Sisters Bennett and Rabe stop in the dining room during their mother’s care.
You want the best comfort for your loved one when it’s time for hospice care. That care extends support and relief to you as family, too.
Sisters Linda Rabe and Darlene Bennett and their beloved, late mom, Josephine Blaedel, benefited from the compassionate care at the Suncoast Hospice Care Center – Mid-Pinellas. The sisters were extremely grateful.
“We feel so fortunate to have had mom at the care center. It was mom, our most treasured family member,” Rabe said.
Blaedel was 93 and living with breast cancer that metastasized. She had Suncoast Hospice care at home, under the suggestion of her primary care doctor. The hospice team, including some standout volunteers, provided great support. “A volunteer would come and do her grocery shopping. Everybody at hospice is such a big help because they take the pressure off,” Bennett said.
As her condition worsened, Josephine went to the care center to have her pain and symptoms managed, to find comfort. Rabe, Bennett and their brother all visited her and were impressed with the team’s wonderful care and attention.
“The nurses are all compassionate and treated our mom and us like family. Nini Covert is exceptional because she’s so smart and calming,” Rabe said. Bennett added, “There’s also nurse’s aide Ashley Thomas, whom mom called Sparkle. She sat and talked with mom, and mom loved her.”
The sisters liked the care center’s convenience and warm environment. “When we stayed overnight they gave us a blanket and came to check on us and we were able to microwave our meals. You can even bring your pets if you want,” Rabe said.
Also valuable to them was the education about the process their mom was going through. It brought them peace of mind. Linda shared, “When you come in here, you’re freaking out and they calm you right down. The little book they gave us is informative and helped us understand what was going to happen next because the physical things can be scary.”
Appreciative that hospice helps the whole family, Bennett shared, “They were a help to us siblings. They were just fabulous. We’re so lucky to have had hospice.”
To learn more about hospice care for your family, give us a call at 727-467-7423 or make a request online.