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The Bird House is a community-based not for profit dedicated to providing compassionate, dignified end-of-life-care by focusing on the physical, spiritual and emotional needs of our guests and their loved ones in a peaceful, home-like environment. |
The Blessing of Having a Hospice House in our "Home Town"
Shared by Linda Steburg
My story is about the blessing of having a Hospice House in our “home town”. My husband was in a coma with a severe head injury when we had to make the difficult decision of what to do next. We were in Des Moines at Mercy Hospital. I desperately wanted to bring him “home”, because I knew from conversations we’d had this was what he wanted. After talking with doctors and nurses, I found out it wasn’t going to be possible. I couldn’t care for him in our home with the limited help available, and I was devastated.
The hospital staff suggested going to the Paula Baber Hospice House in Fort Dodge. My husband had grown up in Fort Dodge and that was where our home was located. I consoled myself thinking I could “take him home” at least to Fort Dodge, and it wasn’t to a “nursing home”.
It was a very good choice.
Our area in the Hospice House was clean, quiet, spacious, and private. There was room for us to gather around his bed. There was a large bathroom and a separate sitting room in his area for us to rest. There was even a door to a private patio were we could have rolled his bed out to let him breathe in some fresh air and sunshine.
We were invited to use the common space at the Hospice House, which was just outside our private area, for family and friends to gather and share meals or talk together. It was like a beautiful comfortable home with kitchen and dining areas and large gathering spaces. Although my husband only lived a few hours after arriving, friends who came to visit shared how their family spent several days at the Hospice House with their father and had cherished the time they were able to have together in that place.
The staff was compassionate and caring both to my husband and to us. They quietly came and checked on him and made him as comfortable as possible and were never intrusive. They gently explained what was happening and urged us to ask if we needed anything or had any concerns and questions. They responded quickly whenever we needed them.
I could contrast this experience with the nightmare we went through when my father had to return to a nursing home in his final hours, but there is no comparison. Even good nursing homes are not designed for nor staffed to provide the specialized care needed by dying patients and their families. I am so thankful there was a better option for my husband.
When I moved to this area, I was surprised to find that in Iowa City, a city known for its quality medical care, there is no Hospice House to provide a model for continuum of care. Until our family needed it, we hadn’t paid much attention to the Hospice House in Fort Dodge, but I am so glad others had the vision to prepare it for us. I would urge you to support bringing one to this city.
The hospital staff suggested going to the Paula Baber Hospice House in Fort Dodge. My husband had grown up in Fort Dodge and that was where our home was located. I consoled myself thinking I could “take him home” at least to Fort Dodge, and it wasn’t to a “nursing home”.
It was a very good choice.
Our area in the Hospice House was clean, quiet, spacious, and private. There was room for us to gather around his bed. There was a large bathroom and a separate sitting room in his area for us to rest. There was even a door to a private patio were we could have rolled his bed out to let him breathe in some fresh air and sunshine.
We were invited to use the common space at the Hospice House, which was just outside our private area, for family and friends to gather and share meals or talk together. It was like a beautiful comfortable home with kitchen and dining areas and large gathering spaces. Although my husband only lived a few hours after arriving, friends who came to visit shared how their family spent several days at the Hospice House with their father and had cherished the time they were able to have together in that place.
The staff was compassionate and caring both to my husband and to us. They quietly came and checked on him and made him as comfortable as possible and were never intrusive. They gently explained what was happening and urged us to ask if we needed anything or had any concerns and questions. They responded quickly whenever we needed them.
I could contrast this experience with the nightmare we went through when my father had to return to a nursing home in his final hours, but there is no comparison. Even good nursing homes are not designed for nor staffed to provide the specialized care needed by dying patients and their families. I am so thankful there was a better option for my husband.
When I moved to this area, I was surprised to find that in Iowa City, a city known for its quality medical care, there is no Hospice House to provide a model for continuum of care. Until our family needed it, we hadn’t paid much attention to the Hospice House in Fort Dodge, but I am so glad others had the vision to prepare it for us. I would urge you to support bringing one to this city.