Posted on 05/12/2016 7:27:41 PM PDT by Morgana
At the beginning of the 20th century, sick Americans typically died at home. By the middle of it, they mostly died in hospitals. And yet this great transformation in the geography of death was, at first, of little interest to medical providers: In the 1960s, some doctors routinely chose not to inform terminal patients of their fate. Studies found hospitals stashing dying people at the ends of halls and largely ignoring them. Medicine, it was said, was about healing people. It had nothing to offer the already dying.
That began to change with the broad acceptance of hospice, which spread in the United States during the 1970s and 1980s and turned the innovations of modern medicine toward helping those whose cures were beyond its reach. The physician Dame Cicely Saunders founded the first modern clinic in London; the term “hospice” had first been used by old sanctuaries for weary travelers.
Sanctuary, says the photographer Gillian Laub, is what she and her family found at Rosary Hill Home in Hawthorne, N.Y., a hamlet in Westchester County. Laub’s mother-in-law was suffering from terminal cancer, and her insurance would not cover the 24-hour care she required. So they took her to Rosary, which is run by Catholic nuns and accepts no payment from the families of those they treat — all of them with incurable cancer.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
I think that you need a calling to do a lot of this wonderful work. God bless the ones who do it!
It does seem a shame, though, that with so many people who have no gainful employment, our society does not find a way to expand the number of people volunteering in the helping professions. The need is there. There are millions of people at home watching TV.
If only our culture convinced more people that they could make a welcome contribution just by caring for those who need some attention.
I hop every one will look at the 11 portraits of the sisters, as well as read the article.
The comments after the article are all highly positive and supportive. This world is making me too cynical. I was a little surprised.
“The comments after the article are all highly positive and supportive.”
That is why I posted this. We need more sisters like these.
When I first encountered those who make it their life’s work to care for the dying, they seemed as close to angels as it was possible for a mortal to be. Amazing people.
I have had terrible experiences with Hospice. They lied, they prescribed drugs in ways that violated the law. There services are appropriate for some, but they are very close-minded. I know some will criticize me. but I still have a lot of anger about their phony compassion etc.
I agree with you on hospice. Do not put your family members under their care.
I’m sure the meds they were giving my husband were increased again and again until he died.
If you look at the “outside” of the sisters, they are all plain, average, nondescript women.
Look into their EYES, and you see the LORD.
Thank you Jesus for giving these incredible people to we the undeserving.
Honestly, I think you experienced a “hospice in name only”. The hospice at the facility I work at is NOTHING like what you describe. We even keep “crash carts” in the wing for those unwilling to accept the inevitable. The Emergency department is a 3 minute WALK, including the elevator.
I am genuinely distressed that you had a poor experience with hospice.
The VAST majority of those involved really do want to make the “end of (this) life” transition as gentle and undisturbed as they can.
My apologies to you for the bad experience you suffered.
If only...
I knew some people who had a terrible experience too, with Gentiva. Was that yours, by chance? When medical or palliative care is governed by the profit motive, it deteriorates.
Although in this situation care was under auspices of a Catholic institution, which made it possible because no one believed it (will the next ‘abuse’ scandal be elderly instead of children?).
Whole thing was shocking and demoralizing. The patient was hurt and discouraged, sensed they were pushing death as soon as possible. BTW, patient was frail but ambulatory, did NOT have a terminal diagnosis.
I hope these are not usual hospice situations. Maybe it depends on the State and the agencies involved and their overriding philosophies? It does border on murder at times, and I hope that’s rare?
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