Episode 23: A talk with Ashley Gower who is a Registered Nurse and Director of Hospice at Hospice of the Cherokee in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.
Within the hospice care setting, the looming reality of a patient’s death can be extremely hard for both patients and family members to accept. This is the time when many difficult decisions must be made regarding treatments that will benefit the patient in their last weeks or months, often bringing quality of life concerns into play. Ashley Gower and her team at Hospice of the Cherokee step in at this time to provide guidance for patients and families confronting those tough decisions and helping them adapt to painful end of life realities.
Therefore, Ashley’s team is there to help the patient and family as they struggle to adjust to the reality they’re facing. Their primary responsibility is to the patient and making sure their wishes are honored. These wishes aren’t always in accordance with the family’s wishes. They must maintain a focus on the patient’s preferences and respecting their autonomy while at the same time supporting the family as they navigate a process they have likely never been through before.