The people at Good Samaritan Society in Pine River, Minnesota, take great pride in being a small-town care location. Not every city has a place that can guide families from independent living to end-of-life care. For people like Diane Norlin though, this place was a godsend.
“It was wonderful that this facility was available for my mother,” Norlin says. “Living in a small community, to have Good Samaritan here for us was a gift. I couldn’t be happier because if I would’ve had to go to Brainerd, I wouldn’t have been able to make my daily trips to go see her because she was 15 minutes away.”
Jeanette’s journey
Norlin’s mother, Jeanette Toenies, first came to the Good Samaritan independent living apartments when she was 89 years old, having lived at Norlin’s home the previous two years.
“We did a walkthrough of the independent living, and she was satisfied and real comfortable with it,” Norlin says. “As soon as Mom heard that there were other people her age and activities, she said, ‘Yes, that sounds good.’ We didn’t have any problems trying to convince her that this is the best thing. She knew.”
Over the next three years, Toenies would receive home care through Good Samaritan after falling and breaking her hip, then move to the Pine River assisted living location, and eventually to the nursing home in Pine River where she loved to socialize, build puzzles and play bingo.
“She was given so much attention,” says Norlin. “There were so many people who came in and talked to her and reassured her. I was impressed by that. I kept thinking, ‘They’re going above and beyond.’”
Photo courtesy Diane Norlin
Continuum of care
Throughout Toenies’ journey, Good Samaritan nurses and administrators provided Norlin with updates and recommendations about her mother’s needs. People like Christina Laughton, the director of nursing at Good Samaritan Society – Pine River, helped make each transition to a new place as easy as possible, while also building trust through each interaction.
“You get to know that person because there’s communication between both facilities, and it just makes the process go smoother,” said Laughton. “It’s just great satisfaction that we’re able to provide that for our patients and our families that come to our facility here.”
As dementia began to take hold of Toenies, another conversation needed to take place. Barb Tuchtenhagen was Toenies’ RN case manager, and she spoke with Norlin about hospice care.
“Diane and her family were very tearful during that process, but just so appreciative of having that support and being able to have those go-to people to answer questions for them,” says Tuchtenhagen, now the administrator for Good Samaritan home care and hospice in Nisswa, Minnesota.
“It’s a journey that we’re on. I explain it to people as, you know, when we have babies, we have a team of people that help to support us through that journey. Hospice is that team at the end of life to support not only the patient, but the family members and whoever’s important in their lives.”
Norlin admits the discussion was tough, but she knew the timing was right.
“It’s wrong to equate hospice with death. Even then, I realized that. But I just heard the word, and I thought, ‘Oh,’ you know. I kind of took a deep breath. But I also understood why they recommended hospice,” Norlin says. “I definitely could see the dementia coming in because her personality changed a bit.”
Lasting memories
Toenies passed away last September at the age of 94 with her daughter by her side. Now, one year later, Diane Norlin still visits her mother’s old home from time to time. She attended a butterfly release for hospice families, and still likes to talk with Good Samaritan nurses.
“I didn’t feel it was an institution. I felt it was a home,” Norlin says. “I came back because of the feeling I received when I would visit my mom. It was still the same, ‘Oh, hi Diane!’ They knew me yet. We talked about my mother, and that made me feel good. Physically she wasn’t here, but spiritually she was.”
The connection between Norlin and staff members remains powerful, and both sides say the other has brought them happiness.
“Every time I see Diane, she has a huge smile and always a big hug for me,” Tuchtenhagen says. “It just brings me great joy to know that we touched a family in that way.”
“I just am thankful for this community that gave my mom a peaceful ending to her life,” says Norlin. “They knew Mom was a special person, and how special she was to me. They gave me the understanding. They gave me the peace. They gave me a gift.”
Learn more
- How do you know when it’s time to seek senior services?
- Debunking myths about hospice care
- Retired hospice worker now a hospice volunteer
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Posted In Bemidji, Hospice, Senior Services
