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Let the circle of care be unbroken

| Everyday Moments

An older lady laying down takes her tempaerature and rests hand on her forehead.

Caregivers circle family with care as they spend last moments with their loved one

It was flu season. The bug hit hard.

Not able to fight the flu on her own, Ida Templeton was admitted to the cardiac care unit at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver, Washington where she

Amber Wright and mother-in-law
battled for two weeks.

Despite the excellent care Templeton received from nurses and certified nurse assistants, the struggle wore her out. On the evening she passed, her breathing slowed and grew quieter; her loving family surrounding her as she took her final breaths.

Amber Wright, Templeton’s daughter-in-law, noted that the team at PeaceHealth Southwest was there to serve “mom” as well as the needs of her family.

She said the caregivers did their utmost to make sure their patient wasn’t in any pain as they created an atmosphere from which this gentle soul could pass peacefully.

Wright said the staff seemed to know that it is the little things that make the biggest difference. They made sure things were quiet around Templeton’s room and they tended to the family, bringing whatever was needed from water to washcloths.

When this lovely lady left this world, her son and daughter-in-law where holding her hand. The unbroken circle of care by compassionate caregivers surrounded the family during these moments that live on as a precious memory for them—an act of grace for which they are ever grateful.

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