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“Hospice” can be a scary word. My impression of hospice care, for example, came from watching my grandpa slowly die in a hospital bed that was in his living room when I was eight years old. So, when Dr. Chiang told me our first patient of the day, Betty, had “graduated from hospice last year,” I was confused.
“Betty” (the patient’s name has been changed for privacy), 87, reminded me so much of my grandmother. She opened the door to Dr. Chiang, his medical assistant, Nicole Shanley, MA, and me with a spring in her step. I was shocked that this was the same woman Dr. Chiang had said was receiving hospice care a year ago. He even exclaimed when he saw her, “My mind is going back to the first visit... look at you now, I’m so happy for you!”
Betty is happy, too. We talked about her experience with home-based primary care while Nicole and Dr. Chiang took her vitals and began their visit. Betty noted that her desire for the rest of her days is “quality of life, not quantity.”
Despite her struggles last year, Betty is doing great...
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