My Father passed away on Sunday Jan 15th.
It was all very quick, took him to the Hospital for what we thought was a reoccurrence of a pesky pneumonia that he had been having trouble with. Turns out is was CHF he was released into Hospice Care brought home and was gone in a week. If you could call a death a good experience it would be my Fathers. Mom and I cared for him with help from the family and Celtic Hospice. It was pretty hard especially for my Mom. But she held in there. My Dad had Dementia the last year or so and although pretty easy to care for it was pretty hard on my 86yr Mom. So I have been in and out of their home a lot. Just in the last month or so staying overnight a couple of nights a week. Thursday he was his regular old self up and down the steps, sitting at the table eating, just a little more fatigued than normal. Friday 2AM he coughed up small spots of red blood, So up I came thinking we were going to Hospital for X-ray and antibiotics. He was diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure We had had this diagnoses 2X before once 5 years ago and again 2 years ago. Springing back both times with med changes but this time it was for real. We found out Sunday morning that he was going to be released that afternoon. Mom has a family room with an attached bath that was empty but for an old treadmill.
Julie & friend came and cleaned waited for Hospice to deliver bed and equipment, Jamie & family moved our daybed to Mom's, Josh came in with 2 small tables and a nice comfy chair, Jen showed up with lights, pillows and blankets. By the time he came home we had cozy homey spot set up. For the next week the family came and went, dropping in over lunch hours, after school for dinner bringing food that Mom and I didn't eat. Both DD Jen and DIL Deb did an overnight. Ric and Josh were very sick but even they helped where they could. Ric was able to come up on Thursday and stayed till Monday. We filled that room with stories, laughter, tears and love. Mom and I were with him when he very peacefully slipped away.
Holly
