My Mother was taken from the hospital to Vitas Hospice on recommendation from the hospital. This was not a hospice facility but an wing of a nursing home. There were patients on the wing that were from the nursing home and definitely not under hospice care. It took quite a while for the nurses to come unlock the entrance so the EMS drivers who were transporting my Mother could get in the facility. It was a very cold night and she was outside on the stretcher. We were put in a very small room with another patient with a blaring TV. We had to move move around in the room for the visitors for the other patient to get in the room. When we came to see my Mother she was fully exposed and we were told she moaned most of the night, most likely not getting the medication she needed. I had to repeatedly ask for medication for her. After a horrible day of being crammed into the small room with blaring TV, it took me 4 hours to get my Mother moved and they made it clear during that period that they did not want to move her. My Mother died 2 hours after the move. I was told by a nurse that I had to remove the body from the facility within 4 hours. I also got a graphic review from a nurse about the state she was in when they turned her before she died. This happened at 11:30 at night. They made us wait to see my Mother after she had died and said we needed to sign some papers. When we came into the nurses office to sign the papers we stood there for several minutes before anyone would acknowledge our presence.
I have nightmares about how my Mother died and fear she was in pain because she was not given enough meds or cared for the first night in the facilty. We had taken very good care of her in her declining years and I am so saddened her last few days were so horrific, I would not wish this on any family, ever.
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