For the final week of November, Navvisa CEO and Co-Founder, Vanessa Johnson shares her personal experience with hospice and how it helped her mother have peace at the end of her life.
In Vanessa’s own words:
“As an executive at Navvisa, I wanted to share a very personal story about hospice.
My family and I were recently deeply impacted and grateful for the care and support we received from hospice at the end of my mom’s life.
At 4 AM our dog woke us up, and we found my mom on the floor in her room.
At 4 AM our dog woke us up, and we found my mom on the floor in her room. We immediately called hospice, who got the paramedics on the line with instructions about my mom’s wishes and DNR status. When they arrived, they informed us that she was having a stroke, and though they wanted to take her to the hospital, that was the last thing my mom wanted. The hospice nurse arrived within minutes, and we were able to keep my mom at home, where she wanted to be.
Within hours, she peacefully passed away, surrounded by her loved ones.
The decline happened quickly. The hospice nurse was both calm and compassionate, guiding us through each step as we administered medication to keep my mom comfortable. Within hours, she peacefully passed away, surrounded by her loved ones.We were able to be with her at the very end, which is something I will be forever grateful for. We were so fortunate to have enrolled my mom in hospice just days before she passed. The difference it made for all of us was huge. Rather than spending her final days in a hospital bed, enduring tests, procedures, and being “poked and prodded” as she would say, she was able to be at home surrounded by loved ones.
This November, as we honor hospice workers, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to every nurse, doctor, social worker, and support staff who provides such critical care. Their work is not just important—it’s a gift to families navigating one of life’s most difficult moments. Thank you for everything you do to make this journey more manageable, dignified and full of love.”
– Vanessa Johnson (Co-Founder and CEO of Navvisa)
How Navvisa can help:
At Navvisa, as part of our cancer guidance services, we work with our members to prepare medical advanced directives and Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST) documents. We help each individual to identify end-of-life goals and wishes that are important to them. We also work together with families to get connected to hospice when appropriate, enabling dignified and individualized support for patients and their loved ones. Contact the Navvisa sales team to establish an effective employee benefit that helps your employees prepare, and supports them with compassionate care in their time of need.
