A Letter of Gratitude
- By Horizon Health Services
- •
- 15 Jun, 2017
- •
We would like to share E. John Raboin and his wife Maita's story at Brainerd Harmony House & Horizon Health's Hospice Care. The letter we received moved us deeply. We are grateful to have been a part of their lives.
One of our patients, Maita, was transitioned from assisted living to hospice without leaving her home. Her husband E. John Raboin wrote this letter to us. This is a letter from our patient's spouse, John.
Dear Kristine:
I want to personally thank you on behalf of my family for the care you gave to my wife, Maita, the last month of her life. Brainerd Harmony House and Horizon Health’s Hospice Care soared above all my expectations by making Maita’s comfort their top priority in her personalized care plan.
Maita had Alzheimer’s Disease. Two years ago, although she was still comfortably at home with me, it became apparent that the day might arrive where she would need professional memory care in a nursing home. I researched and visited facilities in the Brainerd area. They were good, but not a perfect fit for what I had in mind. Then, a good friend suggested I check out Harmony House. I did and was pleased with what I saw. When you walk into the facility, you walk into a home, not an institution. It smelled like a home. It looked like a home, with living areas, a dining room, a kitchen, and only twelve bedrooms. I was favorably impressed by the bathroom, bathing and hair care arrangements. The staff was professional, competent, cheerful, and close at hand all the time. After having look at all the possibilities, to me, it seemed evident that Harmony House would be the place for Maita if or when the time arrived.
The time arrived on Good Friday 2017. After a short stint in the hospital, I transported Maita directly to Harmony House in Brainerd where everything was set up and ready for her. It all went smoothly and much easier than I expected. The financial end of things went particularly smoothly. The financial manager coordinated all the Medicare and insurance for me and even set up direct deposits from my bank so that I wouldn’t have to remember to write checks.
Maita went into hospice care through Horizon Health right there at Harmony House. She stayed right where she was in her own bedroom at Harmony House. I cannot say enough good things about Horizon Health’s Hospice Care. The transition from memory care to hospice was seamless. The very day she qualified for hospice, Horizon brought in a special mattress for her bed, a Broda chair and lift equipment specifically for her. Someone from Hospice saw Maita on four different days per week from then until the day she died. They took me seriously when I said my chief concern was her comfort and provided a morphine-type medication for her pain and gentle massages that helped her relax. After she passed, They coordinated everything with the funeral parlor so that I did not have to do anything.
For 33 days, Maita lived in Harmony House. The entire Harmony House experience was a positive experience for me in an extremely stressful time of life. The staff was knowledgeable and professional. Everyone went out of their way to make me feel that I was part of the team of caregivers. I never felt that I was intruding when I visited Maita, and I visited often. They worked hard to make things easy for me, such as keeping track of her supplies and ordering what she needed without me having to be there.
Most of all, they worked hard to get to know Maita and to see that she was always comfortable. They tried to make Harmony House feel as much like our own home as possible. She had a big pink monkey that she liked to sleep with, and, just as I did for her at home, the staff would tuck the monkey up to her neck like she was holding a baby, something she loved right up to the end of her life. Thank you for caring enough to take the time to do these comfort measures that were peculiar to her need. Seeing this, I could relax because I knew that she was in good care.
I highly recommend Harmony House and Horizon Health’s Hospice Care. The only drawback I can think of is the difficulty visitors have in finding the place. Harmony House needs a couple of road signs on Laurel and 9th Street to point the way to the entrance.
Thank you again.
Sincerely,
E. John Rabion
It is important to us at Horizon Health that we highlight our dedicated employees and help you learn more about the people who make our services great. In this edition of employee spotlight, you will meet Angie Athman, a licensed social worker for our hospice care, and Kelsey Benson, the care coordinator with Horizon Health.
All About Angie
With 12 years as a social worker under her belt, the last 6 of which have been spent working in hospice at Horizon Health, Angie Athman is a valued employee. Nevertheless, she is humble about her position. Angie says her favorite part of her job is the peace it brings her. She says working to serve the aging population is an honor and brings into perspective how precious life really is. While she does think working with end of life patients can be hard, Angie says she is grateful for Horizon’s supportive workplace where her coworkers are like family and the inspirational stories she hears from her elderly patients. When asked if there is anything she feels needs to be known about her position, Angie says that besides her job duties, she runs two caregiver support groups and provides community support to those nearing a hospice situation with a loved one. Angie invites anyone who could use her help to reach out to Horizon Health Hospice at 320-468-2788.
Keeping Up With Kelsey
Also a licensed social worker, our care coordinator Kelsey has done a fabulous job since starting at Horizon Health. Kelsey previously worked in a nursing home and enjoyed serving the elderly population. This led her to pursue social work at Horizon Health. She says her favorite part of her job is connecting families to resources they might not have otherwise had that make their lives easier. The rewarding part is making connections and helping people with compassion and a helpful heart. Kelsey says she really knows her elderly patients on a personal level and values building those relationships!
These two wonderful women make our hospice care more empathetic, more effective, and more supportive for our patients and their families. We are proud to shine a spotlight on Angie and Kelsey!
