Wellness

Making Memories that Last: A Hospice Journey

By Kjersten Joachim

When a loved one is terminally ill, the word ‘hospice’ can feel scary. It may conjure feelings of worry, dread, and fear. It’s one of those things that you don’t necessarily want to think about…until you have to. But to Holly Hines, ‘death’ is not a bad word. Instead, she views it as a process to plan for and one that can create memories to cherish for a lifetime.

Even though Hines now works as Director of Operations at AseraCare Hospice in Sioux Falls, she was introduced to hospice at a much younger age. When she was 10 years old, her dad was diagnosed with cancer. It had progressed quickly and he soon enrolled in hospice. They moved a hospital bed into their living room, and her dad was able to stay at home with his family until he passed.

Hines credits hospice for those last memories with her dad. “Many nights Dad would wake up in the middle of the night needing help. I’d wake up to come help him and then lay with him in the hospital bed. Those conversations we had – him telling me about life – are memories I cherish so deeply. Hospice made that possible.”

Through her work in hospice, Hines is able to provide that same experience for patients and their families – individualized care for comfort, symptom management, monitoring goals, and meeting emotional and spiritual needs.

“People should know they have a choice and a voice; you choose how you live and you choose how you die,” says Hines. “Ask questions about your health and be informed. Invest in yourself and all the available options for your health.”

One common misconception is that hospice is only for those who are actively dying or have only days or weeks to live. Hines says that to receive the full benefit of hospice, enroll when the patient has up to six months to live. “We can then follow them on their journey to help support their wants and needs. They can get things in place and plan funeral arrangements, and also check off those things they want to do one more time and make memories.”

As Hines looks back on the experience with her dad and the families she helps through her work, she is thankful for the hospice journey and for the experience it provides. “As I grow older, I always go back to, ‘what if we didn’t have hospice?’ I wouldn’t have had those memories with my dad. I want everyone to have the experience I had – time with their loved one to create memories. My belief is that no one should die alone.” n