The idea behind this policy is we do not want any patients or their loved ones to receive any surprises if there is something that we can do about it. We don’t want anyone to be surprised that they are deteriorating. We don’t want anyone to be surprised that their loved ones are dying. This is to give people as much warning as possible if major change is occurring. Signalling transition points allows a person to have some choice in their situation.

No surprise, if their situation is worsening and their condition is deteriorating. They need to know what is going on and/or their family need to know.
If they are told their time is limited then this can colour the choices that they make. What will they do with their precious time? Will they continue pursuing treatments of dubious benefit? Or will they spend their time and energy on completing important tasks with their family?

It doesn’t really matter what they choose, what matters is to offer them the opportunity to make their own choices in whatever situation they end up in. The uncertainty and loss of control in their end-of-life situation are hard for anyone to tolerate. If I can bring some order to their increasingly chaotic situation, it may make a significant difference.

No surprises for staff and volunteers either. How we treat people is important. If you were in the patient’s situation how would you feel? We want to give them as much advance warning as possible. Unfortunately, we don’t always get warnings ourselves. Sudden deterioration in hospice patients can happen at any time. We will try our best to let loved ones know if death is imminent. Sometimes despite the family’s 24/7 vigil, they might miss out on the moment of death. Some people just want to be alone when it is time to die, they want to spare their loved ones from the final moments. One patient couldn’t leave as the love in the room from their family was holding her there.

No surprises if someone is needing to be discharged, to be transferred to another care facility. We will give the patient and their family fair warning of any pending transfer of care.