re: Close relative is in hospice...(update page 5)

My dad passed in late February in hospice after a long battle with dementia. For him, hospice was the best case. My mom was his sole caregiver for the last few years. Toward the end, she was unable to continue in that role. He became too much for her to handle, with falls, etc.

We searched for places for him to go for a few weeks after finally convincing my mom that she couldn't do it any longer. We tried for a long time, but she wasn't having it.

Finally found a place we were all comfortable with. Moved him in on a Monday. He had a bad fall that night and was never the same. Was put into hospice care on Tuesday. He couldn't speak from that point on. We were able to feed him for about a week, but he was in and out of consciousness. The following Thursday, he went into a coma-like state.

I arrived at his bedside on the next Monday after a day at work. My 16 year old daughter had just been to visit him, and we chatted outside for a few minutes before I went inside. I got to him and he was struggling to breathe. My mom and I had the nurse come in and check on him. She raised his bed up to help with his breathing. No sooner had she left the room then he passed.

I'm struggling to type this with tears in my eyes. I miss my dad. I miss who he was before this terrible disease took him from us.

Prayers to you and your family.