Barb’s Story
Longtime patient improves from hospice and palliative care
Barb Wildman of Reinbeck considers herself blessed.
She has been cared for by Cedar Valley Hospice since only a couple months after her husband, Chuck, passed away on April 12, 2018.
“I had been so busy taking care of my husband, that I think a lot of my health issues were kind of put to the side,” she said. Chuck was not on the program long enough (four days), she adds, to really experience the benefits of all that Cedar Valley Hospice has to offer.
The couple was married for 65 years. After he died, Barb was placed in our LINK Palliative Care program as someone who had serious illnesses, but did not meet hospice criteria. A couple months later, she started to experience reoccurring hospital visits with multiple ailments affecting her heart, lungs and kidneys, and was then moved onto our hospice program. Over three years after her personal journey started with Cedar Valley Hospice, her condition has stabilized and she transferred back to the LINK palliative care program.
Erica Jensen, nurse practitioner, equates Barb’s longevity to excellent case management. “Our nurse closely monitored her and called her primary care physician when symptoms were arising, so we could quickly adjust her medicines to prevent her condition from getting worse,” said Erica. “It made a big difference, as well as having an aide to help with her housework and meal prep ensured she had food prepared on days when she wasn’t feeling good to let her conserve her energy more.”
“When you’re alone with no family living close, I feel blessed that I have Cedar Valley Hospice to come in, check on me, help me with doctors and whatever else may come at me that week,” said Barb. “I probably would have gone to the nursing home if it wasn’t for them.”
Barb often attributes her good spirits to the visits she receives. She gets emotional when talking about all those who have helped her.
“They are so sincere about what they do and truly show you that they care,” Barb adds. “It’s not just a job to them. They do so much above and beyond what I even thought was possible for a care team.”
Whether it’s the nurse communicating with Barb’s doctors or the social worker acting as the go-between with insurance companies, Barb has more peace of mind knowing Cedar Valley Hospice has her back.
“The LINK program is beneficial for her, and our other patients, as it provides a care team that has a ‘big picture focus’ on their overall well-being,” says Barb’s social worker, Kortni. “Today, each provider has such a specialized focus that we miss the impact each bodily system has on another. Taking a step back and looking at the big picture makes such a positive impact for them.”
Barb’s nurse, Kris, agrees and adds, “We really honor that uniqueness each patient brings us and encourage them to do what brings them joy.”
For Barb, it’s her art and her crafting… and she loves sharing it with her team when they come to visit her.
“What they do – it’s not about death. It’s about living the best now, them helping you along that road and making it easier,” Barb said. “Their support has meant so much.”
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