Sue Chenard’s mother, Lois Andrashko, was diagnosed last September with a vascular disease in the brain which caused dementia and polyneuropathy, an inability to move properly. When doctors told Chenard that her mother could not be cared for any longer at the hospital, Chenard sought help to facilitate her mother’s care in her home. Soon after, she discovered Abode Home & Hospice Care, a new local Medicare-certified and accredited agency that offers in-home nursing services, as well as occupational, physical and speech therapy from nurses and caregivers.
Hospice services offer medical care to improve the quality of life for someone whose illness, disease or condition is unlikely to be cured. “Each patient’s individualized care plan is created to address the physical, emotional and spiritual pain that often accompanies terminal illness,” Sally Maynard, RN administrator at Abode, says. Abode also offers medication for symptom control, dietary counseling and proper medical equipment.
The best part for Chenard and her family has been the emotional support. “I didn’t want someone to just come in and go through the motions. That’s why I love Abode, because they truly care for my mother in her condition,” Chenard says. Jessie Eisenchenk, Andrashko’s main caretaker, also helps support Lois’s husband, Jack. Chenard feels comfortable knowing that if anything happens, Eisenchenk and the rest of the care team from Abode will be there to help her and her family. “We call them ‘her people’ now,” Chenard says.
