Laura Tommas is a perdiem LPN who works with hospice for continuous care patients.
Laura does not work for the VNA frequently.
There was a complex hospice patient, a young patient with young children. The family had been struggling with a terminal cancer diagnosis for years. The spouse was particular and had been managing the patient's complex care for a very long time.
Laura was called to help manage the patient at night so that the spouse and family could rest. Laura, with her calm and soft approach and her understanding of different personalities and how to work with people, was instrumental in bringing some peace, to the family. The spouse, who had felt let down by the medical care system, came to trust Laura. I feel that one of the only times he could rest was when Laura was at the bedside of his wife.
Laura told me how she would sit with the patient, allow her to talk and listen. She also told me how the children would sometimes come in, in the middle of the night, and just snuggle with mom.
Laura, who also has another job during the day, worked many 16 hour shifts and then went to her other job. I asked her if she was ok, was this something she could continue to do, and she would say "yes I will do it, it is what the family needs".
I think that sums up what Laura is really about.