Great Lakes Home Healthcare and Hospice Erie, PA

dudzinc

I choose Great Lakes Hospice for my dying mother from the recommendation of my sister in law who was at the time head of hospice in another state. She followed up with her colleges for the best hospice care in my area and that was Great Lakes Hospice. I was pleased that my sister in law did this and expected to have had the best hospice care for my mom. The visiting nurses were very good, but instructed me that there would be no nurse available if my mother were to pass in the night. My mother died at 3:00 a.m. I read all the information about dying that they provided me with, but I wasn't prepared for my mother begging me for help. In her last hours of life, she managed to sit her self up on the edge of the bed where my husband and I help support her. She kept pushing on my leg and then my husbands leg trying to talk and could not. She had death written on her face and still she was still able to gather the strength pull herself up from her bed and push on my knee asking for help. She was completely dehydrated and I was instructed not to give water. I'm not sure know, if I would have done hospice for my love one after experiencing this. I believe if she would have had IV fluids, her death would not had been has traumatic for her. I'm not an expert on dying and this was the first time I experienced the dying stages of a human being. I think everyone experiences the stages of death differently. I'm the type of person who wants to know what to expect especially in this type of situation and did not get this type of help from Great Lakes nor the support that I expected. I found out later from others who have used other hospices in the area that they provided 24 hour coverage and would come at any time of the day. Great Lakes Hospice would provide any equipment needed and sent equipment that wasn't even necessary. I wish that Great Lakes would have been more concerned in helping me with 24 hour experience nursing care instead that stupid unnecessary equipment.