J.W. came to Clarehouse in June of 2021 and was with us for four days. His cancer diagnosis two days prior had been a shock to his entire family, and his decline was swift. J.W.’s daughter, Julie, wrote of their time with us –
“Clarehouse (that encompasses the actual home, staff, and volunteers) gave us such valuable time to say goodbye to dad. The nurses and assistants did such an amazing job of keeping my dad comfortable, and did everything they could to keep in front of his newly felt pain. I know the house was full and there were other people they were taking just as good care of, but you never would have known it. I am sure each guest and family felt as if they were the priority.
The creature comforts at Clarehouse were also outstanding, they kept us fed. I particularly was thankful for the chocolate croissants in the morning and Betty was able to get a fresh cup of coffee every morning. When we wanted to stay close to dad but
needed to take a little break, we would go upstairs to the dining room and look at the trees bending in the wind. When I would go outside, I would walk the memorial gardens looking at all the memorial stones and plaques.”
During their stay, they benefitted from the compassionate care and support, as well as the end-of-life education provided. Julie continued –
“The staff were also so gentle and understanding with us. They helped us understand what was going on, they answered all our questions, probably several times as we probably asked the same questions over and over. He was taken from us so fast but time slowed down at Clarehouse, enough that we were all able to make peace with it and spend such deep quality time with dad and each other. I still don’t feel that I have adequately conveyed what Clarehouse has done for my family, but I will forever be grateful.”
We are grateful for Julie’s beautiful words. It was an honor for us to care for her family during this difficult time. The care that J.W. and his family received is only possible due to charitable giving. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to all of our donors.