In July, Paula Shierling, a resilient 74-year-old, found herself in the hospital at SGMC Health battling a relapse of Multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer that develops in plasma cells. Her care team recommended Hospice of South Georgia (HOSG) to keep her comfortable during the final stages of her illness. Paula, empowered to make her own choices, embraced hospice care and was discharged to the comfort of her home.
However, the tranquility of home was soon disrupted by the challenges of managing Paula’s pain. The Shierling family turned to HOSG for guidance. Within a couple of hours, Paula was admitted to Langdale Hospice House (LHH), HOSG’s Inpatient Care Center, where her pain was swiftly brought under control.
A few days into her stay with her pain under control, Nurse Practitioner Eli Metts presented Paula with a choice: return home or continue receiving care at LHH. Without hesitation, Paula made it clear—she wanted to remain at LHH, pleased by the exceptional level of care she was receiving.
Bobby, Paula’s husband, also expressed his gratitude for the impeccable service and care provided by HOSG. In a conversation with Eli, Bobby shared that had he chosen to stay at home with his wife, he would have been busy with caregiving duties and less able to savor precious moments. He was grateful to honor his wife’s wishes and emphasized the importance of the quality time they were able to share.
HOSG team members Rachael Lustfeldt, LCSW, and Paula Dennis, RN, Case Manager, shared their joy in visiting and getting to know Paula.
“Often times we have patients that can’t speak or have meaningful conversations, but the conversations with Paula were always pleasant,” shared Rachael.
Case Manager Ken Croft, RN, added that Bobby’s unwavering presence by Paula’s side during her final days was an honor to witness.
As they walked out of LHH for the last time, Bobby recounted the words of Tommy Luke, RN, Case Manager, who shared, “Our staff always walks patients in, and we walk them out.” Reflecting on the journey, he marveled at how much easier the process of saying goodbye became when surrounded by the right people. The personal service extended by HOSG and LHH resonated until the very end, leaving Bobby profoundly thankful for the compassionate care that eased their family’s path through Paula’s final moments.
