Testimonials
Not sure which hospice & palliative agency to choose?
Listen to what two families had to say about their experiences with us.
A FAMILY'S TESTIMONIAL:
"They always made us feel like we were the only ones."
The support and the kindness – any time we would call we would get a response and somebody would be out. They always made us feel like we were the only ones, and wouldn’t answer other calls as often because we were their main focus.
Our sister wasn’t ready to let go, she needed the extra comfort at that moment, so Linda dropped her bag and she hugged her and consoled her for a good five minutes – well more than five minutes, and let our sister just let it out. I think she showed her so much compassion, because she could tell that it was needed and I thought that was really nice and thoughtful. Or PJ would come play the accordion. It was like she knew exactly what songs we knew, and even though we had no history, we had never spoken before – but the very first time she ever played it was like another family member. My aunt noticed that our mom was really enjoying it. She could see a change and how much she liked the music. It brought up some memories of their childhood, so that was really nice. Gosh, there was so much. We are just very appreciative of the compassion. Just really amazing people, with really kind souls. It takes a special kind of person to be able to do that job. And we definitely saw that in them, and can never thank them enough.
There wasn’t ever a concern about running out of something, they would make sure that we had what we needed. With oxygen they brought that over that very first day and explained to us how to use it. Thankfully we didn’t have to set it up ourselves because none of us remembered how to do it. But they wanted to make sure we had all of the tools possible to make it work. They were so good at helping us come up with ideas and things to use to care for her and make it easier for both of us. They felt comfortable with us and we were comfortable with them. It felt like we had known them even longer! I sort of feel sad we don’t see them anymore. Right! Having them walk in just gave us a sense of peace where could just maybe grieve for a few minutes while they were here. Yes, that’s exactly a good way to describe it. PJ said, I was just at another client and I had a feeling I needed to come over here for some reason. To me, that meant that they actually keep our family and our mom in their hearts when they are at other places.
A FAMILY'S TESTIMONIAL:
"They also talked to
my father about what he could expect..."
When someone you love is dying, there are enormous burdens and a lot of feelings. And, as we learned, a lot of logistical complexity and practical details to manage. As a family our experience was that having Care Partners working with us made for a supportive container and a ready lifeline, so that when we needed information or support it was there. So the moments that were possible to have with my father, the important moments, happened and we could be there for them.
My father was an author. He wrote a number of books about psychology and he had written two more books, mostly before he was diagnosed. It was really important to him to finish them and to publish them, and my mother and I helped him do that. Because he was able to be at home, because he had all the medical and nursing support in-home, he had enough time and he had enough energy so he could complete them. We were able to be there with him and support him with that effort. It wouldn’t have happened otherwise.
Very strangely around the same time my father was diagnosed, I met the love of my life and we were going get married at Cape Perpetua at the Oregon Coast. We wanted to do it while my father was still with us. There were some special challenges involved with that. Care Partners really worked with us in a way that was instrumental. They helped us find hospice on the coast, if we needed one for any services at the time. There was going to be a multi-hour drive to get to the place that we had selected. It took a short walk on a trail, not a big deal for most people, but it was question mark. Was he going to be able to do that? So, the infrastructure necessary quickly became clear to us. It was much more complicated than for other people, even other people who are seniors in our family and friend group. Care Partners was able to facilitate that happening, in terms of helping us plan, identifying resources, even counseling my mother about what kinds of things needed to be kept in mind. They also talked to my father about what he could expect so that he could get more comfortable, which was a big part of it. In the end he got to have that experience with us and we got to have him there. That was one of the last things we did together. It was a really special moment.
Preserving Beautiful Life Stories of
Community Members
Care Partners offers an interview recording project inspired by StoryCorps, to preserve the life stories of community members on our service. Some family members give us permission to include excerpts on our website:
December 15, 2017: Jean Speaking with Her Mom About Celebrating Christmas
Marjorie Speaking with Dave About Meeting & What He Remembers of That Time
We Are Available Day or Night
Care Partners is on call around the clock to meet your needs. Call now to speak with an experienced and caring nurse. We’ve been helping people like you for more than 40 years.