[Granville-Hough] 24 Feb 2009 - Final Loss Suggestions

[Trustees for Granville W. Hough]

Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2009 07:07:54 -0800
From: Granville W Hough <gwhough at oakapple.net>
Subject: Final Loss Suggestion (6 Sep 2003) - 24 Feb 2009

     This is the one-page handout I actually used in my talk to other
families with Alzheimer's patients on 6 Sep 2003.  This would have
to be adapted to other states and localities, therefore I recommend that
caretakers in the family work out something for their own situation or
locality.

Final Loss Suggestions for Alzheimer's Patients:

    1.  Keep your California (or other state) Advance Directives up to
date.  Part 1,
Power of Attorney for Health Care, designates the person to make your
health care decisions, followed by a first alternate and a second
alternate.  Part 2, Instructions for Health Care, is important because
you choose to prolong, or not to prolong life, and you can choose pain
relief even if it hastens your death.  In Part 3, which is optional, you
can donate organs and tissues.

    2. Recognize that with an AlzheimerÂs patient, it is very likely you
will have to make a Â"do not operate"Â or Â"remove life sustaining
equipment"Â decision.  When you make this decision, be prepared to
arrange hospice care as soon as you can or as soon as the patient'Âs
doctor agrees.  Of the several hospice organizations in Orange County, I
can recommend Heartland Home Health Care & Hospice, 725 West Town &
Country Road, Suite 130, Orange, CA 92868, call toll-free
1-866-875-0077.  I now believe hospice care is available nearly
everywhere in the land.

    3.  Get the hospice papers signed and ask the hospice nurse to
evaluate the patient to determine the patientÂ's specific needs and
suggest what facilities can provide those needs.   Then you make a
choice.  Fortunately for our family, Aliso Laguna Village could provide
the level of care needed and had a hospice vacancy.  Our patient could
return to her own room where caretakers knew her.  (Aliso Laguna Village
is a Specialized Senior Residence for those suffering from AlzheimerÂs
and similar forms of dementia.  It is located at 24552 Pacific Park
Drive, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656, ph no (949) 425-8300.)

    4.  We must recognize that modern hospitals focus on sustaining
life.  They are rated on how well they do that; and the fewer deaths in
their beds they have, the better they are rated.  They WANT us to take
terminal cases to Âother environments.  Hospital physicians are
unlikely to prescribe a level of pain killer which would stop the
patient'Âs suffering, but at the same time might cause a statistical
death in their hospital bed.  This is where the Hospice program becomes
so important in our present society.  When the patient can no longer eat
or drink or live without heroic effort, Hospice helps that patient make
the transition, with minimum pain or discomfort, from this life to the
hereafter.

    5.  If we wish to donate the brains, related tissues, and spinal
fluids of our patient to help research in AlzheimerÂs and similar
diseases, one organization to contact is the National Neurological
Research Specimen Bank, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, West
Los Angeles Healthcare Center (127A) 11301 Wilshire Blvd , Los Angeles,
CA 90073, tel no (310, 268-3536, email: brainbnk at ucla.edu.  (At the
present time, they cannot accept donations of persons who have in their
medical history a record of hepatitis C.)

   6.  If we wish our brain donations to help the University of
California, Irvine, Institute for Brain Aging & Dementia, rather than
the National Bank, call 1-800-274-9542, and talk to Dr. Potkin.

     7.  For cash donations to help educate and guide families of
AlzheimerÂs patients (in lieu of flowers for memorials),  the proper
address is AlzheimerÂs Association, 2540 North Santiago Blvd, Orange, CA
92867.  For cash donations to further research nationally, the proper
address is AlzheimerÂs Association, National Headquarters/Planned Gifts
Department, 919 North Michigan Ave, Suite 1100, Chicago, IL 60611-1676.

   8.  For supporting your family member with AlzheimerÂs at Aliso Laguna
Village, or other homes, visit for short periods of time once or twice
weekly.  You may notice the subtle changes which the caretakers in
hourly contact miss.  These changes may be the progression of the
disease or they may indicate some other condition of aging or
infection.  By visiting, you will also meet and learn to appreciate some
dedicated people.

    9.  When your patient goes into hospice care, your family members
must adjust and say goodbye.  It helps the family members, church
friends, or others, to read
favorite scriptures, play familiar music, tell family stories, talk to
the Hospice nurses and to the other caretakers.  The Hospice nurses
believe the patient hears but cannot respond.  With no more food nor
liquid, and small doses of morphine every two hours, the patient drifts
peacefully away in five to eight days.   

P. S.  There is so much tragedy in Alzheimer's situations that one
should cherish every bit of humor that can be found.  As one of our
family member caretakers stated:

"I often tell those I meet, not to worry...
It is a good thing when you get Alzheimer's...
YOU GET TO HIDE YOUR OWN EASTER EGGS!!!!!"