Last month, a dear friend of ours, Robin, lost her father to Alzheimers disease. Robin and her family experienced first hand, all the sad, challenging and difficult stories that we all hear about this much-feared disease. The extraordinary courage, patience and support needed by the family to journey through the lengthy final stages of patient dimentia is an incredible tribute to love. Robin shared with me that her family, as loving and devoted as they all were to her father's failing condition, could not have made it through the crisis without the support of McLean Hospice. She couldn't say enough wonderful things about the care, compassion and support given to the whole family by the staff at McLean. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the funeral in Connecticut because it was scheduled on the day that I was to begin my training for Asera Hospice! To have postponed the training would mean that I would have had to wait until the spring to reschedule...which I definitely did not want to do. Nor did Robin want me to postpone as she knows just how important it is for families to have the support of Hospice Volunteers. "Go train," she said, "My Dad would be so happy to know that hospice training is the reason you can't come to his funeral." It's so overwhelming to think that I might someay be the person that follows a family to the finish. I hope I've got what it takes...
Today, I was finally abe to find her Dad's obituary on line and respond to the request for donations....not surprisingly, to McLean Hospice in Simsbury, CT.
http://www.mcleanshospice.com/
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