I agree with you Mag.

There have also been very helpful people though, and I feel as though I have
inadvertently maligned them simply by not mentioning their existence.  I
suppose that being in this situation I am focusing on the negative, but there
really has been a lot of negative.

I have a gut-level feeling that this particular hospice nurse is an isolated
incident.  I've never heard anything like this about hospice -- never.  I've
only heard that it's been a phenomenal resource for dying people and family.
I'm sure that this will be our experience as well.  I've filed an oral
complaint about this nurse and have requested that a different nurse come
tomorrow.  It's just that I caught her in a lie and she didn't tell me about
the contract hospital bed option.  In her lie, she twisted the situation to
make it appear as though I had requested immediate hospice service and the
immediate discharge of my Mother, and later changed my mind.  That was not
the case.

The hospital has been trying to dump her out from the beginning, and this
nurse seemed to be behaving as though she was working on their behalf rather
than my Mother's. I brought a friend to the hospice meeting for the expressed
purpose of having a witness; I took written notes, etc.  Our meeting was well
documented, and I'm sorry that I even felt led to have a witness and to take
notes.  In the final analysis however, I did need to rely on that
documentation.

No, this is not going to be a dead issue.  I will press for change on behalf
of others who will come after my Mother.  This happens to too many vulnerable
people who are helpless to know what to do.  I will push till it gives on
behalf of the good nurses and doctors who deserve better professional peers.

When this is over, they will wish that I had sued for money.  They can only
kill me once, so I have nothing to lose.

I hate injustice.

Many, many hugs back Mag.

In a message dated 06/04/2000 12:30:54 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

> Oh my God, Betty ... that is just horrible!  I hate to say it, but I think
>  the hospital is only interested in money. Cancer treatments are a big
>  business -- and as soon as your Mom was no longer "profitable" they dumped
>  her.  I hope you will file a complaint with the review board.
>
>  and, I honestly can't think why hospice would be 'in bed' with the
hospital.
>
>  hugs, hugs, hugs,
>  Mag
>