Saying Goodbye to My Sister Kathy
by Elizabeth Green
On a regular basis, everyone sees how wonderful, talented and amazing our staff is. We hear from Sister Rosemary that we share our family members with our Misericordia family and never was this so obvious to our family than during the end of life.
Recently, my sister, Kathy, was in her last days. My parents and I experienced our McAuley staff at their finest. From the start of the end of life process, the staff let us know that they would be there for us, to support us through every step of the process.
We were able to be in constant contact with Kathy’s Director, Q, nurses and CNAs. They were all open to us calling in to check on Kathy when we couldn’t be there. They made sure she had all of her comforts and favorites: pillows, food and, most importantly, hugs and love.
During the final hours with Kathy—the hardest time—everyone became our rocks and a solid support. We could focus solely on Kathy with the time we had left. They brought us chairs, food and drink, and endless words of support. They explained everything that Kathy was going through and how to make her comfortable. They shared stories with us about Kathy and her life. They knew her and loved her.
After Kathy passed, we were surrounded with love, words of support and, most importantly, hugs. I’ll miss the staff’s support and their hugs but I know that my family will always be part of Misericordia—and that our staff will always be part of our family. They shared our love for Kathy and I know they share our loss.
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