Hospice opens doors for the last days of life

Boise hospice center work with 350 terminally ill children a year. All are expected to live for 6-to-12 months. We had 42 days.

Our hospice team prepared our family for the experience of losing the baby of the family, my then 14-year-old brother, Austin. They also assisted Austin, himself, in wrapping up the end of life tasks that were so important to him.

The team’s calm facilitation introduced relaxation into a chaotic atmosphere, and allowed each member of our family the opportunity to cherish our last days spent together. A few days in particular were spent at The Build-A-Bear Workshop where Austin made custom bears, including a voice message for every family member.

Through my bear, Tink, Austin’s legacy will linger throughout the remainder of my life.

With the help of hospice, Austin was able to reflect on a life well-lived and our family was able to receive the comfort we needed, from his calm understanding.

Death is a natural aspect of life, but provides an unearthly ache of the heart. The death of a loved one or the inevitable end for one’s self proves to be a dreaded, unsurpassable life trial for many.

In the case of terminal illnesses or injuries, hospice involvement and end of life medical care are usually necessary.

Though it may seem that these medically-trained individuals are only prepared to nurse and attend to the afflicted individual in aspects of wellness, these people have a much broader job description. They watch out for the rest of the family and provide answers to all types of questions.

Life’s Doors Hospice was started in 1994 by Dr. Mary Langenfeld. Over the past 14 years Life’s Doors has become a staple in the Treasure Valley. The locally-owned and operated company has also grown substantially over the years.

The Life’s Doors Center now includes Life’s Doors Home Care Solutions, which provides in-home care, medical equipment and transportation services and Life’s Doors Home Health, which provides rehabilitation and acute in-home treatment.

Life’s Doors Hospice puts on a monthly event, Door Opener, which usually consists of seminars to help educate people and make them better equipped to deal with grief and provides training on how to alleviate the suffering of those around them.

This month’s event will be held April 15, from 5:30-7 p.m. at Life’s Doors, located at 420 S. Orchard Street in Boise.

The event’s esteemed speaker is St. Alphonsus Professional Art Therapist and owner of Art Alley Lisa Williams. Williams will offer a presentation to the public about art therapy, including a depiction of its advantages in grief recovery.

In her experiences she’s learned how to use her artistic background as a vector to assist grieving individuals in growing through their pain, exploring their emotions and slowly taking back their lives.

Not only is the art exercise likely to help family members feel better after losing a special person in their lives, but the practice also has the potential to ease any lingering fears the afflicted might have.

For more information contact Life’s Doors Hospice at 344-6500.

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