Lynn, I feel for you -- I was in a similar position less that two years ago. My dad was in the hospital when my mom passed. He went in and out of the hospital twice more before being put into hospice. Graywings, this is neither the time nor the place to discuss the pros and cons of hospice care or even the extent to which insurance dictates treaments and medication choices. Let's save that for other discussions and give justgottabeme our support. Justgottabeme, I think the choice to accept hospice must be a very difficult thing. I know it hit my dad and me like a ton of bricks, but he accepted it the first time the doctor suggested it. Truth is that he was already in the early stage of dying when we went into the ER that last time. He was in heart failure, kidney failure and liver failure. As he went into hospice, he accepted help he hadn't before and the meds they gave him in the hospital seemed to kick in. He rallied for a bit. While he was in the hospital and ICU, the nurses didn't say it, but they didn't deny it when I told them what I was reading between the lines was that he might not make it home. Whatever was behind that rally, he did make it home, he got a visit from two of my cousins (their mother and his sister passed about a month before my mom and he had not been able to see her or to attend the funeral). They cooked for him the way their mother and his had made things. He loved it. He got to visit with lots of family and friends, call others and reach out. Most importantly, he got a chance to meet with people and get a veteran's memorial stirred up and moving -- it had been a struggling effort for 7 years. It got moving and the statue was dedicated last November on Veterans Day -- just over 6 months after he passed. He was able to go over things with me so he was assured I could follow his final wishes. One of those may have changed another life. He had almost a month and so much that was important and meaningful happened in that time. And he was definitey more comfortable being at home. He never gave up -- but he did accept more help, including a group of firemen to help move him from his wheelchair to the bed the last time he made that move. The head of that crew knew my nephew, who is also a firefighter, and he knew many folks in the volunteer fire department my dad and brother helped start. I was so afraid my dad would be embarrassed and angry, but he was comforted by their assistance and delighted in the memories. As said above, hospice may be the most life affirming choice. How can each day be a gift if you are in a strange place or in agony? I hope Jeannie and her family will have positives to reflect on too.

Sunday afternoon ... voted (again) ... don't know whether I can make it one more time, prior to 10 a.m. Pacific time, tomorrow ... ... when the curtain comes down! Looks as though the agencies seeking support cover a wide area - nationwide? (In a furrin nation to mine, that is). ole joyful

bpath-My dad was under hospice care for over a year before he died. He already lived in a skilled nursing facility, and hospice was adjunct care. He had congestive heart failure and made the decision that he did not want to continue taking medications except comfort ones. Medicare covered his hospice care 100%. The doctor at his facility would request extensions from Medicare, and they were granted. I am sorry you are having to make these decisions, but we found the hospice staff and nurses to be wonderful. They knew when his time was near, so one of my brothers, my mom and I were able to get there and be with him when he took his last breath. They even offered us free grief counseling after he died. I am thinking of you and praying for the best outcome in a difficult situation. Hugs.

fwiw, our vet office said they are busier now with CV and people working from home. I guess they are taking the time to make their pets appointments, and/or around their pets more so they see things that are wrong with them. Sorry you are going through this. It is hard. I started using a mobile vet when we moved two years ago. She was wonderful. As (bad) luck would have it, we lost three pets in a year. She did at home euthanasia and if that can be considered wonderful, it was. Less stress for me and our pets. She has gone to work full time at one of our ERs, but said she would come back for that service when I needed for our remaining three. A local vet office bought her mobile unit, but they do not do at home euthanasia.