Suzanne Herdlicka was always close with her mother, Jean. They taught together at St. Paul Catholic School, and Suzanne assisted Jean with managing her diabetes and other health issues.

“I enjoyed taking care of my mom and being with her because she cared for me for all those years of my life,” she said. “From being a little girl to the ups and downs in my adulthood, I learned from her what love is and how to care for the people you love.”

When it was time for Jean to have more consistent care near the end of her life, it was a priority for Suzanne to keep her mother at home.

“My mother and I had talked long before she needed this type of care,” Suzanne said. “She didn’t want to go to a nursing home; she wanted to be at home, and I wanted that for her, too.”

Suzanne knew about Aultman’s Compassionate Care Center, which is an inpatient hospice facility. When she contacted Aultman, she was pleasantly surprised to learn that her mother could choose to receive hospice care in their home instead of inpatient care.

“I thought to myself, I can do this if professionals are giving me advice and helping me through the process,” she said. “It gave my mom comfort and peace.”

Suzanne and her mother started with palliative care and then transitioned to hospice care about six months before her passing. “My mom made all the decisions because she was still very alert,” she said. “I didn’t always agree with what she wanted, but I needed to do it her way.”

Suzanne had nothing but praise for the Aultman Hospice care team, noting it was the collective effort of the team that made her mother’s end-of-life journey more comforting.

The aides who were in and out of the home became Jean’s social life and added to her mental well-being. Their appointments became those of friends coming to visit, with the aides making time during their care to talk and share stories with Jean.

Their nurse, Amy, “was our angel from Aultman,” Suzanne said. “She was by our side, helping us navigate this end-of-life journey. She exuded caring and compassion. She sat and listened to my mom and me, never in a hurry and always present mentally and emotionally.”

Amy and Jean would sit and talk, ensuring she knew the current situation and what Jean wanted. “I was very confident in Amy, and we trusted her,” Suzanne said. “She knew what she was doing and was in constant contact with Dr. Jeffrey Marsh [hospice medical director].”

When it was time for her mom to pass, Suzanne remembered that Jean’s eyes suddenly opened and “she unexpectedly got the biggest smile on her face. She was so devoted to Jesus, Mary and God, who were waiting for her. I knew it because I saw that joy on her face. At that moment, I wanted her to pass and be in a better place and not in a place of pain and suffering. I know she went to heaven because I saw it. It was beautiful.

“I wish every family that has a loved one in hospice could experience that joy. That was a gift from God and my mother to witness that. I advocate for Aultman’s home hospice care. I couldn’t have done it any other way for my mother.”