Dianne Scott, from Georgetown, and her family were reeling from the sudden downward spiral of her husband Allan’s condition.   Diagnosed with Diffuse Lewy Body disease in August, they barely had time to contemplate the next steps when the disease progression landed Allan in the hospital in September.   

Dianne said, “He had only been in the hospital for a week when his condition worsened to the point that we were being asked to decide whether or not to insert a feeding tube.  I was frightened.  We were about to leave the hospital and its controlled environment.  We didn’t know what was going to happen or how I was going to care for Allan.   Then we received “the gift” of the Delaware Hospice Center. 

“We had already received help from Delaware Hospice through Al Morris and the Transitions Program.  Then, I met a Delaware Hospice nurse familiar with our situation who recommended the Delaware Hospice Center.  The nurse explained that it wasn’t a nursing home, but rather a place to take Allan for a few days to rest and learn how to care for him at home.   I decided, yes, this is the best option, which will give us time to make plans.”

They read about the Center on the website and watched the video, “which looked nice, as videos do.  But what we experienced there went far beyond our expectations,” said Dianne.

“We pulled up to the front entrance, went in, and I thought, ‘Someone planted us in a haven.’  As I walked through the door, I immediately felt a calm and peacefulness--I don’t know how else to describe it, but a sense that everything was going to be okay.”

Allan was wheeled to his room, evaluated, and made as comfortable as possible.  That first night, he was quite restless, trying to get off the bed, without energy or ability to stand.  Dianne said, “Our nurse never left us.   At some point, she said, ‘The catheter seems to be bothering him.  Let’s take it out.  We can change the linen and clean him if needed.’    We were so relieved that he spent his last days without even one tube hooked up to him.”

Dianne’s son Allan Jr. traveled to the Center from his home in Montana.  Allan said, “This was one of the worst experiences of my life to lose my Dad, but yet it was also one of the best experiences.  We were so well cared for.  Nurses were with us 24 hours a day, keeping my Dad comfortable.   Our large family made good use of the family rooms opposite the patient’s suite.   We could leave the room for a break, or allow family members alone time with Dad, and pass that time in the comfort and spaciousness of the living room for families or have a meal or coffee together in the country kitchen.  One sunny, warm day, quite a few family members were visiting, so we opened the patio doors to move outside and enjoy the fresh air.   I also remember one day a volunteer brought in homemade cookies for everyone.”

Dianne said, “During these difficult days, my husband didn’t know where he was.  He wouldn’t have known if he was home or here.  For us, we were in the best place.   We didn’t feel that we were in the cold atmosphere of an institution or hospital.  And it was so quiet.  In a hospital, you want to be near a nurses station in case of an emergency; but then you realize it’s the noisiest place to be.  At the Center, there was silence--no carts clamoring by or busy voices in the hall.   In fact, I didn’t even see the nurses station, but yet we had a nurse at our side or within reach 24 hours a day.”

Allan said, “Nothing was ever a problem.  Nothing was ever too much.  Every nurse we had at any time, any day, was excellent.  On a one to ten rating, they all receive ten.   At one point, I told one of the nurses, ‘You must all be angels here.’” 

Sadly, Allan Scott didn’t recover from this devastating illness and passed on the fifth day.  Dianne recalled, “We lost him in the middle of the night.  I was so moved when they hung a beautiful white wreath on our door to signal that we needed our privacy. 

Everyone helped with details and arrangements.  My son-in-law was about to leave for Bahrain, and the Center’s social worker helped us with the paperwork required for him to attend the funeral.  They made everything easy.   I remember a hug from a nurses aide whom I had never met; the social worker, who not only helped with paperwork, but also talked and shared stories on a personal level.”

Allan said, “We are so grateful for the care of everyone at the Center, for the comfort and peacefulness of the surroundings, even to the generosity of the volunteer seamstresses who create Memory Bears from your loved one’s clothing.

“The Delaware Hospice Center was a gift.  We weren’t looking for a place like this; we didn’t know such a place existed and never dreamed we would need it.  But somehow it found us.  People should be looking for it.”

Dianne Scott and her son Allan Scott, Jr. have placed Delaware Hospice high on their philanthropic list—both for donations and volunteering.  They returned to the Center one month after their experience there to contribute $1,000 to Delaware Hospice Center’s capital campaign.  Pictured here:  Allan Scott, Jr., Dianne Scott and Manny Arencibia, Vice President of Development, and “Maggie” at the main entrance to the Delaware Hospice Center.