Mom and dad raised a large family. Growing up, we all had to play an instrument and we all had to sing in the church choir. Mom said so. As the end of Mom's life neared, we realized that several of us hadn't spoken to each other in years. It happened slowly but when a call wasn't returned or a birthday was missed, we slowly stopped trying to be a family. There was a brother in Maine, a sister in Arizona, and another in Florida.

When dad called we were all busy with our own lives. None of us realized how bad it was until I came home for the weekend. That's when I called Hospice at Home. They came to the house the same day and helped get mom comfortable. They moved her out of the back bedroom and into a comfortable bed in the living room. The social worker and nurse helped dad call everyone and explain why they had to come home. It was an amazing reunion. The social worker helped us recognize what had happened to our family…and what was important now. We decided that what mom would love most would be to hear us play our instruments and sing to her as a family. The last days of her life were full of our song.

Dad used to play the piano. With age came arthritis and he hadn't touched the piano in years. His hands were curled up and painful but he didn't take any medicine. The Hospice at Home nurse suggested we speak with dad's doctor. The doctor was able to prescribe medicine and treatments that quickly made dad's hands useful again. He sat down at the piano next to Mom's bed in the living room. As mom was taking her last breaths, dad played her favorite song and sang, "Let me call you sweetheart, I'm in love with you."