When it was obvious that Rita could not express herself enough to indicate if she was uncomfortable or in pain, she was placed under hospice care. A hospice team consisting of a physician, nurses, nurse's aides, social workers and a chaplain were assigned to her to provide the care and comfort she needed. I was comforted by the fact that there were now more eyes watching over her and more hands providing consoling touches of care.
Rita finally lost her battle on August 2, 2008. Somewhere, those Scottish bagpipes were calling her back home. I know that I did not do everything right in caring for Rita, but I guess that this is only human. We gave it all we had, but with no cure yet for Alzheimer's, "all" is never enough.
Rita, you will be missed!
Many thanks to Don Franklin for sharing his story with us. I think we would all agree that Rita was very lucky to have him as her caregiver, spouse and best friend.
Note: This story is not meant to be taken as medical advice; it is the story of one family's journey through Alzheimer's disease.
