Angels On Earth

I have no idea how they do it, but hospice nurses and staff are literally angels walking around in the flesh. The gratitude I feel towards them is enormous.

When we decided on hospice care, we had the sweetest intake nurse come to our house. She spent the time we needed with her. She ordered all of the equipment and answered all of our questions. My husband’s medicines were at the house within hours. The equipment was at home in the next day or two. She told us about being able to call their overnight nurse for help administering them.

During the last days of his life, when his cancer was taking over his brain, my husband had some moments of stubbornness and meanness. Of course, they were almost always with our nurse. She would come in ready to do all the things to take care of him and he would say, “No, no, no.” She would ask him all the questions, do the triage, and still be so patient and kind to him. She would joke with him and take it all in stride. She would then empathize with me as I was overwhelmed by sadness in slowly losing him and seeing his mental capacity slip away. Through all of the services we received, we were treated with the greatest honor and dignity.

One of the blessings of living across town from where we lived when he passed away is that I can walk across the street to a remembrance garden that they have at the back of their building. My bereavement group starts and ends each session with a moment of honoring those we loved and lost. They host city-wide events throughout the year for this purpose too. Grief services are provided free for families of those who lost their loved ones in hospice but they also provide grief support for community members who are referred to them. I have felt safe, heard, and cared for in one-on-one counseling and my group.

In such a heavy time in our lives, we were shown empathy, care, kindness, dignity, and patience. For this, I am eternally grateful.