Mom has been receiving hospice services for a few weeks now, and from my seat, it’s going really well.
Mom, on the other hand, feels like they are there too much and paying too much attention to her. I actually like it for those very reasons. The extra set of medical eyes on her each week gives me a level of mental peace I didn’t fully realize I was missing.
That peace was briefly shaken this week.
I received a call from the hospice company that started with,
“We understand your mom is back in the hospital.”
Wait. WHAT?
Back in the hospital? I didn’t know she went to the hospital.
Cue the immediate panic. I’m calling the care home, running through scenarios in my head, bracing for news I wasn’t ready for. It turns out they had the wrong patient and had called the wrong family. An honest mistake.
And honestly? I’m not mad.
Hospice wouldn’t have been the ones to notify me if she had gone to the hospital anyway. They were simply following up on information they had received, doing exactly what they are supposed to do.
Was it scary for a minute? Absolutely.
But here’s the bigger takeaway: now I know they will follow up. They will call. There are systems and people paying attention. That matters more than a momentary scare.
When your mom is 89, every call from a caregiver carries weight. You never know what’s on the other end of the line. That’s just the reality of loving someone at this stage of life.
The good news, and the part that really matters most, is this:
Mom is still doing well.
She is warm.
She is fed.
She is cared for.
She is thriving.
At this stage, that’s not a small thing. That’s everything.
As always, thank you for following along on this journey with me. And if you’re walking a similar path with an aging parent, know this: wanting more eyes, more care, and more support isn’t overreacting. It’s love.