July 13, 2007

A Hospice Family’s Story

- By Susan Davison

My mom, Marge Scovil, was scared knowing what lie ahead when she left the home where she had raised her four children. Having mom admitted to the Clarissa C. Cook Hospice House was an extremely emotional experience for all of us.

The assessment nurse who came to mom’s house was informative and thoroughly reviewed the different options available to her. After much thought, Mom decided the hospice house was the best option for her.

After adjusting and settling into her new surroundings, mom truly enjoyed the experience and was comforted beyond words by the staff, nurses, social worker and chaplain.

The facility itself was outstanding. The whirlpool was one of the best features. We had moved Mom down to the lower level of her home several months earlier, where she only had a half bath available. She was so happy the first time she got in the whirlpool at the hospice house and was able to have a real bath again.

The amenities, food and surroundings were top notch, and it helped to make a very sad time for our family more bearable and comforting. We can’t say enough about how caring the staff was, not only to our mom, but also to all of us as a family.

Mom went to the Clarissa Cook Hospice House on Jan. 29. She passed away on Feb. 12. I’m so glad she made the decision to go there, as she would not have had the wonderful amenities if she had chosen to remain home. It’s hard to imagine that you can develop such strong relationships and a sense of camaraderie that we developed in just the two short weeks mom was in the hospice house, but mom and our family quickly built those strong relationships with the Clarissa Cook staff.

I felt compelled to share what a wonderful experience we had at the Clarissa C. Cook Hospice House, and I wanted to personally thank Genesis for ensuring that this facility was built and will serve the community for generations to come. The hospice experience touched our family and will continue touching countless other lives for years to come.

For more information about Genesis hospice services, call (563) 421-5400.

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