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As heart- wrenching as it may be to say your last goodbyes to someone you love, it is a gift not everyone has the privilege of receiving.

As I think upon the events of the last few months, weeks and days, I believe in most situations, everyone who did not have the chance to say goodbye to their loved ones would have loved the opportunity for one last chance to let their loved ones know how much they loved them. They would hug, kiss, laugh, cry, console, recap memories, say I am sorry, say I forgive, and hold them until the end. However, any loss of life is unfortunate for the ones left behind to grieve. Letting go is never easy.

Although from personal experience, I know hearing the word hospice is most often a challenging concept to accept. However, when a person has an advanced, life-limiting disease and death is imminent, death will happen with or without hospice. Hospice does not prolong or expedite death. Hospice provides professional medical care and counseling that enables patients and their families to become educated on the disease and the end of life process. Pain management and symptom control allow the patient to have more comfortable days in the environment of their home with the people they love.

Hospice will allow you or your loved one to express the same sentiments as John F Kennedy Jr. when he announced his mother’s death to the world in 1994, “My mother died surrounded by her friends and her family, her books, and the people and the things she loved. She did it in her own way and on her own terms, and we all feel lucky for that.”

If you or your loved one is suffering from an advanced terminal illness, please speak to your physician or contact Comfort Care Hospice for information on admission criteria and service benefits.

Vickie C. Wacaster
Comfort Care Hospice