Seeking Advice: Hosting a Cooking Show During Grandma's Hospice Care

[mrshamel3808]

Hi all,

My grandma was just sent home from the hopsital on hospice care. The dr. gave her a couple days to a week. The family is all at peace with her passing as she's been very close for a few years and her quality of living was so poor. My question is this...

I have a show scheduled for this Saturday. I'm e-mailing my entire cluster to see if someone can be "on call" to cover for me if my grandma passes between now and then. This host won a free cooking show in a drawing I did over Christmas. So I don't know whether to tell the consultant they have to pay for the ingredients or I would. Also, I REALLLLLLLY need the bookings. I've read quite a few opinions on here about whether you give the consultant who fills in for you all the bookings or half or none, just all the sales...etc but I never payed too much attention because I wasn't in a situation that required I had an opinion I was thinking maybe saying I'd either pay for the ingredients for them and keep the bookings of they could pay for the ingredients and keep the bookings. But I don't want to sound like I'm manipulating them. HELP! I'd like to e-mail them all ASAP so I know I'm covered if I need to be.

 

[raebates]

My thought is that if someone from your cluster lets you know that they can cover for you if necessary, talk this over with them. Because of the circumstances, they'll probably be pretty understanding.

 

[Grandmarita]

With today being Thurs., most likely you would not be having a funeral til the third day after her death. It might even be an extra day if she will be cremated. So, it would seem that you are safe to keep your show, unless you want to be available for a bedside vigil. I have been a Hospice volunteer, and my own Mom was a hospice patient. One of the signs we watched for with my Mom was when her circulation began to shut down. Her toes began to darken, she no longer verbalized, and slipped into a labored breathing. I sat with her for the final 48 hours, and she was at peace. It was a blessing to be with her for those final hours.If your heart will not be in the Show, can you just sacrifice all, to have it covered, or ask the hostess to postpone it? Offer to call her guests, and pray you can do it on the new date.I will be praying for all of you. Life seems to stand still, at times like this.

 

[mrshamel3808]

I don't think I could do the show if she passes before. If she doesn't, I'm planning on telling my mom to not call me between 4-10 on Saturday so I don't find out right before or during. I like the advice about discussing it with whoever says they'll take it. if it's my director or even my recruit (a good friend) then I may ask to keep the bookings; if it's someone I don't know as well I might not ask.

 

[wadesgirl]

I personally would hand the show over to them bookings and all. While there maybe some people there who want to book a show already there might be some that book the show just because of her.

 

[Sheila]

I had a stomach virus and was vomiting one night & had to give up a show. I gave up the whole thing, sales & bookings. It was my new recruit who took it, so her having sales did help me as the Sr. Consultant. But she went & recruited the hostess! LOL So she let the Hostess have the show as her first one to help her get up & off the ground AND let the hostess have all the bookings.I think you should just talk it over with the hostess & see if she wants you to find a replacement consultant or if she wants to postpone. If she would like to keep the date, then I would explain the situation to your replacement and be ready to give up everything to the other consultant unless they volunteer to share due to the extenuating circumstances. After all, they are jumping through hoops to help accommodate you at the last minute.

 

[pampered1224]

Sheila is right. You need to discuss it with your host first. She may not want someone else to do the party and it is a decision that effects her as well so do not disrespect her by not asking her first. And given the circumstances I bet she would be more than willing to wait for you. That way no one looses anything.

 

[baychef]

Great advice, John. My Dad had to have an emergency heart stent put in a few years back. I called the host and asked her if she still wanted to do the party. She said yes and I did get someone to cover. Lost contact with the host and handed it all over to the consultant that did the party.

{{{{{{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}
for you, your family and your Grandma. What a loving family to be with her.

I worked in two different nursing homes over a 10 year period and it was always reassuring when the families were there.

 

[cookingwith_tara]

I would tell the host what is going on and then be sure to give her the option of rescheduling or using another consultant.

Once, I had a family emergency to deal with and could not do the show I had scheduled the next day. I Called the host the day before and told her I could get someone to do the show for me or we could just reschedule. She said why couldnt' she just do it without me. She has almost everything and she's like one of my top hosts so she's seen a ton of shows. And she didn't want to cancel because she had so many people coming. She didn't want to use another consultant b/c she didn't want me to miss out on my commission or the 2 bookings she had already secured (I love her :blushing

Ever since I've been asking her to become a consultant but she always says no. I respect her answer but continue to ask whenever she hosts.

When I give a show to another consultant I give them everything, too. The sales and bookings and recruiting. It just feels like the right thing to do, for me.