Patient Stories

Hospice Houses Allow Families to Focus on What Matters Most

For Wendy, the final year with her dad meant evenings watching Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy – and unexpected glimpses into a life she hadn't fully known.

“Every once in a while on Jeopardy he'd just come out with an answer and I'd be like, ‘How do you know that?’ And he’d just say 'Oh, because I went there in the service.'”

Wendy knew her father, Galo, had served in the U.S. Navy. But she hadn’t known, for example, that he was in Spain for the Running of the Bulls. “Oh yeah, I was there. We were playing basketball for the 6th Fleet and we were the champions. They seated us at a table and all the bulls and the people ran by us.”

Those moments stood out during an otherwise difficult year. Galo was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2023, and from that early stage, the family knew options were limited.

“From the beginning, we knew that it was just a matter of time,” recalls his son Eric. “The treatments he had were just about managing symptoms. It wasn't a cure.”

Wendy and Eric – two of Galo’s four children – became his primary caregivers during this time. But after months going between home and the hospital, they were at a crossroads.

"He wanted to come back home, but we knew we couldn't provide the care he needed. That was a hard decision," said Wendy.

That decision was softened – ever so slightly – when they learned there was a room available for him at the Kaplan Family Hospice House in Danvers – just a short drive from where they lived.

“Halfway to Heaven”

The Kaplan House is surrounded by trees, tucked inside a neighborhood. “You wouldn't even know it was there unless you were looking for it,” said Eric.

That is by design. While the Kaplan House (and the Care Dimensions Hospice House in Lincoln) offer hospital-level services, they are meant to feel more like home. Galo stayed in a private suite that looked out to surrounding gardens. In between visits, family were able to step out into warm community spaces – or grab a coffee in the kitchen. And the staff is there 24/7 to meet the needs of patients and loved ones.

“The entire staff there was really exemplary,” said Eric. “It’s a place where the family can just be focused on their loved one and feel confident that they’re going to be taken care of.”

“We had some unbelievable nurses who were so compassionate and kind and funny – and they just took care of everything," added Wendy.

A relaxed visitation policy meant family and friends could come and go – with Galo’s children often spending the night in his room with him. The round-the-clock support also offered an unexpected opportunity for the family – some of whom had traveled in from out of state – to connect.

“After he got sick, we never wanted to leave him alone,” remembered Wendy. “But with the staff caring for him at Kaplan, the family felt OK going out to grab dinner together. We don’t get a lot of chances like that. It was a relief knowing we could spend quality time with him there at the house, but could also step away for a bit knowing he was in good hands.”

Galo spent his final three weeks at the Kaplan House – most of the time alert and with family. He accepted his declining health with grace.

Wendy recalled: "My dad said the Kaplan House is ‘kind of halfway between the hospital and heaven.' That's a pretty good way to describe it.”

Giving Back

Galo was the longtime owner of Putnam Pantry in Danvers. His son Eric, who now runs the business, holds an “Ice Cream for Breakfast” fundraiser each February. For the past several years, proceeds have benefited Care Dimensions.

“We try to give to local charities that are meaningful,” said Eric. “We asked ourselves, ‘what impacted us the most?’ And it was pretty clear that our time with Care Dimensions was a lot nearer and dearer to us than anything else."

Wendy says one of her favorite parts of the day is hearing from attendees about how Care Dimensions also helped their families.