Palliative care staff keep older couple together until their last days

Untitled design (81)
Tommy and Virigina Stevens, 91, were holding hands until the end. [Source: The Stevens Family]

Family and doctors of an older American couple have recounted how “They [didn’t stop] holding hands the whole time” during their final moment in hospital before dying nine days apart. 

Before their deaths, Doyle Thomas “Tommy” and Virginia Stevens, both 91, had been married for nearly seven decades before Tommy died a day before what would have been their 69th anniversary at a Tennessee hospital. 

Recent unrelated medical emergencies caused the pair to be transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), separating the life partners at a time when they needed each other the most. Compassionate problem-solving by the Palliative Care Unit and the Trauma Intensive Care Unit teams allowed the couple to be reunited and their family to be with them in one room.

The couple’s eldest daughter said being in the same room allowed the family to focus on both of them and reminiscence on fond memories. 

Karen Kreager, the couple’s daughter, told the hospital that her parents “both lit up” when they saw each other during their reunion at the hospital before Tommy’s death. 

“He was awake when she came in […] “His eyes were open. He wasn’t communicating a lot — just in small whispers. But he knew that she was there and that she was going to be right beside him,” Ms Kreager said.

“They [didn’t stop] holding hands the whole time.” 

Untitled design (83)
Tommy and Virginia in their youth (left) and Virginia with daughter Karen and granddaughter Catherine (right). [Source: The Stevens Family]

Tommy, a US Army veteran, had Alzheimer’s disease and was moved to the memory care unit of the assisted living facility where he resided with Virginia. Breathing issues and low blood pressure saw Tommy taken to VUMC where he was diagnosed with sepsis and pneumonia and was later moved to VUMC’s Palliative Care Unit when further treatment was no longer possible.

On the same day that Tommy was taken to the hospital, Virginia experienced a fall and was transported to the same hospital. Virginia was admitted to VUMC’s Trauma ICU, suffering six broken ribs, a spinal fracture and a hip injury.

VUMC’s Medical Director of their adult Palliative Care Program, Doctor Mohana Karlekar, said Tommy and Virigina’s story reminded her of why care staff do what they do. 

“We brought this family together during one of their most difficult times with little effort on our part. It involved a call, seeing an extra patient that day and some conversations […] It is a reminder to me about how each of us should remember that taking just a little time can be so impactful and that we should do this more often.”

Virginia and her family were with Tommy when he died on September 8 and Virginia was also surrounded by family when she passed on September 17 to be reunited with her husband.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  1. Great to read this positive acknowledgment of staff taking the initiative to provide holistic palliation.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Elderly Gentleman’s Body Found 6 Months After Trying To Walk Home From Aged Care Facility

The body of 88-year-old Mount Doran man, Albert Smith, has been found near Ballarat more than six months after disappearing from his aged care facility in an attempt to walk home. It is alleged that Mr. Smith, who went missing in early October, left the facility without telling anyone and that he was in the... Read More

Leaving songs as a legacy

When Eric Ludwick was a boy, his life was intertwined with music; he sang in a choir and played the piano, and he built up a foundation of musical knowledge. Years later, in 2011, Eric was diagnosed with motor neurone disease. The diagnosis led him to worry he had been living a “wasteful” life up... Read More

Simple Reading Test Tell You If You’re At Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease, Say Scientists

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, affecting up to 70% of all people with dementia. People with Alzheimer’s have a number of different symptoms which are unique to each individual. Some people experience frequent memory difficulties, loss of enthusiasm for previously enjoyed activities, inability to process questions and instructions, deterioration of social... Read More
Advertisement