Nancy’s* husband Paul was about to be discharged from a central New Jersey hospital following blood transfusions when his oncologist recommended his family seek hospice care. As he faced the final stages of his terminal illness, Nancy chose Redeemer Health Hospice Care to provide the comfort and support Paul needed at home.
What Nancy didn’t realize then was the huge difference her Redeemer Health care team would make in those final weeks. The Redeemer Health hospice care team, led by nurse Lynna Neuberger (pictured above), provided comfort and guidance to Paul, Nancy, and their two adult children.
According to Nancy, Paul enjoyed their visits. “Their visits encouraged him and gave him strength,” she said. “The team made a huge difference in those final days by ensuring everything was as peaceful and meaningful as possible.”
In this difficult time, the hospice care team was the emotional safety net Nancy and her family needed. “They helped us understand what to expect and treated us with respect,” Nancy says.
“I appreciate their investment in our family,” she adds. Lynna and the hospice care team did everything from teaching them what they needed to know about medications and care to helping make calls and arrangements. The team also was crucial in helping Paul’s daughter, who is deaf, understand what was happening and arranged for ways for her to better communicate with Paul.
For her part, Lynna is grateful of the praise for her team and says it’s a reflection of the greater comradery among the Redeemer Health Home Care and Hospice staff. “I’ve never worked with a care team that has better comradery and fluidity. We meet people where they are and connect with them in meaningful ways,” she says.
After hearing several friends share unsettling stories of struggles with end-of-life care for their family members, Nancy realized how special her experience was and looked for ways to help others. One way was through a generous gift from Paul’s family foundation to further help us provide outstanding hospice care.
Nancy also decided to share her story to be instructive to others. According to her, the key is the quality of the people—they must have respect for the patient and their family and have a willingness to teach. She saw this quality in the care she received from the Redeemer Health hospice care team.
*Fictitious names have been used to respect patient privacy.
