Nancy started her day with her phone in her hand, waiting for an opportunity to talk with her credit union. A bag of candy was on a tray next to her, left behind after a visit with her children and grandchildren the previous afternoon. The morning was a time for her to rest and talk a little bit about the care she was receiving from the team at Centrica Rose Arbor Place.

“They’re wonderful people you can depend on,” Nancy said. “They say, ‘It’s up to you’ — they want my picks, not theirs. They never leave the room without saying, ‘You’re welcome.’”

Centrica Rose Arbor Place is our dedicated care site for patients in hospice. While most Centrica Care Navigators patients are able to live at home during their time in hospice care, patients who need more regular attention are referred to Centrica Rose Arbor Place.

There, patients have their own private rooms, where they can visit with family and friends. Nurses, hospice aides, and others are on-site 24 hours a day, and other care team members like chaplains and music therapists make regular visits to patients.

Nancy’s husband was a Centrica Rose Arbor Place patient in the summer, and though he was only a patient for a brief time before his death, Nancy decided it’s where she would go if she needed end-of-life care. In September, Nancy came to Centrica Rose Arbor Place, where the staff could help her daughters.

“It’s one less thing on my lap,” Nancy said. “They took over ordering and paying for supplies. At home, I did all the cooking. It’s nice to have someone take care of me.”

Caring for basic needs

Nancy’s situation, being so awake and aware, is a little unusual for Centrica Rose Arbor Place patients, said Danielle, a registered nurse. She was assigned to Nancy and about 5 other patients at the care site.

Some patients may need support getting out of bed to the toilet, or assistance to eat a few bites of food. Those are the kinds of tasks that family members often help patients with. If they’re not available, though, or need another set of hands, they can turn to Centrica Rose Arbor Place hospice aides like Shawn.

Shawn’s tasks include taking care of each patient’s basic needs, like helping them get dressed or clearing away their meals.

Shawn and Danielle started their day with patients by changing the sheets. After putting gloves on, patients who can no longer get out of bed are gently, carefully rolled to one side and then the other. Their arms and sides are propped up with pillows, to minimize contact with the bed surface and reduce the potential for sores to develop. Patients are washed with soap and water using a small cloth.

Their undergarments are changed along with the sheets on their bed. Used plastic coverings and paper go into the trash; used clothes and sheets are washed in Centrica Rose Arbor Place’s laundry room.

“Some patients have an ‘I’ve got this,’ mindset, but most say, ‘I forget a lot,’ so they appreciate the help,” Shawn said.

Records kept on a computer and updated throughout the day indicate observations on how the patient was doing in the last hour or so since they were last visited. They also mention the supplies the patient needs. Replacement medication is ordered from a local pharmacy year-round.

Keeping families up to date

On her way to another patient’s room, Danielle got a call from another patient’s daughter, just checking in on her mother. Danielle told the daughter that her mother was doing well, and got pain medication one time overnight as expected. The daughter said she would be in for a visit a few hours later.

“The family is just as much a part of care as a patient,” Danielle said. “I check in on them and see if they’re doing well.”

She walked into another patient’s room quietly, where he and his adult sons were sleeping — there are chairs and couches in rooms, so family members can stay with their loved one overnight.

Later, after the son woke up, she pointed him to the family meeting room across the hall, where he could get a cup of coffee.

“It’s very important for the family giving care to get rest,” Danielle said. “If they get sick, who’s taking care of them?”

She also described how the medications she was giving to his dad would help — the father appeared to be experiencing anxiety, and one of the medications helps calm him.

Compassionate care

Educating patients on what the Centrica Care Navigators team recommends, and answering the family’s questions is a big part of the job, too, Shawn said.

“The family is allowed to help as much as they want; they have already been caring for the person, so they know what to do,” he said. “We’re caring for the family as much as the patient, so we want them to be involved. Many say they’re happy we’re here, because it’s a break for them.”

The goal of each visit for nurses, hospice aide, and the other team members is to provide a “compassionate presence,” responding to the patient’s needs, or simply being there in a challenging time.

“I had a patient who told me she was scared to die,” Danielle said. “I said, ‘I can’t change that, but we can be here with you.’ Sometimes all people need to know is that you care.”

You can learn more about Centrica Rose Arbor Place and all our services on our website or by calling 269.345.0273.