VIDEO: VITAS Feels Like Family

“Family” is an ideal description for hospice care. Hospice is family members and a professional hospice team working together to provide compassionate end-of-life care to a loved one.

“It’s a privilege to go into the homes, the lives of our patients and families,” says Nicolle Grasse, a VITAS chaplain. “We coordinate as a team to make sure we can cocoon our patients and families with full support in whatever ways they need us most.”

Just as family members rely on their own unique skills and talents when facing difficult challenges, VITAS team members bring their expertise and compassion to a patient’s final months, weeks, days and hours. Over time, they feel like family.

“Someone had our backs, somebody was always there for us,” says Randy, whose family relied on VITAS to fulfill a promise to care for their dying mother at home. “It didn’t matter if it was two o’clock in the morning or if it was 4 o’clock in the afternoon on a Friday, VITAS was there for us. They care about the people. They care about the family. And they care about doing the right thing.”

Indeed, a VITAS hospice team makes sure families are not alone on their end-of-life journey.

“The human spirit can find a way and find strength, even when we’re not quite sure that we can,” Grasse says. “It’s really been just such gift to be a part of people’s lives. They really see us as an important part of their family relationship.”