Michelle Demchak
October 2020
Michelle
Demchak
,
RN
Homecare & Hospice
MaineGeneral Health
Augusta
,
ME
United States
Mom trusted Michelle, as we all did. She was patient, she was quick to action, and she listened.
Michelle came to our home the very next day after we made the decision to move forward with home hospice care. She called ahead of the visit to make sure the timing was suitable for us, and to give us notification that she was on her way. This allowed us to ensure my mom was awake and prepared for her visit. On her first visit, she introduced herself to my mom and the rest of our family who was gathered so we could all listen to the program details and ask questions each of us had. I mentioned to Michelle that Mom was hard of hearing and was quite groggy from the medication she was on. There was an immediate sense of relief from everyone in the family, but especially from my mom. Michelle did all the initial paperwork and explained what her role was, what the hospice care team does, explained the nurses were available 24/7, told us about counseling and family support, and a team of CNAs available as frequently as required for personal care for Mom. Michelle was a Godsend for us. We faced several challenges with medications, as Mom was having a lot of difficulties swallowing pills and she was having a lot of nausea. Michelle worked with the doctor to get liquid medications, making life easier for us all. Each problem, issue, or concern we had, was immediately actioned and answered. Having a parent/family member in-home hospice care was something totally unfamiliar to us, and Michelle made us all comfortable and made sure we had all medical equipment to make life easier. She offered suggestions on things like a bedside commode, which we never would have thought about, and it was a massive help. When Mom’s health rapidly declined, Michelle suggested crushed ice cubes. Again, this was something we just would not have thought of but was extremely helpful. I remember the look on Mom’s face when we first gave her an ice cube, and it was like seeing something take a bit of chocolate cake. Mom trusted Michelle, as we all did. She was patient, she was quick to action, and she listened. I’m sure this professionalism and level of care is something she gives each family, but to ours, it was special. We never felt rushed through her visits, and she sat spoke with us on a personal level, not just clinical. This provided a wonderful and much-needed distraction from the situation. I can’t thank Michelle and the MaineGeneral hospice team enough for their swift response and attention. MaineGeneral is fortunate to have such an amazing employee on their team, and any family in this unfortunate circumstance would be blessed to have Michelle looking after their loved one. I hope she gets the recognition she deserves. A sincere thank you, Michelle, from our family. The world needs a lot more of you.