HELPING A DAUGHTER CARE FOR HER MOTHER

*Esther was in her 90s and had lived independently until last December when she contracted COVID-19. While she recovered, she was weaker than before and seemed prone to more illness. Her daughter Sue* was spending more and more time with her mom and having to help her with more of her activities of daily living.

Esther fainted one day at home while Sue was with her. After a time in the hospital, Esther was diagnosed with heart failure. They learned that any treatments or surgery would not extend her life.

The family didn’t know where to turn and called Hospice SLO County with many questions, one of which was whether or not Esther needed medical hospice. They spoke to our care manager, who explained the difference between medical and non-medical hospice and how each could help Esther during her remaining days.

Sue moved in with her mom to help coordinate her changing care needs. Our care manager went to the home to do an assessment. She matched Esther with one of our end-of-life Doula volunteers who can help the family and Esther navigate life in this changing time. In addition, our care manager set them up with access to other agency care in the community. The family communicates with the care manager monthly to stay on top of care needs and meets regularly with our doula.=

*Names and photo changed to respect client's privacy.