Just before last Christmas, Thomas Swan, son of Jacqueline Vincent Swan, a Johnson House elder who had recently passed away generously donated a sum of money. His mother lived in The Gardens for two and a half years and he simply wanted to say thank you out of gratitude for the care received by his mom from the staff members at Episcopal Homes.
Val Houska, Nurse Manager, asked staff to share ideas about how to spend the donated funds. After a vote, they decided the majority of the funds would be used to plan a trip to bring another elder on the seventh floor for to visit her home town of Duluth.
Betty Anvid was the first elder to move into the The Gardens at Episcopal Homes when it opened in July of 2015. “Her quick wit and contagious laugh make her the type of personality that makes everyone around her smile and laugh,” says Karren McRae, Life Enrichment Director, The Gardens.
Betty had been on hospice for more than a year with Our Lady of Peace, St. Paul. When an elder is on hospice, it is typically just for a short time so the team knew they may not have much time to make the trip happen.
“One thing that has always been known by all of us from having conversations with Betty over the years is her love of Duluth, Minnesota. She called Duluth home for more than 80 years,” Karren adds. “When I met Betty more than three years ago, it is something we quickly bonded over. I too, grew up there. One day she was reading the Duluth News Tribune in her room and I made the comment that my dad used to read it every day too. As the team from Episcopal Homes and Our Lady of Peace talked about making the trip happen, I knew I had to be a part of her experience, so I offered to drive the bus as I also know my way around the city. We connected with David, her son, and he was able to provide a list of places that were important to Betty while she was living there.”
Val Houska. Cherie Johnston, Shahbaz and Heather Stoopes, Health Unit Coordinator also accompanied Betty on her trip to ensure her care was to the highest of quality. Kelly Pietrzak, the social worker from Our Lady of Peace, worked with St. Mary’s Hospice in Duluth, to make sure the hospital bed and other necessary equipment were available to provide care for Betty while she was away from The Gardens.
After a day of visiting some of Betty’s favorite Duluth destinations including Canal Park and locations near her former home where she raised her children, The Radisson Hotel in Duluth graciously provided the Presidential Suite and an additional attached room so the team could be together for the night. They also provided dinner for five and tickets for the Great Lakes Aquarium. Betty even got a special hello from the divers who were feeding the fish. After past weeks of heavy snow across the state, the March weather seemed to work in their favor and they were able to make their way around the city stopping at many of the locations on Betty’s list.
The next day as the team returned to Episcopal Homes they noted Betty was happy to be back even after spending some time in her former home town, “As we turned the corner by Episcopal Homes onto University Avenue, we told her that she was back at Episcopal Homes and she was happy. I guess Betty seems to have found her home, right here on the 7thfloor, Johnson House of The Gardens, where she knows she is loved and well taken care of each and every day,” added Karren. “Even as she has had changes in her health, she still keeps everyone smiling.”
Betty passed away on December 18, 2019.
