On the Radio

While many people start looking at Angela Hospice for a loved one after hearing about it through a friend or relative, it was an Angela Hospice radio ad that caught Sue Baumberger’s attention.

“That really is what initially started me looking at Angela Hospice,” said Sue, a Woodhaven resident.

Sue with a photo of her dad, Robert, who
was in Angela Hospice care.

Sue and her sister knew that they would have to put their dad, Richard, on hospice care eventually. He had kidney failure and congested heart failure. So with the help of her sister’s friend, who used to work in hospice, their search was on.

“There were a couple that we had narrowed it down to,” Sue said. “We choose Angela Hospice based on her recommendation as well as what I was able to find online.”

And all those radio ads.

Even though Sue had no prior hospice experience, she had only heard good things about using it. Her sister had first-hand experience after using hospice for her mother-in-law.

“No matter what you’ve heard, you really don’t know until you go through it yourself,” she said.

Richard was under Angela Hospice care for a little over a month while living at an assisted living facility. He was then transferred to the VA Medical Center in downtown Detroit, where he would stay for a week-and-a-day before passing at 83. Even through it all he kept his great sense of humor, Sue said.

“He always made everybody laugh, even at the VA towards the end,” Sue said.

Sue also said that everyone that met him loved him, like the Angela Hospice staff. The feeling was mutual.

“I can’t say enough about Ann,” Sue said. Angela Hospice social worker Ann-Patrice Foley was assigned to Richard’s case.

“It was just a very, ‘What can we do for you?” attitude,” Sue said.

That “what can we do for you” attitude began the minute Sue met Ann-Patrice at the assisted living facility where Richard lived. Sue said Ann-Patrice immediately asked if they would need a hospital bed, which they did.

When Richard was reaching the point of needing more care than the assisted living facility could offer, Ann-Patrice worked diligently to try to get him into the VA. This included filling out a nine-page questionnaire for the family.

“When you get a questionnaire and it’s nine pages long…for her to facilitate that for us was just unbelievable,” Sue said.

For Sue, her experience with Ann-Patrice was one of many moments that stood out during her dad’s time under Angela Hospice care.

Another was when Richard, a Navy veteran, had a We Honor Veterans ceremony. It was a very special moment for the whole family. The family had originally been there to celebrate Richard’s birthday. This way they got to do both.

“John did an outstanding job,” Sue said of volunteer John Stern, one of the coordinators of the We Honor Veterans program at Angela Hospice. “That was very nice.”

She also mentioned how quick the response time was when she needed something, like when her dad had a huge blister on his face. Sue called for a nurse because she was concerned, and one came immediately.

“The response time to things we knew nothing about…was just wonderful,” Sue said.

For Sue, having this amount of care for her dad came as a bit of a surprise.

“I knew that hospice was a caring organization, and there to help you, but I didn’t really know the amount of care or the capability that Angela Hospice had for our particular circumstance,” Sue said.

Sue was so moved by the care her dad received that she even wrote a thank-you note to Angela Hospice.

“The compassion that Angela Hospice offered, as well as the support; and everything that goes along with it, was just awesome,” Sue said.