One Patient’s Story: With Hospice, You Don’t Feel Alone ~ Leo Sullivan is 86 years old, and up until most recently, is very independent. Born and raised in Marlette, Leo was married for 58 years, raised five children—one of which has carried on their family tradition of farming—and has ten grandchildren. Leo has a lot of family support. The only thing that seems to be slowing Leo down is his congestive heart failure and his oxygen dependency that he requires 24/7.
“Dad was always so independent, so it’s been hard for him to transition with his limited mobility,” shares his son and daughter, Dan Sullivan and Wendy Lefler. “Dad got sick and was in the hospital in Marlette, but he rallied and we wanted him to be comfortable at home close to family, so we called hospice. It was overwhelming at first, but they (hospice) took the bull by the horns and made the transition easy. They were fast to facilitate equipment needs and we needed the extra care. They jumped right in to help make it a routine,” adds Dan.
“Amanda is a super sweetheart,” shares Leo, “and Curt tells it like it is,” he adds chuckling. “The care I’ve received has been delightful.” Amanda and Curt are his hospice home health aide and nurse, respectively, and they visit Leo on a weekly basis to ensure he is comfortable and has everything he needs. Dan added, “Curt is very responsive; he comes out right away.”
Leo has also used the Hospice Residence in Marlette for respite care. Respite care is temporary care provided to caregivers for their loved ones receiving hospice care. The Hospice Residence has 24/7 nurse coverage and dependent loved ones can stay up to 5 nights per month. “The Residence was swell for respite care, and the girls there are super nice,” shares Leo. Wendy adds, “They pampered him, took good care of him, he felt secure, and it was a beautiful facility.”
Leo and Dan shares, “It’s been a new chapter, but hospice was the way to go. With hospice, you don’t feel alone.”
Photo: Leo was recently featured on area billboards with his hospice home health aide Amanda.
