This isn’t technically related to working in EMS, but it’s something that only those of us in the industry would know.

My grandfather is a bear of a man, and he had a huge impact on me growing up. He is now in his 90s and his kidneys are going. Doctors say he might have a couple years left, but placed him in a SNF for a few months, and he has a good chance of not making it out.

I’ve transported enough patients in and out of those places to know what it means to be there. My family visits him a few times a week, but I refuse to go because I don’t want to see him that way, even if he passes before he gets out.

As EMS providers, have you ever experienced this, and if so how did you cope with it?

Edit: I was careless with my wording and it can be interpreted as being callous. This is coming from a place of distress, not from carelessness. Leading up to this SNF stay I put a lot of emotional and physical effort into caring for and seeing my grandfather. As he declined it became tougher and tougher to the point where I really didn’t know how I would handle it. I am reaching out to the community here because lot of my hesitation has come from my experiences in the field, and I feel that this perspective will really help.

Edit: These comments have been so helpful. I will absolutely go and visit him, and hopefully overcome my apprehension towards SNFs, because eventually more of my loved ones will be there.