Meet the Home Health & Hospice Care Team

I originally became involved with HHHC through the volunteer training and then as a member of a pet therapy team with my golden retriever, as a vigil volunteer and as a bereavement volunteer. Experiencing firsthand the care, compassion and commitment the organization brings to the market made the decision to be a board member an easy one.

Roughly four years ago, my mother succumbed to cancer at the Community Hospice House. She spent four days there before her time ran out, and our experience had an enormous impact on everyone in my family. They kept my mother relaxed and comfortable. The atmosphere was warm, relaxing and indeed loving for all of us. The staff and volunteers were, without exception, kind, courteous and thoughtful beyond belief. It may seem odd, but the Hospice House also gave us the opportunity to interact with others who were in the same position as we were. It turns out that waiting for a family member to die is a tie that bonds us all. So when the opportunity to join the HHHC Board of Directors arose, I could not turn it down.

My experience on the Board of Directors has only reinvigorated my appreciation for all the organization does. I quickly learned that the Hospice House was only a small part of the operation. With our dedicated staff and talented army of volunteers, we do an enormous amount of good in the Greater Nashua Community. We impact so many, and only in the most positive fashion. It is privilege to serve Home Health & Hospice Care.

My connection with HHHC is a very personal one. The people in this organization helped my family through a very challenging transition a few years ago. It is important to me that other experience the magic that happens when caring people work hard together to support members of our community. It’s the human thing to do.

Patients and their families need caring, highly competent services. Such services are best provided by a tightly-run, efficient organization that never loses sight of the care receivers and the caregivers. My job as a board member is to keep the organization focused on that mission. I'm honored to work with such wonderful people.

I serve on the Board of Directors as the agency CEO, however my commitment to the organization is much greater than my title. We are caregivers and volunteers living in our communities caring for our neighbors, friends and family during times of need. We are compassionate and dependable and focus on your individual needs so you may remain as healthy and independent as possible. Our skilled teams are also there to support you and your family during life’s difficult transitions. I thank all our donors who so generously support our mission.

I had been searching for a way to give back to our local community; the mission needed to make a meaningful difference in peoples lives. I had the opportunity to meet with a Board member to learn more about the Hospice House, one of only two community Hospice Houses left in the entire state. I was overwhelmed by the experience, the tremendous level of care, the staff and volunteers are truly hospice “angels”, they are so compassionate and kind. I am honored to serve as a Board member, committee member, HHHC advocate and future patient volunteer.

Long ago, I was fundraising for HHHC as a result of my involvement with the creation of The Community Hospice House, which was a gift from and to our community. My "target" kept telling me that I was "doing God's work" -- certainly an interesting label for fundraising! I decided that I needed to know more about the work I was raising money for, so I signed up for the training. I have been honored and privileged to do that work ever since, as a patient volunteer, committee member, Board member and an HHHC advocate. Associating with hospice "angels" is uplifting, to say the least! I highly recommend it.

As an immigrant, the U.S. has been very good to me and my family for nearly 50 years. So when I retired, I wanted to find a way to give back. After considering several options, I have found that HHHC is a perfect match for me to contribute my business skills to a most worthy organization. I’m happy to participate in any way I can in support of our most wonderful staff and volunteers.

Many years ago my husband and I first found out about Hospice through a friend (who was like family) in FL. We traveled to visit him at a Hospice House and were over whelmed by the whole experience – the friendly and caring staff, the beautiful facility, the aura of peace that surrounded the process of dying and the dignity that was afforded our dear friend. When we learned about the Hospice House opening in Merrimack, we went for a tour and started our longtime dedication to this organization. Since then we have seen many family members and friends experience the care offered by the Hospice “Angels” both at home and in the Hospice House. It is an honor to be on the Board, and to participate in helping this great organization reach its goal of providing patient services that excel on every level.

Originally, I was a board member and treasurer of Community Hospice of Greater Nashua in the 1980s which, along with two other entities, transformed into Home Health & Hospice Care as we know it today. I helped initiate a golf tournament fundraiser for HHHC in 1991, which is now in its 25th year. After my mother used hospice in 2002, I’m compelled to continue supporting an agency that demonstrates caring, kindness, respect, professionalism, and most of all, love.

