VNSNY Hospice and Palliative Care teams make every effort to provide service and comfort that helps patients and families reframe their hopes and achieve their goals. Here are some examples of how we put our patients and their families at the center of our care.

Mrs. G.

My mother, Mrs. G, died in her New York apartment; it was the type of death she wanted…in her own home, surrounded by family and good friends during the last week of her life. My mother was almost 95 years old. She led an extraordinarily full and meaningful life. She was a wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, teacher, social activist, world traveler and Shakespeare-lover. She faced her death as she did her life—with dignity and grace.

Although this sounds like a simple occurrence, it could not have happened without the support, professionalism and caring of the Visiting Nurse Service of New York Hospice and Palliative Care team. Every facet of your organization demonstrated excellence. Each person was kind, knowledgeable, thoughtful and highly competent. The hospice nurse became my “guardian angel.” Watching someone you love slowly die is an emotional roller coaster ride for which there is no preparation. None of my family could have gotten through that painful time without your guidance and support.

Mr. N.

Words cannot express how very thankful we are for all the kindness, loving care and concern VNSNY Hospice and Palliative Care showed to my father.

Dad was a very proud, independent and loving man. Being in hospice allowed him to keep the very important qualities that made him so special and so loved by so many people. It also allowed him to live with dignity up to the very end. He kept telling me, “I’m gonna live ‘til I die,” and VNSNY Hospice allowed him to do that. His nurse was just wonderful—he clicked with her from day one and told me often in those all-too-short three weeks that he really enjoyed his time with her. I will continue to take advantage of VNSNY's bereavement services, so I can continue to see how wonderful your program is.

Mr. L.

Mr. L. was a 74-year-old man from Nepal, living with his son, daughter-in-law and their family. He was referred to hospice from his community hospital after it was decided that he would no longer be pursuing curative treatment.

Mr. L. had an involved extended family caring for him. He was alert and oriented and able to make his needs known. The VNSNY hospice nurse, social worker and bereavement counselor were also involved in his home care.

His family really appreciated all that the nurse taught them and reached out for every opportunity to learn how to provide their loved one with the best care possible. As a result, they felt confident in caring for him, thereby avoiding calls to 911 which would have meant hospitalization. In the end, Mr. L. was able to stay at home during the last stages of his illness. The VNSNY social worker assisted with the funeral planning and facilitating the conversation between the patient and his family. This afforded Mr. L. the opportunity to express his wishes for his funeral and burial arrangements. The social worker provided information about funeral homes that were within the family's means and was respectful of their cultural beliefs.

The family spoke of their initial lack of knowledge about hospice and how they are now able to spread the word about how helpful it was to them. They had some discomfort with traditional systems, but appreciated the care that hospice gave them. They felt honored that their culture was respected by the staff who understood its importance at the end of their father’s life.

Mr. L.’s family felt supported by the hospice team—particularly the nurse and the after-hours services, and appreciated that they were able to get a response whenever they called. Bereavement services for the family began prior to the patient’s death and continued on afterward. They were supported by the presence of the hospice staff at the time of the patient’s death. The family grew connected to the team and invited them to the Hindu memorial services honoring their loved one.