The story of Caldwell Hospice and Palliative Care’s patient care unit is told best by the individuals whose lives have been touched by it. As the organization marks the 20th anniversary of North Carolina’s first free-standing patient care unit, it shares stories from a nurse, a minister and son, a daughter-in-law, and a doctor, all of whose lives have been affected by this place.

The Hospice nurse—Diana Ervin
The first day on the job for Caldwell Hospice and Palliative Care nurse Diana Ervin was January 25, 1989—ten days after the patient care unit dedication ceremony and seven days before the first patient was admitted on February 1. Diana recalls patients and families served over two decades and the lessons she has learned, as a result.

Diana says working as a PCU nurse has taught her that each patient’s situation is unique, whether an infant, an adult with ALS, or a person with psychosocial issues. At one time, Diana feared pain and death, but she learned that “there is almost always some solution” to patients’ discomfort.

Caring for many different people, often in very difficult situations, Diana’s calm demeanor helps her handle challenges with ease, according to her co-workers.

Diana recalls spending considerable time with patients in those early months when the PCU census was not yet stable. The PCU staff cared for one patient over a five-month stay; during part of that time, she was the only patient in the PCU! This woman had many needs, but the most compelling turned out to be her need for a family. The PCU staff celebrated her birthday, participated in her baptism, and stayed with her when she died. Diana also remembers the infant who was wheeled in a bassinet borrowed from Caldwell Memorial alongside staff members as they worked, allowing them to keep an eye on the infant and care for the other patients.

The minister and son—Father Mike Cogsdale
Father Mike Cogsdale, rector of St. James Episcopal Church in Lenoir, remembers that his father’s health was worsening over the 1988 Christmas holidays. By Easter 1989, Mr. Cogsdale’s heart was wearing down, as was the energy of Father Mike and his wife.

After Easter, a Caldwell Memorial Hospital doctor made a suggestion to Father Cogsdale and his wife:  “You guys are tired, and Mr. Cogsdale is probably tired. Let him go to Hospice for a few days, and you can get a break.” They viewed the stay as “respite,” not realizing that the end was very near. A day after a visit from Mr. Cogsdale's sister, Father Mike thinks his father was ready to die in this place. He recalls how his father’s breathing changed, from agitated to intermittent to, finally, “the most profound, beautiful sigh that one can imagine.” He says his father’s breath kept going and going “till it was quietly gone.”
Hospice allowed his father’s life to “end on a note of celebration,” says Father Mike.  He speaks of the ground at Kirkwood as being “different,” “a holy place,” overseen by staff members who are professionals and who recognize the importance of being “part of the process at end of life.”

The daughter-in-law—Carolyn Lingle
Carolyn Lingle, whose mother-in-law Ann Lingle was the PCU’s 11th patient, recalls the experience as a “sad but most wonderful thing,” remembering that “it became our home for five weeks.” Carolyn says she knew nothing about hospice care until “her [mother-in-law’s] doctor told us about it.”

The PCU staff was unfailingly kind and helpful to the Lingle family. Carolyn says that, as her mother-in-law moved closer to death, one of the nurses said to her:  “Ann, it’s all right to go. Bob and Carolyn and the grandchildren will be all right.” The patient’s brother arrived from Florida that weekend to see his sister. A few days later, in the patient’s final hours, one of her sisters, the sister’s husband, the patient’s son Bob, and his wife Carolyn “were all there holding her hand and waiting,” Carolyn remembers.

The Hospice doctor—Dr. Robert Belk
When the patient care unit observed its 10th anniversary in 1999, Dr. Belk wrote about its value to patients and families:

I remember dropping by the unit…to speak to a patient…. The wife was sitting by the bed, holding his hand softly, reaffirming him. I asked if I could call the minister or a close friend and she said, “No.” “So, I assume you’d just like to be alone?” I asked. “No,” she said. So, I just sat with them… she recalled the beautiful story of their marriage, love, and faith. It was heartwarming to be able to share the story of their life together. About 50 minutes later, he died and other family members began arriving.

The patient care unit was planned and constructed because, even though most people preferred to receive hospice services at home, that wasn’t always possible.

The process required four years, from early planning, application to and approval by the State, revisions to the original plans, through completion of construction. The patient care unit at Kirkwood was dedicated on January 15, 1989. From the beginning, the design was meant to “look and feel like home,” offering patients and their families comfort and peace, as well as quality hospice care during their time there.

For patients, their families, and Caldwell Hospice and Palliative Care’s staff, the patient care unit has been an enormous benefit in providing quality end-of-life care in an environment that is as close to “home” as possible. Who has received the greater blessing is hard to decide.

Now, CHPC is clearing ground on Pine Mountain Road in Hudson for construction of an additional 12-bed patient care unit. The “second home” for hospice patients will offer acute care and residential care. The stories from CHPC’s patient care units have only begun, according to Executive Director Cathy Swanson. “The care our staff gives to patients and families will extend to more citizens in Caldwell and the surrounding counties.”