Alittle more than 46 years ago, Grace Livingston met her husband, Morgan, in Lahaina, Maui. With tremendous love for each other and a strong desire to see the world, the couple embarked on an adventure to experience and live in different parts of the world including the Virgin Islands, Fiji, New Zealand, Tahiti, Australia and Norfolk Island, and finally moving back to Hawaii.
Morgan Livingston supported the traveling and his family by working as a carpenter in the different places they lived. After building a life of family, work and adventurous world travel, Morgan’s health began to decline from complex health issues: diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and vascular dementia. The Livingstons knew they needed help.
Morgan was under Hospice of Hilo’s home care program for eight months. During that time, the hospice was able to reduce his pain and suffering and get his symptoms under control.
“Everyone at Hospice of Hilo is the cream of the crop. We had an RN every week, wonderful Spiritual Counselors and Social Workers,” Grace Livingston said. “Anything that I could need, they helped me and my husband. They didn’t ask anything of us.”
Morgan’s dementia, however, got progressively worse and became too difficult to be managed at home. Grace decided to have him enter Life Care Center.
“He would always be trying to climb over the fence at our house and I couldn’t keep up, I wasn’t sleeping, I was like zombie lady,” Grace Livingston said. “Life Care was really good to him. They were able to give him the proper medication to keep him calm.”
After a month at Life Care Center, Morgan Livingston passed away.
“I could not have cared for my husband without the help from organizations like Hospice of Hilo and Life Care Center,” Grace Livingston said. “Each of them stepped in at a crucial time to help me and my husband.”
In addition to hospice care provided at the residence of patients, Hospice of Hilo also cares for patients at its Pohai Malama a Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Care Center. The 12-suite facility provides a home-like environment for patients who are not able to be cared for in their own residence.
Even though Morgan Livingston passed away about a year ago, Grace still receives bereavement support through Hospice of Hilo’s community bereavement program. Hospice of Hilo’s adult and children’s grief support program conducts one-on-one, group and family counseling sessions, free of charge, for anyone who has experienced loss. The loss does not have to be a patient who was served by hospice.
“I have been with many support groups in my life and I am a firm believer of their effectiveness in helping people in their time of need,” Grace Livingston said. “Everyone should seek support in their time of need. Whether it is a support group after the loss of a loved one or additional help when caring for your loved one.
“These organizations can provide so much guidance and comfort during a very chaotic time. I wish more people would reach out for help in their time of need.”
For more information about Hospice of Hilo’s programs, call 969-1733 or visit www.hospiceofhilo.org.
