‘Life is precious and time is a key element. Let’s make every moment count and help those who have a greater need than our own.”
-Harmon Killebrew
Northern Arizona Hospice – Cottonwood, Ariz.
The Hospice Team at Northern Arizona Hospice in Cottonwood, AZ encountered a very difficult case. They received a referral for a young woman who had been in the hospital for ten days with end stage liver disease. She had been on a downward skid for the past several years which left her homeless, sick, and estranged from her family and friends.
Within hours of receiving the referral, the Cottonwood Team found a grant to place her in an adult home. They contacted her sister in California to ease her mind and to help clarify her goals of care. The hospice team had her placed, bathed, prayed with, and tucked in to her new home within a matter of hours. Her sister was able to contact some of her friends from the past and they visited her while she was still able to recognize them.
The change in this patient’s demeanor was remarkable. She went from being a loner to someone who was surrounded by friends and family. The hospice team really made a difference for this patient. She passed away just a few days later.
Thanks to the entire Cottonwood Team for bringing safety, dignity, and peace to this patient.