Page 14 - NVNA Call to Grace 2020

Living
THROUGH PEAKS AND VALLEYS
D onna Van Boom knew what she wanted in life: to live each day to the fullest. She knew she wanted quality experiences through traveling the world and, most importantly, through spending time with her loved ones. She also knew how she wanted to live out her final days, especially after caring for her own mother who had been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s years earlier. Donna did her research to identify which services she would eventually need, and so when she received her own Alzheimer’s diagnosis, her daughter Victoria Milano knew that hospice
would be a part of the family conversation.
“My mother had a fall, which was our turning point,” says Victoria. “She was living out in Western Massachusetts at the time, and my siblings and I were trying to navigate the best course of action for her.”
With a recent introduction to the mission of NVNA and Hospice and a desire to fulfill her mother’s directives, Victoria reached out to a member of the Charitable Fund Board of Trustees for advice. “I was immediately connected to a member of the NVNA and Hospice clinical team, and from that moment on I was relieved and grateful to have such thoughtful guidance.”
Victoria’s mother transferred to the Pat Roche Hospice Home in Hingham. Donna was a resident for a week, and during that time her family immersed themselves into the experience with their mother. “It was relaxed and we all felt cared for,” Victoria reflects. “I knew she was in the right place and that this was a gift to her and to all of us.”
“You want to avoid fear and pain and suffering for your loved one, so you have to have an open mind and an open heart about the care they might need,” says Victoria.
12 Call to Grace | 2020 | NVNA.org
Victoria Milano, Donna’s daughter
“When you wrap your head around it, hospice becomes common sense. We all have to prepare for end of life, and, like my dear mother believed, you want to die the way you wanted to live, with grace and dignity.” n
Donna Van Boom atop Machu Picchu in Peru