Detroit Hospice Volunteer Interview (Podcast) with Frances Shani Parker: Patient Advocacy, Nursing Homes, Acceptance of Death

You can listen to this Detroit Today podcast interview hosted by Craig Fahle at WDET 101.9 FM Radio.

The following conversation is from Becoming Dead Right. It is an example of a hospice patient’s acceptance of death that I refer to in the Detroit radio interview above. The patient is having this discussion with me:

“How old did you tell me I was?”

“You’re ninety-nine, and you’ll be a hundred years old on your next birthday.”
“A hundred years old is too old. I don’t think I want to be that old.”

“There are three other ladies in this nursing home who are older than that. One is a hundred three. We talked to her last week during your wheelchair ride.”

“How much longer will it be before I make a hundred? I don’t know if I want to wait too much longer.”

“It’s only one more month. I remember you said you had spiritual talks with your minister. If you decide to wait, I’ll get you a big balloon that looks like a birthday cake.”

“I guess I could wait. Yes, I think I will wait. That way I can celebrate my hundredth birthday. When I do get to heaven, I can tell everybody I lived to be one hundred.” And that’s exactly what she did.

Praise for Frances Shani Parker's book Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes from Roger Woodruff, Director of Palliative Care, International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care, Austin Health, Melbourne, Australia

"A school principal turned hospice volunteer, Frances Shani Parker relates her experiences with dying people in nursing homes. The second part of the book is about what we as individuals and as a society must do to improve things for those who are dying. I particularly enjoyed the guided tour, conducted from a wheelchair, of Baby Boomer Haven."

Frances Shani Parker, Author

Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes is available in paperback at many booksellers and in e-book form at Amazon and Barnes and Noble booksellers.
Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog

Hospice and Nursing Homes Interview (Podcast) with Frances Shani Parker, Author of “Becoming Dead Right”

With the publication of my book, “Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes,” I understand now why other authors refer to this occasion as giving birth. There was definitely a great deal of labor involved with many new people, experiences, and lessons learned along the way. As with any birth, this milestone represents a beginning that continues to evolve with time.

It is my hope that “Becoming Dead Right” will encourage more death conversations, empower the reluctant, and bring visions of overlooked death-related plans into reality. I want this offspring of mine to support caregivers, share perspectives of diverse people, and foster intergenerational partnerships. Most of all, I want my progeny to improve healthcare and nursing homes for everyone, especially the elderly and terminally ill. I want a lot. A parent should.

I thank everyone who supported me throughout this process. You were my standing ovations when I didn’t know when, where, or why you were clapping. Writing is such a solitary activity, it’s easy to get swept away by inner images and voices. But I know and honor who you are.

“Becoming Dead Right,” a guide to scenic routes leading to successful end-of-life journeys, can be purchased at my Web site, Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble bookstores, and other booksellers.

You can listen to a podcast interview with Jake D. Steele and me at www.AuthorsAudio.com.

Frances Shani Parker, Author
"Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes”
Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog