TESTIMONIALS AND THANKS 2013
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May 13, 2013—Arthur Hooven, CCH|Camp Hill, PA. I’d like to begin by giving you a little of my father’s health history. He had his first heart attack at the age of 32. Through the years, he had been hospitalized and treated many times for chest pain and angina; had vascular stents placed in his extremities and had heart bypass surgery. Mother later told me that anytime he was a little late in coming home, she had a fear that he had another heart attack and would die leaving her with alone with their children.
Last June, he was hospitalized with severe dehydration and deconditioning after collapsing at home. He was subsequently placed in a nursing facility for strengthening rehabilitation. After about 2 months, the doctor called us in to inform us that he was actually getting weaker and there was no more that could be done for him. We were told that Hospice could become involved, either in the facility or we could take him home and have Hospice come into the home. We knew he was very unhappy being in a facility and I always said that, if at all possible, I would care for my parents at home as I have a medical background. Therefore, there was no question that we would take him home.
Even though I have a medical background, I did not realize that Hospice was available for patients that had conditions other than cancer. Compassionate Care Hospice was recommended to us by the social worker at the nursing facility. From our very first contact with them, we were very impressed with the caring, sensitive attitude that was shown to us by each person involved.
First, a nurse came to my parent’s home to explain how Hospice works and what would be available to help in dad’s care. We were given printed materials which explained their services and she answered any questions we had. We were not pressured to decide immediately, but were given time to discuss the situation with our family and what would be needed to help my mother in the care of dad. Let me add here that part of the problem with dad’s health condition was that he had, in addition to a weakening heart, dementia due to severe vascular disease. This made his care a bit more trying for my mother. Therefore, just knowing that there would be someone, other than family, that would come in for a few hours each day during the week to help with his care, was very reassuring to her.
A hospice nurse went to the facility to evaluate dad medically to see that he was eligible for hospice care. There was a nurse, a cardiac nurse practitioner, an aide, and a social worker assigned to dad’s case.
On the same day that we brought dad home, a nurse from Compassionate Care Hospice came to the house to introduce herself to dad and check his vital signs. She went over dad’s medications with us and answered our questions.
An aide came into the home each day to assist dad with bathing and dressing and she even assisted mom with some small household duties if needed, encouraged her to get out to do errands or just go for a cup of coffee and most importantly, just sat and talked with her.
The nurse assigned to his case, came in at least once a week and anytime that there was a problem or question that developed in the course of his care. She would evaluate his medications, vital signs and care and consult the hospice physician when necessary. Brenda, the cardiac connections nurse practitioner came in to evaluate his heart function with a thorough examination every few weeks as necessary. This was done with abdominal girth and arm muscle measurements in addition to evaluation of his vital signs. Recommendations were made as needed for his continued care. Each of these care givers were in constant communication with each other which provided consistency in dad’s care.
The most reassuring aspect of the Hospice program was that mom received a call from Compassionate Care Hospice every day to check if there were any questions or problems. She also had the reassurance that she could call hospice at any time with any questions she may have had.
As his heart became weaker, his circulation and his strength became more compromised and he developed severe skin problems and slept a lot more. The aide was extremely aware of any discomfort he had and was careful during her care of him. We received any and all medications, equipment and supplies that were necessary for his care as his disease progressed, sometimes even on the same day that they were ordered.
When it became apparent that his life was coming to an end, a hospital bed was brought into the home and there were nurses that came in for the overnight hours to care for him so the family could get the rest they needed.
My father passed away at 3 am on December 17th in his own home with his family by his side and a Compassionate Care nurse came within the hour to assist us with all that needed to be done.
The care that was given to him was always done with compassion, understanding and dignity and we will be forever grateful for that care and cannot say enough to praise the work that is being done by Compassionate Care Hospice.—Marilyn Snyder
May 12, 2013—James Pepper Stubblefield Jr., CCH|Kyle, TX. My husband Jimmy was admitted to Compassionate Care Hospice on April16th and the care they showed and gave him was exceptional. Jimmy and I met with Janie the nurse who signed us up and we met also with the wonderful chaplain Sue who called often and came out to pray with me and the social worker Leslie but his nurse, Tauna and CNA Marco went above and beyond in their care for Jimmy. I had to call several times after hours due to conditions that came up with Jimmy and the nurses on call were so comforting and reassuring with either their words of advise to take care of the situation or they would come out.
When Jimmy’s time was ending, I called his nurse Tauna and she came out and stayed with me the whole time and without her comfort, I just don’t know how I could have gone through that. Jimmy was called Home by our Lord and Savior on May 1st. I highly recommend Compassionate Care Hospice because of their reliability, professional care and their compassion to meet all the needs first of the patient and then the family.—Anita Stubblefield
May 11, 2013—Marie R. Swartwood, of Lutherwood and Moosic Lakes, PA. The family wishes to extend a special thanks to Monsignor John Jordan, the Rev. Scott Sterowski, Dr. Mary Ann McDonald, Compassionate Care Hospice and the fifth-floor staff at the Jewish Home.
May 11, 2013—David A. Waxler, of Baden, PA. The family would like to thank the nurses and staff of Compassionate Care Hospice for their kindness and support they provided the family through their difficult time.
May 7, 2013—Charles R. Gallelli, of Norristown, PA. His family is grateful for the care provided by the Simpson Meadows family and Compassionate Care Hospice.
May 5, 2013—Antoinette Marie “Toni” (Gregoire) Vigneaux, of Shrewsbury and York Beach, ME. The Vigneaux family would like to thank the Compassionate Care Hospice tam for the excellent care, compassion and understanding during a difficult time.
May 5, 2013—Durward A. Baker, M.D., of Wauwatosa, WI. Special thanks to the Nicholas, Nygro and Spencer families, as well as Gina Zlotocha, NP of Compassionate Care Hospice for their unparalleled assistance during the last few weeks of Bud’s life.
May 4, 2013—Lillian Rose Poplos, of Middletown, DE. The family wishes to extend a special thank you to the staff of Broadmeadow Healthcare and Compassionate Care Hospice for the excellent care provided to Mrs. Poplos.
May 3, 2013—Joan Shirley McMahon, of Sicklerville, NJ. The family would like to thank Sue, Doris, and Charlene from Compassionate Care Hospice for the wonderful care.
April 30, 2013—Grace Tracy, CCH|Canton, MI. My mother, Grace Tracy, passed away Tuesday evening, April 2, just hours shy of her 97th birthday. I want to share with you how deeply we appreciate all that Compassionate Care Hospice (CCH) did to make that passing as gentle and humane as it could be. We especially want to thank Nurses Monica and Candice, Hospice Aide Tashia, and Community Liaisons Nancy Lesner and Marylynn Schrubba for their compassionate and competent support of Mom and our family.
My sister, Marianne Tracy Blaszczak, arranged with Marylynn for CCH to begin caring for Mom shortly after she returned from her stay at Providence Hospital in Novi on or about March 21. Right away, CCH came to our rescue. The hospital had sent Mom home (to her apartment at Grand Court in Farmington Hills) without her oxygen or catheter! Marianne called CCH, and Monica stayed well past her normal hours to ensure that Mom received the proper equipment and was set up properly with it.
Marianne and her family left for a long-planned vacation in Florida on March 28. CCH called her the morning of March 30 to advise her that Mom was much worse and declining quickly. Rather than have her interrupt her well-earned getaway with her family, I chose to pull ahead my planned visit and flew in from Phoenix to be with Mom that night. My husband joined me two days later, April 1.
Tashia gave Mom plenty of excellent care and tough love – bathing and changing her tenderly despite Mom’s screams of protest, feeding her the food that had been left in sight but not fed to her by the caretakers at Grand Court (ComforCare), following up with us and with Nancy to report the shortfalls in what was being done for Mom when she (Tashia) wasn’t around, giving me tips on how to feed or handle Mom. She took a personal, passionate interest in Mom’s care.
Nancy had been away when Marianne made the original arrangements with CCH, but she wasted no time getting on top of the situation when she returned April 1. She gathered the appropriate Grand Court staff, worked out roles and responsibilities for each of the care teams, and set up a log in an attempt to fix the glaring holes in communications with the Grand Court/ComforCare support team.
Monica visited Mom on Tuesday, analyzed Mom’s status, and told me exactly what I needed to hear. She frankly and gently described what was happening and what would happen. She persuaded me that we were past the point where our attempts to “help” Mom were doing her any good and that, in fact, they could cause her unnecessary discomfort or injury. She gave me the information and gentle support that I needed to begin letting go. Monica was a strong but compassionate angel who saved Mom from our well-intentioned but clumsy ministrations and guided me into helping her in more meaningful ways. Everyone should have a Monica to support them at a critical and painful moment like this. I still thank God every night for the blessing of having Monica to guide and support me through that awful period.
When it became obvious to us that Mom had breathed her last on April 2, we did as instructed and called CCH. Candice arrived later that evening, pronounced her dead, and arranged with the police and funeral home to make all the final dispositions. She was thorough in disposing of Mom’s pain medications and supportive of us (my husband was with me).
In short, we want to thank all the CCH team members who eased Grace Tracy’s passing into her next life and comforted all of us who loved her. This was a difficult process for all of us, of course, and we’re so grateful for the amazing and compassionate support we received from CCH through all of it.—Sincerely and gratefully yours, Kathleen Tracy.
April 27, 2013—James M. Nay Jr., of Bucks County, PA. The family would like to thank the many care givers that ministered to Jim during his illness, The I.C.U. Dept. at Aria Bucks, Compassionate Care Hospice, Bill Farrell, Christopher Knott, Father Eckert, Bill Whelan and the many nurses and physical therapists who went the extra mile.
April 25, 2013—Mildred L. Riley, of Wilmington, DE. The family would like to thank the staff of the ICU unit at Wilmington Hospital and the staff of Compassionate Care Hospice for the excellent care she received.
April 22, 2013—Marie W. Kraybill, of Maytown, PA. In late 2011, Marie moved to Longwood Manor in Maytown, and the family would like to thank the devoted staff at Longwood Manor and Compassionate Care Hospice for their dedicated care.
April 16, 2013—Helen M. Harvison, of Wilmington, DE. The family is grateful for the wonderful care provided by Foulk Manor North and Compassionate Care Hospice.
April 9, 2013—Mother of Cheryl Lenich, CCH|West Allis, WI. Our family was very impressed with the quick service on receiving the necessary equipment to aid us in keeping our mother comfortable. The staff that came to see us and care for our mother were all superb. They explained what we should watch for and answered all our questions. Thank you for your wonderful service. Your company name Compassionate Care is exactly what you provided.—Cheryl Lenich.
April 5, 2013—Esther Grimshaw, CCH|Sparta, NJ. The family of Esther Grimshaw would like to thank Compassionate Care Hospice of Sparta, NJ for the outstanding care that was given to my grandmother. We cannot say enough about their services and staff. We would especially like to acknowledge two individuals that have become very special to us; our home health care aid, Christy G. and Nurse, Noreen N.. We would never have been able to get through this difficult time without these two extraordinary women. They are so caring, special and “compassionate”… and because they thoroughly enjoy what they do, they excel at their jobs and make a difference in the lives of their patients and families. We can never thank them enough for all they have done for my Grandmother as well as the support they have given us.—Michelle Park.
April 2, 2013—Virginia A. “Ginny” Emerson, of DE. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to Compassionate Care Hospice Foundation, 11 Independence Way, Newark, DE 19713 in honor of the exceptional service Ginny was provided by her nurse Stephanie and aide Ann.
April 2, 2013—Kathryn G. Robinson, of Wilmington, DE. The family wishes to thank the staff at Methodist Country House and Compassionate Care Hospice for their wonderful care and help.
March 29, 2013—Mary Krosnar Fetchko, of Steelton, PA. The family would like to thank Compassionate Care Hospice, especially JoAnne, Catherine and Gail, for the wonderful care they provided to our mother.
March 27, 2013—Ronald J. Tate, of Alexandria, LA. The family would also like to extend their thanks and gratefulness to Compassionate Care Hospice of Alexandria for their personal care.
March 23, 2013—Gerald “Jerry” Robinson, of East Deer Township, PA. The family wishes to thank Compassionate Care Hospice for helping Gerald and his family immensely in his final days.
March 15, 2013—Allen F. Tyson, of Levittown, PA. His family would like to thank Compassionate Care Hospice for the excellent care they provided.
March 6, 2013—Helen A. Jorgensen, of Sioux Falls, SD. Special thanks to Touchmark All Saints, Compassionate Care Hospice, Deb and Jeanne.
March 6, 2013—Virginia A. DeMatte (Nelson), of East Vineland, NJ. The family would like to thank Bayada Nursing and Compassionate Care Hospice for their great care and service provided to Virginia.
March 6, 2013—Paul E. Mundt, CCH|Sioux Falls, SD. How does one begin to say Thank You for all you have done? Everyone we experienced in your organization was AWESOME! We especially want to thank: Jayme, Kathy, Shelly and Chaplain John. You will always have a special place in our hearts. Through your care, our dad was able to fulfill his final wishes to pass into the next life comfortably and in peace in the same bedroom he was born in 82+ years earlier. We could not have supported him in this process without all of your help and compassion.—THANK YOU, Chris & Junie Mundt.
March 2, 2013—Wendell Joseph Smith “Smitty”, of Allentown, PA. The family would like to thank Compassionate Care Hospice for their kind support and loving care.
February 23, 2013—William Joseph Gainey, of Camden, SC. A special thank you to Compassionate Care Hospice; Ebony Danzy “His Angel” and especially his aunt Beverly Cassady and many aunts, uncles and cousins.
February 18, 2013—Thelma G. Haddon, of Quakertown, PA. A special thank you to Tracy and Compassionate Care Hospice and to Avis, Cecilia, Colleen, Nicole and Patricia from Eagle Helpers for their tender loving care of Mom as she prepared for her journey home.
February 15, 2013—Sarah K. Hallman, of Langhorne, PA. Memorial contributions may be made to Compassionate Care Hospice of Bensalem. A special thank you to Maureen and Ashley for their care.
February 8, 2013—Thomas Edwin Harbort, of SC. The family would like to thank Compassionate Care Hospice, especially Brenda Quick and Michelle Ricupero for their love and care during Mr. Harbort’s illness.
February 4, 2013—Howie Siemonsma, CCH|Sioux Falls, SD. The family of Howie Siemonsma is grateful for the wonderful care he received through Compassionate Care Hospice. The staff brought him peace and comfort with your excellent care and he looked forward to your visits. Thank you to Dr. Prasek and the staff at the Dell Rapids Hospital for the great care through the years. A special thank you to Fr Bain for his v1sits and comforting words. The family would like to sincerely thank everyone for their visits, comforting words, prayers, flowers, memorials and food. Your thoughtfulness and kindness will always be remembered. God’s blessings to you!!!—Matt Siemonsma, Dan & Sharon Siemonsma & family, Loren & Dorothy Hass & family, Hod & Diane Braskamp & family, Mike & Emily Siemonsma & family, Mark & Judy Siemonsma & family.
January 5, 2013—Helene Leach, CCH|Fair Lawn, NJ. I would like to thank Compassionate Care in Fair Lawn for everything they did to help us through such a difficult time. From the beginning to the end, the care that was given to my grandmother was wonderful. Her nurse Barbara was so caring and attentive. Her aide Tanya was so warm & friendly. I can’t begin to tell you what it meant to have such caring people around us. Because of Compassionate Care my grandmother was able to spend her last months in the comfort of her own home. Thank you with all my heart.—Laura Leach.
January 5, 2013—Vernon L. Sigler, of WI. The family would like to thank the girls at Hickory Park Assisted Living and Compassionate Care Hospice for their exceptional dedication to Vernon and his family.
January 5, 2013—Stanley H.”Stan the Man” Manning Sr., of Dover, NJ. A special thank you to the staff at Progressive and Compassionate Care Hospice Dept’s. at St. Clares Hospital in Dover.
January 4, 2013—Ruth Davis O’Neil, of MA. Ruth also received expert and compassionate care from Dr. Paul Burns and various staff at St Elizabeth’s, Compassionate Care Hospice, and the staffs of the Sunrise Nursing Home in Norwood and, more recently, the Deutches Altenheim German Centre in West Roxbury.
January 4, 2013—Mary C. Farrell, of Toms River, NJ. The family would like to thank the Compassionate Care Hospice of Toms River, New Jersey, and Doctor Charles and his staff of Bayonne, New Jersey.
January 4, 2013—Irene Czerwinski, of Wilmington, DE. The family extends their heartfelt appreciation to the doctors, nurses, and staff of Compassionate Care Hospice for their exceptional care of Irene.
January 2, 2013—Hobert John Tholo, “Hobie”, of New Berlin, WI. Special thank you to Pastor Steve, Comfort Keepers, and Compassionate Care Hospice.
