St. Joseph's comforts the dying in peaceful setting

Displayed on the refrigerator at St. Joseph's House of Grace in Glens Falls, a shopping list asks for only one item: "Love for all."

St. Joseph's House, an independent home for the dying, was conceived seven years ago when Mary Ann Woodard came to John O'Brien, a fellow parishioner at St. Mary's Church in Glens Falls, with an idea: She'd seen similar houses in western New York and wanted to bring the idea to the Glens Falls area.

The concept, according to Mr. O'Brien, is simple: Instead of facing death in a nursing home or hospital, people can spend their last days in a home-like atmosphere, while being watched over by volunteers and hired Hospice nurses.

Inside story

At St. Joseph's, a small, beige ranch house that was donated and renovated completely by volunteers, two bedrooms have housed a total of eight residents since the house opened in November 2005.

Some of the residents have no family in the area; others cannot be taken care of by family for numerous reasons, such as the case of one former resident in his mid-90s, whose only family were siblings of the same age.

St. Joseph's operates independently, on a budget of around $85,000, which must be raised each year from the organization's friends and allies in churches and community organizations.

"That's a mighty challenge, but, so far, we're there -- and God provides," Mr. O'Brien said. "If He wants us to do it, He'll provide the funds and the people."

Helpers

The people include 40-50 volunteers, many from area Catholic parishes. They help in many ways: Some rake leaves, some take care of the house, some work directly with the residents, and others go grocery shopping.

Some volunteers see that residents take their medications, communicate with nurses and family members, and spend time with the residents if they want company.

One volunteer is an art therapist; another, a hairdresser. Both use their talents to help residents. Some volunteers simply send flowers for the residents' rooms.

Living her faith

Lynn White, a parishioner at St. Mary's, explained that "when you think of the things you've been taught through sermons and the Bible, you are putting them into practice [at St. Joseph's]. It's all about love.

"I wanted to give something to somebody -- and you just fall in love with them right from the beginning. You have time to visit with them and find out about how they feel at the end of their time. You get very close. It is very rewarding; you just need to be willing to do whatever comes up."

Sometimes, the residents want to talk about their lives, families and achievements. Other times, they want to be alone and contemplative.

Either way, Mrs. White said, volunteers have to "make every effort to meet them where they are."

Memories

In a back bedroom, resident Katherine Day held a rosary as she looked through photo albums: There were her husband, George, near a tractor; her beloved chocolate lab, Lady; and their white house near Altamont. One picture she cherishes is an aerial photograph of their land, where George once used his tractor to carve a happy face in long grass for planes to see as they flew over.

The past few months have been rough on her as she dealt with her illness and being apart from George, who is in a nursing facility an hour away. They had been parishioners of St. Lucy's Church "before everything happened," she said.

"It couldn't be better," she said of St. Joseph's House. "Everything is taken care of. It's a place where you don't mind talking about faith or God."

Sometimes, Mrs. Day added, "I ask, 'Why me, Lord?' And then, looking at Him on the cross, [I ask,] 'Why not me?'"

(For information about St. Joseph's House of Grace, call 793-8509.)

(1/4/07) [[In-content Ad]]