A Prayer for Hospice Care

Listen to me read this prayer.

Father of mercies, Comfort of the afflicted,

Walk with us through this dark valley

As we walk our loved one home to You.

Strengthen us to bear up under the dual weights of caregiving and grief.

Receive the service we render her 

As an oblation poured out at the feet of Jesus.

Let Your compassion flow through us

In care that honors her dignity as Your child,

Made in Your image.

Make us know Your presence in our most secret hearts.

Catch our tears in Your bottle,

As we grieve what we have lost and are losing

And we anticipate the loss to come.

Give us Your Spirit of gentleness with each other

Despite nerves frayed by sorrow and fatigue.

Bless the helpers You have sent us for their kindness and care.

Let Your presence and peace settle upon our loved one too, Lord.

Grant her a painless transition to Your presence

When the tally of her days is complete.

Thank You for the hope of the resurrection

And the life of the world to come.

Mercifully hear our prayer through the name of the risen Christ our Savior.

Amen.

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As you may know, my mother's health has been declining due to Alzheimer's and other issues over the last decade but especially since the pandemic started. A fall at home towards the end of January initially appeared to be minor, but it led to a hospital stay and discharge to home hospice at the beginning of February.

For the last 2 months we have been on a steep learning curve with changes in medication and caregiving responsibilities and the necessity of hospice staff coming and going on somewhat unpredictable schedules.

We are very thankful that the hospice staff has accommodated our N95 requests. We are thankful Mom's pain is well-controlled with minimal intervention. We give thanks that my husband works from home with the flexibility and willingness of heart to drop everything and go help my parents in the middle of the day or last thing in the evening when that has been needed. It is beautiful to watch his gentle kindness with my mother and how her face lights up when she sees him.

We recognize God's mercies in this trial, and it is also hard. We are grieving the Mom we have already lost and are losing and are soon to lose completely in the land of the living. In our grief, we also hope. We hope with Easter longing for the return of Christ and the raising of His people's transformed bodies to dwell with Him forever. We hope for the coming day with no more tears, no more pain, no more death, no more sorrow, when we will be with the Lord together with our precious Mom, restored to herself and even more glorious than she was at her earthly peak.

We thank; we grieve; we hope; we labor to care for one who has spent her life caring for others.

If you are the praying sort, please pray for our strength, health, wisdom, and comfort. Please pray for God's provision of all the support and resources we need to keep Mom at home until her last breath.

Courage, dear hearts.