Plus, a social worker to
wade through other services
that were now available to us.
Lots of paperwork also. Wow.
It was overwhelming, but I
will take all the help, thank
you. Who knew there exists a
mobile x-ray so Mom doesn’t
have to leave the house for a
follow-up! So many new peo-
ple in our life that I had to start
my own contact list to keep ev-
eryone straight!
only is it more work for me,
it has clearly taken its toll on
Mom. But don’t count her out.
She is trying. Every day. And
she is so appreciative. Lucky
for me she isn’t belligerent, as
some Alzheimer’s patients get.
She is sweet and loving.
So, life goes on, and I take
all the help I can get. Hillary
Clinton said “it takes a village”
and suddenly I have a new one
for Mom. But I also have my
own. My brother and his wife,
Cece, cousins, friends from
near and far, neighbors, and
even Auggie, our dog, who is
always close by watching over
us. With their help, these bur-
dens have become blessings,
indeed.
I also started a daily jour-
nal for Mom because the prog-
ress seemed so slow. After
all, she was now 93, and how
much more can we expect?
As I write this, we are still
in the thick of our home rehab.
Mom still sleeps a great deal
and I am reminded daily that
she needs to move more to get stronger.
Those first days when my own shoulder
was hurting, I found it hard to help her
out of bed and to the bathroom. Eventu-
ally my own pain subsided and I started
my own physical therapy.
This chapter has been frustrating.
I can’t help but wonder if Mom could
have just come back to our old routine
if she hadn’t fallen at the hospital. Not
Susan Lojacono lives in Buffalo and is
a former member of Western New York
Family’s staff. You can read her original
article here: https://joom.ag/T57a/p42
Hospice Buffalo Helped Sooner than I Ever Expected
“Hospice is not just for
end-of-life – they can actu-
ally help when you want to
improve someone’s quality
of life.” ~ Linda
My wonderful dad,
Martin, was suffering with
COPD and congestive heart
failure for years. His biggest
problem was breathing.
He was doing okay on oxy-
gen at home, but leaving the house
made him anxious. I didn’t like to see
him spending his days struggling to
breathe.
I heard Hospice Buffalo was
“more than end-of-life care” and
their focus was to improve “quality”
of life. I didn’t think he was at the
point where he would pass soon, but
I decided to reach out to Hospice. In
early 2018, Hospice nurses and doc-
tors began coming to the house to
help us care for him. He felt comfort
Our experience with Hospice –
from the first call to the very end –
was absolutely wonderful. I would
tell anyone who has a loved one suf-
fering with a serious illness to call
Hospice Buffalo. I wish I had called
sooner, but I am very thankful for
those four months we had together.
in knowing that they would come
to him.
During a visit in April, his nurse
immediately knew something was
wrong and suggested taking dad
to the Mary & Ralph C. Wilson, Jr.
Hospice Inpatient Unit. Surrounded
by family, he slept steadily in a beau-
tiful room with his favorite music
playing in the background. The day
came when his doctor explained in
caring words that he would not be
going home.
Visit HospiceBuffalo.com to
hear Linda’s story.
Call 716-686-8000
Hospice care is 100% covered by Medicare
and provided wherever the patient lives.
HospiceBuffalo.com
Paid Advertisement
March 2020 WNY Family 45