Goodbye Oldest Blogger on Earth

It is with great sadness that we announce that our mother Elvira S. Oliver passed away on December 29, 2010 under the care of Hospice after an illness of 5 months. She was severely aenemic and could only survive longer if she had frequent blood transfusions. She choose, rather than to go on further, to ignore her need for hemoglobin and to die what she hoped would be a peaceful death. Learning about Hospice Care she wished to die at home with nursing care and so choose Hospice which is paid for under Medicare and provided Beth, Helen and Linda to her as her devoted and loving nurses. In addition, at the end she was cared for by Johana Afume her 24 hour live-in aid from Visiting Nurse Association, an angel with great patience and tolerance, Elvira was livid about her loss of independence. Johana was paid for under Medicaid.

More than anything she wished to continue blogging until she could do it no longer. Unfortunately that was sooner than she would have liked because she develped a blood clot in her eye and eventually became totally blind. She wanted to type her own blog as she had always done, and we argued with her that she should allow someone to take her dictation and type it in for her. She would not agree, but right before she became totally incapacitated she wanted to try, but she could not see the buttons on the taperecorder and so could not continue blogging.

Elvira entered a nursing home briefly (5 days) but left because she was the only alert patient in a subacute section. Her needs were ignored. They didn't come to take her to the commode. (She could still walk with assistance) They left her to go in her pants because that is what all the others would do. They didn't give her her eye medication which was to prevent infection and keep the pressure low in her eye and the relieve the irritable scratchiness she felt, even though she had become totally blind only two weeks before. They didn't help feed her every meal, although she could barely eat on her own. And they ignored her need to remain as self-directing as possible.

Hospice ( in which the Federal Government is planning sadistic cuts, along with all other homecare) provided for her need to maintaiin her dignity and remain self-directing. They provided medication (morphine) to ease her pain from a terrible bedsore which became an awfully deep wound (from staying in her waste in the nursing home.) It also relieved the pain from the difficulty breathing of congestive heart failure. They provided assistance in getting to the commode as long as she could walk, and diapers with frequent changes after that. They provided moral support, humor, compassion and love and kept her spirits up until the end.

She wanted everybody to know how she enjoyed blogging and how it gave her a purpose as she rounded the corner into a new century of life. She especially enjoyed the comments she received and waited anxiously for new ones. Mom wanted to die in her own home and refused to be cared for outside her home as she realized that nursing homes are not equipped to provide a high level of care to those who are dying. Hospice was able to make her wish come true.

She died peacfully with one of her dear nurses, Beth, at her side.

To all her friends and followers. Thank you providing enjoyment and meaning to her at the end of her long life. We know she watching from up there to see who is the next Oldest Blogger.