Marge's Story

When Marge* reached out to Hospice SLO County for help, she did not know what she needed but knew she did not have much money to spend.  She was connected with our on-site Care Manager right away. It was discovered that Marge was caring for her bedbound husband, and she had medical problems herself.

The Care Manager immediately matched Marge and her husband with one of our In-Home Volunteers for much-needed respite care at no cost. The Care Manager set up palliative care paid for by insurance and connection to two agencies that provided extra caregiving support free of charge. Finally, she coordinated communication with the doctors to get needed caregiving supplies.

The Care Manager’s telephonic check-ins helped reassure Marge that she wasn't alone. Marge was able to have a single point of contact to call with questions, concerns, and unfolding needs. All of this happened without cost. For-profit Care Managers can charge $150 per hour to provide this level of care coordination. Without Hospice SLO County and our on-site Care Manager, Marge, and many like her are without guidance and support.

When her husband died, Marge attended ten sessions of our individual grief counseling. These one-on-one sessions allowed Marge to focus on her grief and the trauma she had just lived through. When the sessions were over, her counselor suggested she join Hospice SLO County's Loss of Spouse weekly support group. Marge is now a member and has made friends who understand her pain. This group still meets on Zoom and they continue to support each other through the pandemic. All of these counseling services through Hospice SLO County are free of charge.

Marge's story paints the picture of the importance of Hospice SLO County in our community. Hospice SLO County is making sure that needs do not fall through the cracks because of the ability to pay.

Because of our donors, people like Marge have access to services during difficult times.

*Names and photos have been changed for client confidentiality