Rhodes Family ‘Blessed’ by Kline House Experience

Joyce Rhodes’s husband Edmond spent only a short time at Kline House before he passed, but it was long enough for her to be thoroughly impressed and deeply grateful for Hospice’s compassionate care.

“I can’t say enough good things about our experience,” she says. “I just want others to
know so that they can have the same opportunity during a difficult time.”

Edmond’s decision to enter hospice care at Kline House, she says, was actually the result of an answered prayer.

“Edmond had been admitted to Holy Cross Hospital, and it was clear that he was in decline. We had the opportunity to bring him home, and our family discussed it, but knew we wouldn’t be able to provide him with the level of care he needed. I prayed and prayed that night, and in the morning, when I woke up, I saw the words ‘Kline House’ on my bedroom wall. I wasn’t sure what it was, but we looked it up.”

After learning about Kline House and what it offered, Joyce and Edmond confirmed that they were ready to commit to hospice, and made the referral call. By noon, arrangements had been made for Edmond’s transport the next day.

“I had thought that there would be a lot of follow-up and organization needed from me,” she says. “The Kline House staff handled everything and took away all my stress.”

Once Edmond was settled at Kline House, they found that the nursing and facility staff were like “angels” who “treated them like family.” “They knew what his needs were before he even articulated them,” Joyce says. “His care was perfect.”

They also found Kline House itself to be incredibly peaceful and comforting given the circumstances. “It’s immaculate and beautifully decorated,” Joyce says. As a musician herself, she also appreciated the music comfort volunteers who came to sing and play guitar in the living room.

Particularly important and meaningful was the fact that Joyce and the rest of the Rhodes family – their two sons – were able to stay with Edmond around the clock. Having run the family construction business together for 40+ years, Edmond and his sons were very close.

"There was never any question or worry about whether we could stay,” Joyce says. “It meant the world to us to be able to have that last time with him in peace, while all of our other needs were completely taken care of.”

Joyce is grateful that such a peaceful and secure environment, most importantly, was able to put Edmond more at rest through the final days of his life. “He was ready,” she says. “And no one was worried about managing his care – we just got to be with him.”

After not quite a week at Kline House, Edmond, 88, passed away peacefully on February 25th. Death and grief are always a challenge, but Joyce and her family could not feel more “blessed” by how they were able to say goodbye. “The experience and support at Kline House,” she says, “is the best a person can ask for.”