By Michelle Ducey

From the very first day that my husband, Jim Ducey, was moved to the inpatient hospice wing at St. Francis everyone went the extra mile to make sure that he was comfortable. The nursing staff was very different compared to what we’d come to expect in the various hospitals and nursing centers that Jim had been in over the last two years that we really didn’t know how to react. I especially loved the care they showed in bathing him and making sure that he was happy, which was not easy! Being a retired physician, he was sometimes pretty demanding!

Jim loved telling everyone about our little dog, Alli. He was so excited when one of the aides, Annie, found a special dog printed blanket for his bed.  She was such a joy to Jim.

The staff made his move to come home so easy for me. From arranging to his transfer to making sure that we had all the equipment that was needed was amazing. Since Jim was paralyzed from the waist down, I was unsure what to expect for care giving. What a marvelous surprise we received! 

The nurses were so good at changing his med line (on an almost weekly basis) that Jim didn’t even have any complaints! And the bath aides were so wonderful that I can’t even begin to tell you how awesome they were. 

What I remember the most about every single person that we had contact with at Harry Hynes was that they took the time to learn about Jim, not just as a patient but as a person and a physician.  

Even after ten years I still remember the people that made Jim’s final days comfortable and joy filled. They are the best!