Autumn Burden
Apr 2026
My father went into hospice care on October 22, 2025. At first they seemed great and caring. The day my father died, early in the morning he suffered a stroke making him nonverbal and incoherent. We had a nurse come out and evaluate his condition. Knowing that I was on his living will and legally able to make medical decisions on his behalf, after much consideration I called to ask to change him from a full code to DNR because those were wishes that he discussed with me. They refused to change him to a DNR, even with paperwork in hand that he filled while of able mind and body. Once my father passed around noon on October 25, 2025 I called to inform them that he was gone. It took at least 2 hours for a nurse to respond, once she came and it was time for him to be cleaned up I asked if I should leave the room if she’d be undressing him, she responded with “Well no, I was hoping to have some help” okay, then you should have brought another nurse with you. I just witnessed my father take his last breath and they’re so unprepared to even do their job. My aunt thankfully stepped in because she was able to read the room and realized I was very close to cussing this nurse out. While she was destroying my father’s medication, she reached out to the coroner was very condescending, and almost placed blame onto me for my father’s death. I asked if his diabetes could have contributed to his stroke, she then held up a medication stating it was used to prevent blood clots and that he should’ve been taking it. I checked my records along with my cousins because her and I both were doing our best at medication management and my father took everything he was supposed to as scheduled. The entire experience has left a bad taste in my mouth and I’m now finally in a spot to voice what occurred without it coming from a complete place of anger.
