Letting Someone Know They're Not Alone Is No Small Thing

Dad’s Last Words I was my father’s caregiver during the last two years of his life. Because of his dementia, he alternated between episodes of confusion and relative mental clarity. At the end of his life, he was in hospice care, but still at home. On the last evening of his life, he was lying in his bed. I put a cool, wet washcloth on his forehead and said softly, “I right here, Dad.” “That’s the problem,” he said. Surprised, I asked him, “Why is that a problem?” “Because you should not have to be taking care of me.” He finally said what he had been thinking during our two years together. He was a very proud, self-reliant man, and it must have weighed heavily on him to realize that he needed help. “Oh, Dad,” I said. “This is why I wanted you to be with us – so that I could be here with you now.” He never said another word, but a tear ran down his left cheek.