Getting Ready for Hospice

Perhaps you have had other friends who have walked the long road with their loved one or friend as they faced impending death.

And now, it is your turn to walk with someone close to you. You may have seen this day from a distance, never imagining that one day it would be you now facing the task of caring for a dying relative or friend.

In a sense, no one is ever “ready” to begin this journey. We go about our days, living our lives, thinking an experience like this is years away.

Just as life is changing for your loved one, so it is changing for you, in at least these two ways –

First, your attention will change. Everything is now geared toward the care and comfort of your loved one. Theirs will come before yours, in an insistently stronger way.

This becomes the dominant narrative of your life, for the foreseeable future. We hear on the news of the “new normal.” This is your new normal.

As a side note, however, remember that although their needs may come before yours, they do not necessarily replace yours (this is a future column).

Second, your life will change. You will find yourself doing things you have never done before. On the other hand, you may stop doing certain things (for now) that have been an integral part of your life.

With God’s help, you can do this. Get ready to be a loving presence for someone who needs you.

TR