Welcome to the parlor

“Welcome to the Parlor.” Reclaiming Death within our LivesPresented by Regina HollidayAt Washington Home HospiceWashington, DCJune 13, 2012

This is the story of a man named Fred Holliday II, PhDBetween March 25th - June 17th 2009he was treated in 4 curative settingsWashington Home Community HospiceandHome Hospice.

Fred was hospitalized on March 25th 2009 for the administration of tests.On March 27th, he was told while alone thathe had “tumors and growths.”He was scared and confused and did not understand.His oncologist left town for the next four days to a medicalconference and was not reachable by phone or email.

What was the diagnosis? What were the treatment options? Would he get a pain consult?

This is my husband’smedical record.I was told it would cost73 Cents per pageAnd we would have towait 21 days to get acopy.

After waiting for 5 days for a transferto another hospital for a second opinion,We were sent with an out of dateand incomplete medical recordand transfer summary.The new staff spent 6 hours trying tocobble together a current medical recordUsing a telephone and a fax machine.

After the second hospital we were sent to rehab. Fred was taken off his pain pump.

Why did we get more help and answers fromSocial Media than from our local hospital ? Within one day were in email contact and then spoke on the phone. By ten o’clock May 4th2009, I was talking on the phone with Dave’s Oncologist about my husband’s cancer.

Fred was transferred toAnother hospitalfor ablood transfusion.His doctor that nightasked, “Why is an end-stage cancer patient in arehab facility?”We should go to Hospice.

What I saw when I visited Hospice. Peace

“What bothered us most about hospice?”No WiFi.

Where are the HOSPICE cards?There is nothing between “Get Well” and “Sympathy” Where are the faces of the dying and those that love them?

What would you Google to learn about death?

Home Hospice:After almost three weeks in inpatienthospice, the discharge coordinator saidwe would need to bring Fred home.I had to commit to a year lease on a newtwo bedroom apartment that washandicap accessible.I would buy 4 institutional beddingchucks, $90.00 per chuck.Fred’s bed was placed in our livingroom, or shall I say the parlor?Fred lived for six more days.

Fred died on June 17th, 2009

How do we get an AUTOPSY?In the United States; hospital autopsy rates of60% in the 1950s fell to 12% in the early1990s and less than 5% in nonteachinghospitals.Current autopsy rates are 2% nationwide.Private autopsy services range from at$5,000.00-15,000 and are not covered byinsurance. This is far out of reach of manyconsumers.In addition, studies find that there isdisagreement between pre and post-mortemdiagnoses in 15-30% of cases.

Three monuments to agreat father.We love you Daddy.Regina, Freddie & IsaacJune 13, 2012

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Welcome to the parlor

by Regina Holliday on Jun 13, 2012

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Welcome to the parlor Presentation Transcript