Some additional thoughts/ ideas:

​

Call the local hospice agency in your town!  They are wonderful and most often FREE!  They provided us with a mechanical hospital bed for both parents, brought morphine that we could administer when needed for pain.  Brought my dad an oxygen tank which was literally life saving for last few months.  They came and gave my dad a nice clean shave (I was nervous I'd cut him).  They provided good advice and a nurse that would visit and assess the situation and try to find different comfort measures for whatever was happening.

​

Call friends and family!  People want to help and don't always know how.  Be assertive and request a meal or a scheduled time they might like to visit which might allow someone else a break.  

​

Help get affairs in order.  Things like advanced directives and medical power of attorney,  use the time to review the will with a lawyer as there could be time and money saving things you and your family can do now to make things easier or less taxable when they pass.  Ask what favorite stories they want retold and shared at their celebration of life.  What charities they would like donations given in their memory.  

​

Ask Even More Questions!!!  Some of this down time may be an opportunity to learn more about the life of this loved one.  Record or take notes!  There are a variety of card games available that assist with initiating interesting conversations.   Look through photos together and while doing so take a photo of each one to start creating a digital photo collection to share with others in the family and not have to worry about preserving hard copies.  Watch home videos together!  

​

Suggested books:

​

Final Gifts  by Maggie Calanan and Patricia Kelly

​

Being Mortal  by Atul Gawande

​

Signs by Laura Lynne Jackson

​

​