by Nancy Littlefield, DNP, RN
President & CEO
One of the legacies of Rosalynn Carter was her love and support for caregivers. She believed there were four types of people in the world: those who have been caregivers, those who are caregivers, those who will be caregivers, and those who will need caregivers.
As a nurse and CEO of Hospice of the Piedmont, I have seen the impact and importance of the caregivers who support and care for our patients. Recently, the role of caregiving became even more meaningful to me as I became a caregiver myself. This time, in a personal – not professional – way.
This past May, my older brother Dave (who lived alone in Pennsylvania) found himself with sudden back pain. The pain led to diagnostic tests, which unfortunately showed no promising signs for recovery. It was then that the realization set in that he could no longer live by himself, away from his support network. My husband and I were fortunate to be able to welcome him shortly after to our home, and my brother settled into his new surroundings.
As my brother’s primary caregiver, I learned several lessons I feel might be familiar to some of you as well. Although I work at Hospice of the Piedmont every day, witnessing the team come to my home, sit with my brother, and listen to what his wishes were, and talk through how they could help him accomplish them, was incredible. It really hit home that hospice is the way healthcare should be. With hospice, he had a nurse, an aide, visits from social workers, and the chaplain. He also had a hospice physician who sat down in our living room, listened to his concerns, and created a care plan designed just for him.
The lens I looked through as his caregiver also helped me see that it doesn’t matter how experienced in the healthcare industry I was. When you are watching over a loved one, all experience and knowledge is left at the door. I looked at my brother as his sister, who was filled with love for him. And, when I was anxious about the unknown of the days ahead, his hospice team spoke to me as his sister and caregiver, recognizing I might need their support too.
My brother passed away peacefully on August 2nd, and I am so grateful that he could be surrounded by his family in his final weeks. I know, perhaps more than ever now, that the care and services Hospice of the Piedmont provides are invaluable.
As the only nonprofit hospice in our core service area, we have the privilege and responsibility to meet patients and families wherever they are, and to go above and beyond to ensure we holistically look at each individual patient and their needs. Whether through music at the bedside, robotic pets, or art therapy, each contributes to the compassionate end-of-life care that sets us apart from what other hospices provide. We are incredibly thankful for the generosity of giving that allows us to provide these additional services.
Thank you for your support and for being such an important part of our mission at Hospice of the Piedmont. You are helping us to make a wonderful difference for patients and families in our community, including me.
~ Nancy
DNP, RN
President & CEO
