“Welcome to the Parlor.” Reclaiming Death within our Lives

Presented by Regina HollidayAt Washington Home HospiceWashington, DCJune 13, 2012

This is the story of a man named Fred Holliday II, PhD

Between March 25th - June 17th 2009

he was treated in 4 curative settings

Washington Home Community Hospice

and

Home Hospice.

Fred was hospitalized on March 25th 2009 for the administration of tests.

On March 27th, he was told while alone thathe had “tumors and growths.”

He was scared and confused and did not understand.

His oncologist left town for the next four days to a medical conference and was not reachable by phone or email.

What was the diagnosis? What were the treatment options? Would he get a pain consult?

This is my husband’s medical record.

I was told it would cost

73 Cents

per page

And we would have to wait 21 days to get a copy.

After waiting for 5 days for a transfer

to another hospital for a second opinion,

We were sent with an out of date and incomplete medical record and transfer summary.

The new staff spent 6 hours trying to

cobble together a current medical record Using a telephone and a fax machine.

After the second hospital we were sent to rehab. Fred was taken off his pain pump.

Within one day were in email contact and then spoke on the phone.

By ten o’clock May 4th 2009, I was talking on the phone with Dave’s Oncologist about my husband’s cancer.

Why did we get more help and answers from

Social Media than from our local hospital ?

Fred was transferred to Another hospital for a blood transfusion.

His doctor that night asked, “Why is an end-stage cancer patient in a rehab facility?”

We should go to Hospice.

What I saw when I visited Hospice.

Peace

“What bothered us most about hospice?”

No WiFi.

Where are the HOSPICE cards?There is nothing between “Get Well” and “Sympathy”

Where are the faces of the dying and those that love them?

What would you Google to learn about death?

Home Hospice:

After almost three weeks in inpatient hospice, the discharge coordinator said we would need to bring Fred home.

I had to commit to a year lease on a new two bedroom apartment that was handicap accessible.

I would buy 4 institutional bedding chucks, $90.00 per chuck.

Fred’s bed was placed in our living room, or shall I say the parlor?

Fred lived for six more days.

Fred died on June 17th, 2009

In the United States; hospital autopsy rates of 60% in the 1950s fell to 12% in the early 1990s and less than 5% in nonteaching hospitals.

Current autopsy rates are 2% nationwide.

Private autopsy services range from at $5,000.00-15,000 and are not covered by insurance. This is far out of reach of many consumers.

In addition, studies find that there is disagreement between pre and post-mortem diagnoses in 15-30% of cases.

How do we get an AUTOPSY?

Three monuments to a

great father.We love you Daddy.

Regina, Freddie & Isaac

June 13, 2012