Phyllis Plank of Mendota Heights knows the pain of loss. Her husband died on Veteran’s Day
in 2016. “Ed was bedridden, and I cared for him in our home with visits from a Hospice agency because care facilities were unaffordable,” she says.
Six months after Ed passed away, Phyllis’s 98-year-old mother, Bernice Hoekstra, suffered a horrific fall in the dining room of her senior care facility and was taken to United Hospital. Realizing she would not recover, Phyllis once again faced unaffordable care challenges until she heard about the Our Lady of Peace (OLP) Residential Hospice.
“A social worker at the hospital told me about OLP,” Phyllis explains. “He said, ‘It’s wonderful there, and they have an opening.’ I was relieved, and being admitted to OLP meant the world to me and my family.”
The Hospice Experience
Phyllis vividly recalls the day her mother arrived at OLP. “The caregivers were so tender and loving.” She remembers standing in the doorway when her mom had a spa bath. “They were so kind and gentle. It was unbelievable.” Phyllis also remembers sitting around a table with her siblings and OLP staff. “Everyone was so very kind to us,” she says. “They explained how they would take good care of our mom, and it wouldn’t cost a thing. I couldn’t believe it. We told them she was ready to die and go be with the Lord, and then they asked if we were ready to let her go, and we were.”
Bernice lived six days in OLP’s care and died on Phyllis and Ed’s anniversary. Her family visited her every day. “I felt comfortable as a Baptist person at OLP, Phyllis says. “I respect the Catholic faith, and they respected mine. They were kind to my whole family, making sure we were all doing okay. I felt peace and kindness. I told someone I felt like I was on holy ground. I felt the Holy Spirit there and realized there is no other place like this.”
When Bernice passed, Phyllis and her family made a donation to OLP to help ensure that other families would receive the same loving care they did. Phyllis also found comfort in OLP’s grief group for widows and our Butterfly Release and Memorial Celebration that she attended soon after her mom died. She said, “A butterfly landed on my shoulder, and I knew it was my mom.”
Phyllis also thanks OLP for leading her to GriefShare where she received more significant support. “It helped me so much,” she said. “And God kept telling me I should share my story with others and help support them, so I now lead a GriefShare group at my church. It’s been a huge blessing to encourage others and let them know there is hope.”