distasteful, disrespectful and irritating that it sent me into a mad crying fit after she left. My dad is barely cogent at this point. I don't know if it's the medication, his deteriorating health or plain depression but he is barely able to communicate. Hence, it takes him a long time to answer and the lady who visited today was completely incapable of waiting. The hospice rep (VITAS Houston) was supposed to be answering our questions, not shoving glossy brochures in my dad's face and presenting the history of her unit with her fucking power point printouts.
I was about ready to get up and slap her when she kept snapping her fingers at my dad and asking him to wake up. "Don't go to sleep on me," she's say in a cheerful voice.
Aren't these people supposed to be properly trained?
She prayed for my dad which I guess was comforting for him, but it all left a bad taste in my mouth. All the showiness and shit. Pseudo Christian concern. She went on about how she wanted to "save" one of her jewish patients. That did it for me. I decided I was gonna hate her, but when she almost got my heavily medicated dad to sign a consent form that sealed it for me. Get that woman the hell away from my dad!
I intervened stating that this was a lot to swallow and that I wanted him to think things through. "I'll call you guys tomorrow!" she said as she left.
Please don't fucking call us.
There is just too much going on. We got a torrent of phone calls from various hospice reps and palliative care units this morning. It's like we've got a sign hanging on our front door advertising that we've got a dying human being or something. My dad just wants to rest right now! Ugh.
The social worker, Lynn sure made hospice sound like fluffy bunny rabbits and rainbows. The last rep made it seem like hoards of nurses would be invading our privacy. She also mentioned that there was no such thing as a hospice house where my dad can be amongst others who are terminally ill---and I just don't believe that.
*sigh*
I have so much on my plate right now. Gah. Okay, here's my to do list:
-Call my boss and get the next two additional weeks off so I can get things in order
-Call Lynn the social worker and get a lot of the conflicting info straightened out
-Schedule out other hospice reps while I'm here
-Request a Mandarin speaking rep for my mom
-Ask the palliative physician if he can siphon off the fluid in my dad's abdomen and ankles on Monday
-Somewhere in there acknowledge Trav and I's 5 year wedding anniversary date
-Check up on my aunt who has breast cancer (she and my mom are unable to speak to each other due to their personal griefs...)
-Give my mom a massage
-Vacuum upstairs
-Catch up on email inquiries
Labels: cancer, emotionally drained, family, hospice
posted by cchang at 10:17 PM
2 Comments:
that's bs that there's no hospice for terminally ill patients. that's what hospice IS!
i'm sorry you had a bad experience with this woman. she sounds kinda awful. :(
lynn sounds nice though. i hope she's able to help you.
hang in here.
and if i'm on your list of people to email--really, it can wait until you're less overwhelmed. you've got enough to do. all good.
the terminology has changed a bit over the years, so hospice care is mainly home care. :( We decided to let him die at home instead of putting him through transportation, etc.
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