Desert Messenger is your local connection for news, events, and entertainment!
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/45095
Page 22 PERSPECTIVES FROM PAGE 15 ing to their needs, although her (his) visits are scheduled. A hospice nurse is part of a 24 hour call system to assist the patient at their home if needed. Social workers are available to help with legal and financial issues as well as therapeutic counseling is needed. If at home for hos- pice, a certified nursing assistant (CNA) is also part of the hospice team. They are able to help with bathing and light duty house work, freeing the family and friends from some of the more difficult care-giving tasks. Non-denominational Chaplains help individuals with spiritual questions and needs. Finally, home hos- pice has a set of volunteers who can help by providing companionship, assistance with things arising around home or oth- er needs. My father found this hospice team help- www.DesertMessenger.com time with us…a priceless blessing. (Note: this morning, Star Baird had ful and began a strong trust in them to find peace of mind knowing that he has someone to call 24 hours per day and they will be at his home at a moment's notice if needed. VK: And how is your step-mother doing with the situation? SB: She says she has peace of mind for the same reasons. I, too, feel less stressed and use this time to enjoy my father and to rely on the hospice team to care of him or to assist us with the myriad of details involved at the end of life. And, as hos- pice has increased his quality of life, he is able to tell us that he is able to enjoy his hospice better. Many people use home health care which is helping around the home, assisting bathing but with no real medical certification or medical assis- tance. Hospice is a term used for pa- tients/clients who have a mortality of 6 months or less. Many also believe hos- pice is for terminal cancer only. Hospice is for dignity, comfort and quality of life. If one gets better, and people have, then with God's grace, the patient returns or stays home with on-going physical or other therapy as long as it is needed. The client does not stay in hospice if it is not needed and can return to hospice as needed. In hospice for the terminally ill, medical rules change as far as pain control, etc. In typical care, medica- tions are prescribed according to the condition but must be administered by strict dosage rules, etc. In hospice, the term "comfort care" is the norm. As one weakens and/or as pain strengthens dos- age or change of medication are given so calmness and painlessness is the goal. The Living Will includes three impor- tant permission forms : DNR, DNI and Power of Attorney. to leave to be at her father's bedside in hospice for he too is about to leave our earth and we give her and her family our prayers and blessings for a peaceful passing). I hope this helps readers understand DNR/DNI stands for Do Not Resus- citate/Do Not Intubate and is a specific physician order. Put more simply, Do Not Resuscitate means that in the event of cardiac arrest no CPR or electric shock will be performed to re-start the heart. Do Not Intubate means that no breath- ing tube will be placed in the throat in the event of breathing difficulty or respira- tory arrest. Each of these orders may be given separately. Your loved one may be have a DNR order but not a DNI order, or vice versa. Usually, they are ordered together. Please remember to also sign a "PofA" (Power of Attorney) and have a responsible family member or trusted friend to hold these three documents for when and as needed. Please understand that these orders do not mean that the staff will stop all treat- ment. All medical and nursing care will be given up to the point of cardiac or respiratory arrest. This means that your loved one will still be given medications, food (if appropriate), and other comfort measures as needed. Your loved one's illness will still be treated as a priority. Before ordering DNR/DNI the nurses and physicians will discuss the situation with you. As hard as it might be to ac- cept, it is possible that your loved one's situation is not reversible or that contin- ued treatment will only cause more dis- comfort and prolong the dying process. None of us likes the idea of death, nor do we want loved ones to die. Unfortunate- October 19, 2011 ly, death is the natural conclusion to life. Consider carefully what the doctors and nurses are saying to you. In the end, the final decision to give a DNR/DNI order is up to you. Also be aware that your de- cision can be reversed any time you feel it is necessary to do so. If one does not have a signed DNR, us- mother 8 years ago. They followed each other by 8 months. Since my stepfa- ther had a 5 year debilitating illness, my mother and he had the foresight to do the DNR/DNI and PofA together at the same time as his illness progressed. In his last 2 months of life he went to hospice as well as my mom 8 months later for her last 2 days of life. I was able to stay all day and night with them, talking to them, sharing our lives through memories and photos. If anyone has questions, please ask. If you need these forms to help or- ganize your wishes, let someone know these forms are readily available. To know those documents were in place to do as they wanted were a blessing for me to enjoy the last precious moments we had left together. Now my mother-in-law has joined my parents and others important to them. We, all in our family, were blessed to have hospice to give them the honor, dignity and comfort they so deserve, we all deserve. To learn more contact the agencies serving Quartzsite and La Paz County: Hospice of Havasu, a Not-For-Profit Agency, 928-453-2111; or Apesmellis, a Home Healthcare agency, 928-669-0010. PUZZLE PAGE (page 20) ANSWERS ing CPR will in most cases, with elderly patients, be very damaging. The first chest compression breaks several ribs. The broken ribs are forced into the sur- rounding organs, lacerating them. I be- lieve no one would want this for a loved one. Doctors feel strongly on this mat- ter. They do not want to injure their pa- tients in any way and make them more uncomfortable. If a DNR/DNI is not in place, they have no choice but to contin- ue. Therefore, these actions could lead to a more painful death. No one would want that for their loved one. I personally lost my stepfather and