The death hall

I guess I never really thought that a rehab hall in a nursing home with end up being the death ward. I know residents die in nursing homes, more frequently in some, than others. But I guess I never really thought about it when I came here.

At my previous facility there was a death every three to six months. But, that could vary depending on how many residents were on hospice and declining. So, sometimes it was more often than every few months. And there, like every nursing home, deaths came in threes, just like the clock.

But when I came here I thought most rehab folks were coming here after surgery: hip replacements, knee replacements, shoulder replacements, cardiac bypass surgery, and stroke recovery. But I was wrong. They also have hospice residents on the rehab hall. I didn't know that at first, because I didn't know which residents were on hospice.

I don't think I was here very long before a resident died. I suppose if it was mentioned at all, I had no idea who the resident was. I also noticed that there were many elderly residents who were declining. I think it would be difficult coming to work every day wondering which resident would be next to pass.

When a resident is dying, with or without hospice, each facility has amenities available for family members. At my first facility, the dying resident's family got a cart with a carafe of coffee, and condiments, along with different snacks, and fruit. That cart was replenished frequently during the day.

Here, the facility has a hall cart available all the time with hot coffee and hot water for tea/hot chocolate. The facility provides snack foods, candy, and a guest tray, if requested, by the dying resident's family. There's also a soft drink dispenser in the dining room available gratis to anyone.

To me, it seems the quiet is different here when someone is dying. It's as if the silence is pervasive. There seems to be no sound of life nearby, even in the hallways. A few days ago when a female resident was passing, I didn't even hear laughter.

All of this makes me a little sad. I know that death happens, every day, and will happen to all of us. But that doesn't make me want to ponder it on a mild, sunny, late November Saturday.