Charlie McKernan knew he only had a few weeks left. Life had been good and instead of feeling miserable inside and out, too many trips to medical appointments, absorbing medication that was wreaking havoc with his body, he and his physician decided that hospice was the final path to travel.

Charlie grew up in the Bay Area and survived two tours in Vietnam. He had two sisters and a younger brother that he lost in a tragic car accident while he was away serving our country. Upon his return to the states, he met his true love, Althea. They had three children of their own and had been married for 37 years before cancer took Althea’s soul to a better place.

When their children were young, the family loved to camp. The beach and ocean were always the destination. It started with tent camping and progressed to RV trips. Every year the family would plan their next trip. National parks, the redwoods, the Oregon coast. But the most epic trips had been down CA-1 from San Francisco to Big Sur. Pfeiffer Beach, Mcway Falls, Pardington Cove, Carmel by the Sea and Elephant Seal Vista Point - all highlights with pictures taken over the years that now live in the family photo albums placed on the coffee table.

Charlie hadn’t made one of these trips since the passing of Althea. However, these memories were the ones that he talked about the most. Those images, the drive, the flat tire that needed to be changed, the sunset at Asilomar State Beach, the time when the kids got a bit too close to the elephant seals napping on the warm sand. Just memories at this point as Charlie sat in his chair on the front porch of the family home.

Welcome to HospicePass

There’s a paradigm shift taking place in hospice. The average age of a person, male or female, choosing hospice care for their end-of-life journey is 72.5. The average stay in hospice is around 70 days. That’s a lifetime in itself.

How as healthcare providers, hospice agencies, and families guarantee that the time spent in hospice is EXCEPTIONAL?

It certainly feels clinical at the moment. A person moves from the hospital to their private residence, a board and care facility, assisted living or skilled nursing facility. The transport from point A to B is clinical and sterile. Once they arrive, there’s a hospital bed that’s been used by dozens of others. There is additional DME required but has been used by others. What about the linens, the mattress, the wheelchair, the required but loud O2 concentrator, the supplies and the pain medication. It’s a lot for the patient to deal with and even more for the family to handle. Hence the need for a hospice agency to provide the care and comfort.

During this journey, our hospice professionals will hear stories, may witness small miracles, and will see the last tears or smiles, and may provide a warm hand to grasp. In many cases there is still time to provide one final, most importantly, exceptional experience as we assist in making this time as glorious as possible.

For the family, during this untimely adventure, we witness the best and worst in people. Family members may be caught off guard with what’s taking place. There may be guilt for feeling like we’re collectively giving up. There are people to call, in places that may not be close. There are plans that need to be made, documents to be found and organized. There’s an end-of-life gathering that needs to be planned. Wishes to be fulfilled on a life that has reached the last page of its story. The end is overwhelming.

Did anyone ask Charlie what would make his day, today? 

There are extraordinary ways to make someone smile. 

It becomes a bit challenging if our primary subject is bedbound, or cannot physically endure a trip of any length. However, if we think a little bit outside of the box, there are services available that will make someone’s day extraordinary.

For the family, there are services available to make their lives a touch easier, by having the ability to provide that one last wish to their loved one and permanently securing their memories into a place that feels comfortable.

HospicePass provides that gateway to all things extraordinary for anything related to hospice and palliative care.

For example:

• For the person on hospice - fulfilling a last wish, hope or dream.

• For the hospice agency - providing access to a world of services beyond the most important part - managing one’s health, physical and mental.

• For the families - introducing them to products and services that will secure the memories of their loved ones for eternity.

• For the healthcare professionals - offering gifts, love and support for all of the care you provide, your dedication and hard work.

Welcome to the HospicePass Community. 

You are receiving this because we have worked together in the past in some capacity and we wanted to share this new adventure with you and your tribe.

Charlie’s last request

His mind was still sharp and the memories were clear and concise. His hospice nurse overheard him say, “If I could take a trip down Highway 1 to Big Sur to see a sunset one last time. That will take a miracle.” Charlie could not endure a 5-hour drive to fulfill his wish. Understanding what HospicePass can do, his nurse reached out to ask if this was possible.

The next day, Charlie had an opportunity to embrace technology from his home. He traveled down Highway 1, made a stop in Redwood National Park, stopped by the bay where the sea elephants lay, and parked himself on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean watching the most glorious sunset imaginable. An hour of virtual bliss allowing a lifetime of memories to flow through as he knew the end was near. Charlie passed peacefully the next morning. A monarch butterfly, perched on the bedroom window sill, waited to guide the way.

HospicePass

Your gateway, your marketplace, your hub for making the end-of-life journey extraordinary.

We uncover new things each and everyday. Want to know what Charlie’s “Virtual Bliss” may have been - we know and can make the introduction. There are products available that can help families understand what is happening. Products that can open the door to the type of communication required to make someone’s last wishes recognized on their terms.

There is new medical equipment, beds, wheelchairs, walkers, O2 concentrators and POC’s that are quiet - and work. There are transport companies willing and able to move patients to and from their wishful destination safely and securely.

There are services that can assist families with collecting memories, uploading them and attaching them to QR Codes on placards. Scan the QR Code with your phone and those photos, videos come to life. As the boomer generation ages, they will be looking for alternative ways to move thru the last chapters of their lives. Being in hospice puts you in the center of these conversations with the people you care for and their families.

HospicePass is that resource and will assist in making the connection between the questions, the wishes, the answers to anything that could be.

These conversations are never easy. In fact, they can be uncomfortable and awkward at best. This is the last thing anyone wants to think about, but the most important conversations to have prior to leaving this planet.

Most importantly, our mission is to make the experience as exceptional as possible. This is only the beginning. If you believe that this newsletter may be helpful to your staff, to your referring physicians, to your social workers, we’d greatly appreciate you passing this along so they can receive upcoming issues in the future.

Feel free to email us at: [email protected] anytime for questions, comments, in search of, anything, anytime.

Until next time - make the last request exceptional!