I known many people who've used EMDR after experiencing multiple traumas, it's just my understanding the client only works on one episode at a time. However, I'm not quite sure if what you're referring to has individual episodes you found traumatic: that would be where the EMDR came into use, I don't know of it being used for general long term difficult situations, but rather high-impact episodes. My limited understanding, for example, would suggest that if he died in a difficult way, that experience, that specific traumatic memory of the time of his death, would be something you could work on processing, moreso than the overall span of time where his health declined, which of course was difficult, just different than the type of event I've ever heard of EMDR being used to treat.

Anyhow, I'm quite concerned about doing trauma work with non-trauma-centered therapists. I've heard many horror stories, and EMDR can be difficult, disturbing work.