What do we do when a patient passes? #hospicenurse

About Nurse Hadley:

Hadley Vlahos resides outside of New Orleans with her husband and three children. With eight years of experience as a registered nurse, including six years devoted to hospice care, she has gained profound insights into the field of healthcare. Online, she is affectionately known as "Nurse Hadley," where she shares heartfelt stories from her experiences as a hospice nurse.

Beyond her nursing career, Hadley has achieved literary success as the author of the instant New York Times bestseller, "The In-Between: Unforgettable Encounters During Life's Final Moments" published by Ballantine/PRH.

When dealing with any medically related events or medical emergencies, please communicate with your primary health care provider.

Follow Nurse Hadley:

#hospice #nursehadley #hospicenurse

[MissFuneral]

As a funeral director, thank you for staying until our staff arrives. It breaks my heart when I hear the hospice nurse left a widow or widower alone until we get there ❤️❤️

[saritaschwedes]

when my husband died the hospice nurse asked my sons to get clothes for him and they helped wash his body.. they were in their early 20’s. it was special. 🌸

[MrsBauckman]

I love that you said “when the family is ready” you call the funeral home. I wish more people understood that death is not an emergency. There’s no need to rush the body out the door, and families can benefit so much from spending those last moments with their loved one.

[nataliewilson]

As a funeral director, thank you for staying with the family and offering help. I’ve personally had hospice workers just leave. And the family was so distraught and uncomfortable being alone with their deceased loved one.

[curlzpalz]

My uncle wanted my granny to stay with him while she was passing(as she had lived with him for many years ) he laid next to her the last night. He got up to use the restroom and that's when she passed. After she passed he bathed her, put her in beautiful clothes and did her hair. He then called all of us. I love him for taking such good care of her. After that he said he would give anything to keep taking care of her.

And I miss granny so much. I often dream of her.

I will see you again, beautiful and healthy. I love you ❤️

[gixrtfp]

Ours did not destroy the narcotics, I had to return them to the pharmacy. Ours didn’t even wait for the funeral home to arrive. We didn’t have a great experience with hospice.

[julieght]

My husband has been in home hospice since January 2023. These people are angels. We’ve been in a holding pattern, waiting on the Lord’s timing. My husband has never been in pain and we expect for him to go “Home” any day. “God bless us everyone”. I can’t thank the Hospice team enough

[queenv]

I lost my husband of 25ys on 2-28-22. He was in home hospice for 21 days before he passed. I loved our nurse Kia so much. I so wish they would have taken the drugs as I was so tempted to take them to numb my pain. They said it was my responsibility to destroy them. I kept them for months just in case. I finally got rid of them 6 months after he passed. I'm so glad I found your channel, you bring me so much comfort. Thank you for all you do

[toomignon]

The destroying narcotics is so so so important. Lives can be ruined when that step is skipped.

[KimmieJ]

As a nurse who has been present for several deaths from infants to elderly I cry each time. Not like the family does but I shed a few tears. Each family has thanked me
For being human in front of them and showing their loved in mattered. It is never an act, each life no matter the duration matters and leaves an impact somewhere.

[Evaleastaristev]

Thank you for the words "when the family is ready." So many would rush them, and not let them have the time they need.

[morgansemack]

I have never seen destroying narcotics. This makes so much sense and I didn’t know there was a method for that

[jennifercullison]

I personally destroyed the narcotics because I have addicts for siblings before they were even notified and knew the trash pick up was coming. I made sure they were destroyed and picked up before my siblings arrived

[annikabjornson]

The hospice medical provider that came into our home to confirm my father’s death did something that shocked me through and through. My dad was laying on his back wearing shorts and this freaking dr (?) opened her binder and spread it open on the bare legs of my dad, using him like a piece of furniture. He might have turned into an inanimate object as far as dr death was concerned, but he was still our father, entitled to some respect just out of a sense of humanity. I have since come to the conclusion that woman was in the wrong career. It was especially jarring because everyone else who’d come from the hospice organization had been incredibly kind and caring.

[karenrollins]

When my husband died the nurse came over and did the time of death and she asked for a shirt she wiped him down and put the shirt on him and tidied up his hair she was so gentle and was talking to us then the funeral home ppl came and picked him up she was the best nurse ever this is a post note: the nurse put some pants on him too it sounded funny when I just said shirt lol

[theeggtimertictic]

Here in Ireland my cousin was a nurse (until she got long covid). She used to say the first thing they did was open the windows to let them fly 🕊

[demetrajohnson]

You are a godsend for people in their time of need. A true earth angel

[Almanatrix]

I always checked on pets around the time a patient was due to pass...where they were going, if they would be rehomed etc. A lot of families would simply release pets they didnt want to deal with. I always let the patient know that I would be happy to help make sure their beloved pets would be okay when they were gone and let them know they can tell ppl I am an option. Sometimes a family might pretend to be willing to care for the pet while the patient was alive and then toss them after so I wanted them to know if they felt the need to dump them, dump them with me and I'll figure it out. There is nothing more heartbreaking than a pet that has lost their best friend and home in one day. I can't tell you how many times I'd find an elderly little dog wandering around the patients neighborhood after death just looking for home. I would love to start a foundation for pets of hospice patients. So many are abandoned and put down :'(

[User]

I’m so grateful you talk about getting rid of the narcotics. With grief this is the best time for anyone who is hiding it or hasn’t mentioned anything to relapse or even overdose to numb out. ❤

[OceanAir]

My mom's in home hospice right now and is bedbound, your videos have really helped me have a better understanding of everything, thank you.