My mother's health quickly declined after a long battle with cancer (that she won for many years, proudly so). Once all medical options were exhausted, I decided to bring mom home for her remaining days. This was after several weeks of being by her side every day through an out-of-town advanced radiation treatment, emergency rooms, two stints in the hospital, rehabilitation, and eventually the neuro-ICU. I was in town from out of state, alone with no other family members in the area (and my wife with a high risk pregnancy so wasn't able to accompany me). We talked about options and I had a simple request--I needed help to handle everything and I wanted to get mom home from the ICU by Mother's Day (after test results confirmed things on Friday evening). My wife immediately felt comfortable with the representatives from Egan Hospice that she spoke with, and she was right--from the beginning to the end and beyond, they were phenomenal. Everything was handled exceptionally well, with mom treated with care and dignity, and with grace and kindness to our family. There were so many things that stood out about this time, but here are a few examples of why I highly recommend using a hospice, and particularly Egan Hospice to a family at this stage in a loved ones journey (FYI--they even run a food pantry for families, which shows how much they care--please donate): 1) The original intake contact (Laura) was on top of things from the start (even on the weekend and evening, she was always a phone call away and moved mountains to get mom home for Mother's Day). Shannon, the intake nurse, was friendly, professional, and explained everything in detail. 2) The social worker (Simeon) was helpful discussing the entire process and also getting things done on the paperwork end (especially with family members who were difficult to reach). 3) The care nurse (Mary) was there with a friendly, relaxed disposition every day. She checked on mom, educated me about what was happening and what to expect throughout the entire process. And, she was knowledgeable and able to answer my questions (and anticipate concerns). 4) The CNA (Joanna) was the ideal person for my mom. They were from similar parts of the south shore, and she treated mom with the utmost respect. She explained to me everything (including some of the tricks for shirts), and was so gentle, hard-working, caring, and trustworthy. She's a gem who has somehow done this for decades. 5) They seamlessly coordinated with the medical equipment provider (who was also respectful and kind). All of the equipment I needed, or might need, was there as promised (and I didn't have to figure out what was needed). 6) The chaplain (Carla) was caring, easy to speak with, and balanced with respect to religion and spiritual discussions. And, the bereavement coordinator checked in regularly on us to see how we were doing afterward. There was an entire team who took care of everything. When mom finally transitioned to her next adventure, staff were there immediately to prepare mom in her favorite color, comfort me, coordinate with the funeral home, and do all of the necessary steps at that stage. read more