By Marguerite Janto and Jessica Kelly
When a loved one is nearing the end of life, it can seem like the whole world is falling apart. It’s a time of complex emotions, difficult decisions and lots of anxiety.
Fortunately, professionals in the field of hospice care can help navigate those challenges.
Hospice centers like St. Ann’s Leo Center for Caring focus on making a person’s final days as peaceful and comfortable as possible.
It’s about managing symptoms, relieving pain and creating a peaceful place of physical, emotional and spiritual comfort.
It’s also about supporting the entire family, helping them have the most meaningful experience possible during a difficult time.
While hospice is end-of-life care, it doesn’t necessarily mean the person will die right away. Doctors typically recommend hospice when they believe someone will no longer respond to curative treatment (efforts to cure their illness) but instead would benefit from comfort care. They also recommend it when a patient likely has six months or less to live, although a person may outlive that expectation.
Every end-of-life journey is different. Hospice staff recognize this and work to accommodate what each person needs on their journey. We monitor symptoms and administer medication to relieve pain and distress; we also provide an environment where patient and family can share a deeply personal experience with comfort and support.
If it means making breakfast for family members who stay the night, we do that. If it means fulfilling a patient’s wish to have his two greyhounds at his bedside, we make that happen (true story). If it means decorating our lounge for a family birthday celebration, that’s what we’ll do. Whatever someone would want if they were in their own home, that’s what we work to provide.
[On a personal note, we also remind ourselves that one day our own grandchildren may be in this situation as our lives come to an end. We’d want nothing less than compassion, understanding and sensitivity from the people supporting them, and that inspires us to do the same.]
The physical layout of many hospice centers adds to that feeling of “home.” At the Leo Center, for example, every room is a private room, ensuring peace and dignity. There are amenities for family members who stay overnight, including lounge areas with comfortable furniture and a private bathroom with shower. Our full kitchen is well stocked and open 24 hours for preparing meals and enjoying snacks. And our outdoor patio gives everyone a breath of fresh air. It’s all about offering comfort during a difficult time.
Of course, the medical expertise of hospice professionals is second to none. Hospice nurses are highly trained in end-of-life care, symptom and pain management and the complex needs of terminally ill patients. Nursing staff are on site at all times, including certified nursing assistants who perform vital bedside care such as bathing, feeding, and repositioning patients.
The full care team also includes doctors, nurse managers, social workers, dietitians and pastoral care professionals, all working together to address the needs of patients and families.
In our many years working in hospice care, we’ve been blessed to meet many amazing people. It’s a joy to be told, “You guys are like family to us,” or to have someone continue to visit long after their spouse has died because of the bond that formed between us. It’s rewarding when they recognize we care about them not just medically but personally. That’s the highest compliment anyone in our field can receive…and it’s why we do what we do.
Marguerite Janto, nurse manager, and Jessica Kelly, licensed practical nurse, are on the staff of the Leo Center for Caring at St. Ann’s Community. For more information, call 585-563-3723.