Woodstock Woman Cares for Those Facing End-of-Life
As a hospice nurse, Maria Verma, RN, BSN, has provided care to many patients facing end-of-life. Joining Hospice & Palliative Care of Northeastern Illinois (HPNI) nearly 11 years ago, she brings many years experience to her patients when she visits them at their home, senior living community or nursing homes.
Verma worked at an inpatient hospice in Houston, Texas, and had enjoyed her work experiences there. “When we moved to Illinois, I became a patient care volunteer at Hospice for McHenry County (which merged with HPNI in 1989) and then joined the staff in 1990.
While working in hospice can be perceived to those not in the field as a depressing job, Verma strongly believes in what she does as a hospice nurse.
“I look at hospice as maintaining a quality of life–not end of life,” she says. “And I love connecting with people–my patients and their families–in a very personal way.”
As a hospice nurse, Verma has had many memorable moments, but when asked about it, one in particular stands out.
“I took care of a couple in Woodstock who were both on hospice care. The wife had cancer and the husband had Parkinson’s Disease. When I was on my way to the home after hearing about the wife passing away, I got a call that the husband had just died as well, which was unexpected. The family said he followed her spirit.”
Having lost her son a few years ago, Verma saw the importance of hospice care from the family and patient point of view, particularly the care for seriously ill children. HPNI is the largest provider of pediatric hospice and palliative care in the state of Illinois.
“I hope we can continue to reach out to the many pediatric patients who are truly in need of palliative and hospice care,” she says. “These kids need to be able to be at home doing what they enjoy rather than taking more trips to the hospital for tests. And as a parent, wouldn’t you rather spend the day with your son listening to his favorite CDs than spending all day dealing with appointments?