Like so many times in life, as one door closes, another door opens. I became involved with HHHC when my mother passed away. Her care was extraordinary and I wanted to be a part of what made that possible. It changed my life.

Fifteen years ago, I was introduced to the Community Hospice House when a close friend of mine was a patient there. I was so impressed with the peaceful, compassionate and devoted end-of-life care I witnessed, that I have been a faithful supporter of the agency since. I then decided to join to Board of Directors.

Through experience on the Board, I became acquainted with the wide range of services HHHC offers. After hearing of experiences of close friends and family, I came to greatly appreciate the skill, dedication and professionalism of the staff. When my work schedule made other commitments difficult, I left the Board, but made every effort to support HHHC in other ways.

Last year, I experienced firsthand the amazing work of the agency. My husband received home care following surgery for liver cancer. The procedures and details involved in his care were numerous, but were handled appropriately and successfully. Unfortunately, after a few months, it was determined that hospice care was required. Luckily, he was able to remain at home and his final days were peaceful, gentle and relatively pain-free.

Now, I want to do what I can to give back to the agency that has given so much to so many. With more time to dedicate, I am honored to rejoin the HHHC Board and look forward to doing my part to ensure the success of such an integral part of the healthcare system in southern NH.

My relationship with HHHC has been a long one. While growing up, my grandfather lived with us and I witnessed the excellent care that HHHC provided him, first as a general home care patient and ultimately as a home hospice patient. Even at a young age, I was struck by the dignity afforded to him and the compassion shown towards him and my family during an extremely difficult time. The experience shaped us. My sister has worked at the Community Hospice House since it first opened, and I have had the honor of knowing many staff members and volunteers there over the years. Their work truly is a calling, and one that I believe highlights the best of humanity. Their devotion, skill, and commitment to service only became more apparent over time when I’ve had loved ones pass at the House. Many friends and family members have received a variety of other services from HHHC, and all have been thankful and deeply impacted by the organization. HHHC offers vital services to the community, and it does so with tremendous skill, professionalism, and compassion. I am proud and humbled to serve on the Board of such an extraordinary organization.

Three of my family members received end-of-life care through Hospice and our family was very appreciative of the loving care our family received. My father also had visiting nurses as he recovered from a heart attack last year, which helped him through a rough time. Last summer, I created a meditation room for HHHC's Designer Showhouse. I really enjoyed getting to know the staff and volunteers involved in the Showhouse and being part of such a great community effort in redesigning that historic home. So, I decided to become a board member to support all of Home Health & Hospice Care’s good work.

I believe that giving back to the community is a must in my life. This belief has led me to have the honor of serving on the HHHC Board of Directors. The care and respect for patients and their families that I have witnessed makes me very proud to serve. The quality and commitment of each staff member makes me want to be a better board member to honor them. I wanted to be a part of this. I am grateful that I have been given the opportunity to serve.

After my beautiful daughter, Janie, died in 1992 from Type 1 juvenile diabetes, I decided that I needed to be involved in a giving and caring organization that helps people. I am not really sure how I was guided to HHHC, but I have worn many hats and have been actively involved ever since. My wonderful husband, Tom, passed away in 2004 under the terrific care at the Community Hospice House. I love the organization.

I serve because I have seen first-hand how hospice care blesses patients and their families: Hospice Atlanta provided two of my grandparents a peaceful death while caring for their grieving loved ones, and I want others to have that comfort. I serve because I want the process of dying to be a valued part of living to the fullest.

I have witnessed the special work of Home Health & Hospice staff firsthand, both as a physician and as the loved one of a patient. I feel honored to be able to support the work of the people who fulfill such an important need in the community and do it so well.

A couple of years ago, I was looking to volunteer at a local non-profit where my work skills may be complimentary. Having roots in Nashua, I heard about the kindness, patience and professionalism that family members experienced with loved ones at the Community Hospice House. A teacher mentioned the Good Grief program and the compassionate support to her elementary school student. Now I can confirm HHHC is absolutely extraordinary as rumored.