My father spent the last two months of his life at Villa Marie Claire, in the care of its…read moreextraordinary staff, before passing away following a battle with glioblastoma. I never expected to look back on a hospice facility with such fondness, but that is the gift Villa Marie Claire gave our family.
First of all, the pictures in the yelp profile are old and were taken before the facility was renovated during COVID. The grounds and facility are beautiful, serene, and peaceful. That peace is part of the care itself.
The entire staff is deeply competent, but more importantly, they are warm and loving. During my father's final days, my sister and I stayed in the guest rooms, and even as our hearts were breaking, we felt as though we were being cared for in a hotel.
The nursing staff looked after my father with a devotion that felt familial, as if he were one of their own.
The food was wonderful, for patients and families alike. Mitch, the head chef, cooks with love. He goes out of his way to keep everyone nourished, but also to form a real bond with each person lucky enough to eat from his kitchen. He learned my father's favorite meals and tracked down oysters and lobster for one of his last dinners. He made chocolate chip cookies on demand for my sister, who has a notorious sweet tooth. The night before my father passed, Mitch sat with me and my sister while we cried, and shared stories of the deep conversations he'd had with my dad, and how much they had meant to him.
My mother, who was with my father every day, in many ways was treated like a patient of a different, but equally important, kind. Her needs were tended to as much as my father's.
And most of all, I'd like to thank Dr. Charles Vialotti, the resident doctor. As far as I know, he may be the only hospice doctor in the world who lives at his facility, every day of the year. Based on what I observed, the man may never sleep, because his commitment to his patients and their families trumps his need for rest.
He has devoted his life to bettering the lives of patients and their loved ones in their darkest moments. He connected with my father, listened to his wishes, and customized his care so that he could be comfortable and at peace. He somehow found hours in his day to spend with us, getting to know our family and offering his wisdom and guidance. He connected deeply with our entire family, sat with us for hours as my father was dying, and made us feel at home.
Villa Marie Claire brought light, warmth, understanding, and love into the darkest time of our lives. We are forever grateful, and we will return to thank everyone who cared for my father and for our family. I can't imagine that there could be a better place for any patient and their family.
