Patient Stories

Living Each Day to the Fullest with Hospice

Linda Bain has met many challenges in her 73 years by finding the inner strength to overcome obstacles and make a better life for herself.

She grew up in an alcoholic household, left home in her teens, and was a mother of two boys when she was just 19. She suffered from addiction and physical abuse and developed lung cancer while still in her 20s. 

She joined AA, stayed sober, and got a steady job as a bus driver for the MBTA, which allowed her to provide for her sons as a single parent. She also focused on maintaining her health as best she could. 

Now Linda’s Care Dimensions hospice team is helping her face her greatest challenge: living each day to the fullest with advanced lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). 

Years of declining health

Over the years, Linda endured many cancer treatments and surgeries. Doctors removed several cancerous parts of her lungs. Several years ago, she developed COPD, which further restricted her ability to breathe. 

From the fall of 2022 to spring of 2023, Linda had to be transported to the hospital at least six times when she could barely breathe. The hospital stays provided very little relief and left Linda feeling hopeless. 

“I often wondered if I’d ever walk out of the hospital,” recalled Linda. When she did return to her one-bedroom apartment, she was on her own and hoped that another episode would not occur. But her breathing problems continued, and she felt like they would not end.

Choosing hospice

Linda spoke with a cousin, whose daughter, Jennifer Barrasso, works for Care Dimensions as a nurse clinical educator. Jennifer and Linda had several conversations about hospice.

“Linda’s symptoms were becoming harder to manage,” said Jennifer. “She didn’t want to go to the hospital anymore and that is why I encouraged her to consider hospice. I explained that she could have a nurse, social worker, chaplain, and nurse’s aide see her at home, and that we could manage her symptoms and have medications and equipment sent directly to her home.”

“Choosing to start hospice was a very emotional decision,” said Linda. “Like many people, I used to think that hospice at home is limited to maybe a couple of weeks when the patient is given medication and then dies. The more I learned about hospice, the more I felt it may benefit me. I could have options about the care I’d receive. It turned my thinking around.”

Hospice makes life easier

Linda noticed improvements shortly after she came onto hospice with Care Dimensions in late May 2023. “They took me off medications and supplements that I didn’t need and were not effective anyway,” Linda recalled. “Now I get my meds through Care Dimensions. If I have trouble breathing, I don’t need to call an ambulance. I have medication that can help relieve my symptoms and gets me breathing immediately. These meds help me live and not struggle with breathing problems.”

“We were able to adjust Linda’s medications and educate her on when to take them and how,” said RN Case Manager Maureen Macaro. “Over the weeks she gained trust with us and developed a much-improved quality of life. We also taught her when to call Care Dimensions for help.”

Linda’ sister, Betty Couture, initially was opposed to Linda going on hospice because she thought it meant that death was imminent. Now she is grateful that Linda receives hospice at home.

“Knowing that Linda can call Care Dimensions 24/7 and someone would come and see her is very reassuring,” said Betty, who travels an hour from her New Hampshire home each week to have lunch with her sister. “It’s a much more peaceful lifestyle for her, which gives me great comfort.”

Living as best she can

Linda has difficulty sitting and walking due to a pelvis replacement she had several years ago to help relieve severe pain. 

“I needed an array of tools to get myself dressed, which was exhausting,” said Linda. “Now, my hospice aide, Ketty, helps me get dressed five days a week and helps me shower three days a week. She’s wonderful. I’m not wasting breath trying to get dressed. I also have had massage therapy a few times – it’s nice to be touched and soothed.” 

Linda enjoys cooking food for herself and occasionally for neighbors in her building who need help. 

“I wanted to live, and I’m living every day,” said Linda. “My diseases are monitored. I attend a 90-minute AA meeting on Zoom every day. I’m living, talking to people, and welcoming visitors.”

“Linda does not feel alone and knows she can count on us to make each day the best it can be, despite her diagnosis,” said Nurse Maureen.

“The Care Dimensions staff are all honest, positive people who give me the help I need. Knowing that I have someone to talk to who is interested means everything to me,” added Linda. 

“I admire Linda’s strong sense of purpose and strong sense of the spiritual journey,” said Spiritual Counselor Hilary Davis MacNeill. “She is living proof that no matter what your life circumstances are or how far down the road you are on your life’s path, you can live each day to the fullest.”