My Crozer Health Story: Terryl Quarles

Terryl Quarles

When Patricia Quarles was rushed to an emergency room, she was suffering from kidney failure, sepsis, and ischemia. Her system was starting to shut down.

After four days of being on life support, Patricia’s daughter, Terryl Quarles, and the rest of the family agreed that it was time to take Patrica off life support.

Hospice Care the Best Choice

With the decision made to end Patricia's life support, Terryl decided that hospice care was best for her mother. Terryl chose the Crozer Health Hospice Residence located at Taylor Hospital.

The staff at the Hospice Residence acted quickly and had Patrica moved there from the intensive care unit where she was. Patricia was in the Crozer Health Hospice Residence from Oct. 30 to Nov.1, 2016.

“We were able to come see my mom 24 hours a day,” Terryl says. “Having her there also allowed friends and family to visit, especially those who had to travel from far away to say goodbye.”

Terryl and her family were grateful for the staff, as well as the ability for them to relax and decompress in the kitchen and living room areas of the residence.

“The people at the Crozer Health Hospice Residence were great. The staff allowed us enough room to not be smothered but were very attentive to my mom’s needs,” Terryl says.

Support for Patients and Their Families

The option of the inpatient hospice unit allowed Patricia's friends and family to come together, say goodbye, and support Terryl and her family during one of the most difficult times in their lives.

During the time her mother was there, says Terryl, “the staff at the Taylor Hospice residence was wonderful. Out of five stars, I would give them six.” In addition, she says, the staff was very caring and did a great job of keeping her mother clean and comfortable.

Hospice Encourages Meaningful Life

According to Kim Samuels, Director of Hospice for Crozer Health, hospice care is intended to encourage the continuation of a meaningful life in the presence of a life-limiting illness. It does not make life longer or rush death.

Members of the hospice staff help minimize pain, offer comfort and help patients maintain their dignity during a difficult time of life.

“Hospice is not only for physical care, it is also for the emotional and spiritual aspect as well,” Samuels says. Hospice care can be provided in the patient’s home, in an assisted living or personal care home, in a nursing home, or in an inpatient residence.

“It can pretty much be provided anywhere or wherever the patient wants to be,” Samuels says. “They can pass away in the quiet of their own homes, if that is where they feel comfortable.”

Home-Like Environment for Patients and Families

At the Crozer Health Hospice Residence, each patient room has a full-size bureau, armoire, telephone, cable television, private bathroom, and seating area. In addition, there is an activity room stocked with a collection of books, movies, and games for recreation, as well as a dining room, laundry room, and kitchen for patients and their families. In-room sleeping accommodations and showers for guests are also available.

Families can cook, sleep, and stay at the residence during their loved one’s time there, and meals are also provided meals.

“We want to create a home-like environment, so when families come they feel like they can stay there,” Samuels says.

The decision of putting a loved one on hospice can be a very hard one for a family. Terryl Quarles knows this first hand from her experience with her mother. She has a message for anyone out there facing a similar situation: “If you have a loved one in crisis and they are not going to make it, I would definitely recommend using Crozer Health’s hospice service. For anybody out there who wants death with dignity, I highly recommend it.”