When the odds of your loved one surviving the cancer they are suffering from get smaller, it is time to think about hospice care. Family members need to let go of their own wishes for "fighting the good fight" and listen to the desires of the patient.
When odds of survival are minimal, the treatments may in reality impair the quality of life your loved one has left. Yet, hospice care is not equivalent to a death sentence; there have been many who have gone through months of hospice care and emerged renewed while showing no signs of relapse.
Yes, it is a difficult decision. Hope for a miracle turnaround versus the graceful recognition of fate is clashing within you. You must learn to prepare yourself for the end of this process, even as you are still hoping and praying for a miracle. To help you, long term cancer hospice care and respite care is available.
No one is telling you to wear a smiley face when someone close to you is likely to die. Coping with end of life issues and staying present for your loved one are vital parts in letting him or her die at peace. Respite care tied in with hospice care helps you get ready for what is to come when your loved will no longer be there.
You may need to slowly phase yourself out of day to day care and think about picking up the neglected threads of your own life. It is normal to forget about other loved ones who also count on you.
Cancer care with hospice care is for dying with dignity. Respite care is for going on with your life with self-respect and hope.
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