My husband has been sick for some time and is beginning to fail. Neither he nor I want any heroics. I’ve begun to worry what I should do if he were to die at home?
A: A little advanced planning can make this difficult time very manageable. One scenario would involve a local hospice provider. Your husband would qualify for hospice care if he were certified by a physician to have a life expectancy of less than six months. Under these circumstances, the hospice would know in advance your funeral home of choice, and following the pronouncement by a physician of your husband’s death (typically after the MD is contacted by the bedside nurse) his body would be transported at that time.
In the absence of hospice care, you may need to call an ambulance to your home. The paramedics may be able to confirm the presence of death and then relay that information to a physician for the pronouncement. If they are unsure, they will transport him to the hospital where the pronouncement can be made.
Most importantly, this requires some discussion between you and your husband, as well as other family members as needed. A delay could result in additional and needless suffering.
