At Hospice of Virginia, we are proud of the services we can offer at our In-Patient Unit (IPU) at Retreat Hospital. The in-patient unit allows us to serve hospice patients and caregivers who have a higher level of need. Oftentimes, stays at the IPU are short, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have time to meaningfully impact our patients’ and families’ lives. Here is just one of the many stories we have about doing whatever it takes at the IPU.
Mr. & Mrs. C were in their late 90’s. They had known each other since high school and had recently celebrated 70 years of marriage. Both Mr. and Mrs. C were Navy Veterans and other than the time of their basic training, they had never been apart.
Mrs. C was born to a family of five children. At a young age, her father walked out and left Mrs. C’s mother and the five children. Since Mrs. C was one of the oldest, she had to help to raise her younger siblings along with her mom. At the age of 10, Mrs. C. was given more responsibility than your average adolescent. For years, her life was dedicated to caring for her brothers and sisters while her mother worked. When she met Mr. C, she finally had someone who could take care of her.
Hospice of Virginia got to know this family when both Mr. and Mrs. C were put on hospice services at our In-Patient Unit at Retreat Hospital. At first Mr. C was admitted to another hospital and so the couple was separated. Their children shared the story of their parents with our team and emphasized how important it was to keep the happy couple together, especially at this time in their lives. Our team quickly went to work organizing Mr. C’s transfer so that the two could be together. When Mr. C arrived, he was moved to a room right across the hall from his wife. The couple’s beds were even placed next to each other in the same room for periods of time. The daughter told our nurse that she finds great comfort in knowing that her parents are in an environment like the In-Patient unit where neither will be alone when they pass.
When Hospice of Virginia takes patients on to their service, the whole team does whatever it takes to bring and keep families together. Our In-Patient unit in Richmond is a special place where patients can come when they need more support or when caregivers need a break from the emotional and physical responsibilities of taking care of a loved one.
If your loved one has a life-limiting illness and you are wondering about ways to improve their comfort and quality of life, feel free to contact our Virginia offices to discuss your options. Hospice may or may not be the right choice for right now, but we would love to talk to you about what is best for your family.