“Trillium Woods is awesome…”
“I felt an immediate sense of peace coming down the driveway of Trillium Woods,” said Sharon W., who arrived there by ambulance. Right away she experienced an overwhelming feeling of calm and the sense that she would like it there. It eventually became her “home away from home.”
Trillium Woods is our Faith Hospice residence located off 84th Street in Byron Center. It provides care for patients who, for one reason or another, cannot remain in their own homes. It also serves patients who need short-term management of symptoms that may have gotten out of control.
“This place is awesome. I can’t say enough about Trillium Woods,” said Sharon who worked with developmentally disabled children and adults for thirty years. “I don’t feel sick. They manage my pain and make me feel comfortable. I can relax and feel at ease.”
With her symptoms under control, Sharon was able to indulge her love of cooking while at Trillium Woods. She was a judge in the Iron Chef Competition as well as the apple pie competition. An experienced cook, Sharon once enlisted the help of her sister and made homemade noodles and chicken soup for the staff from a recipe handed down by her Irish grandmother. She wanted to give back to the staff who she felt were doing “an awesome job.” She was a little daunted by the electric stove since she was used to a gas one, but she quickly mastered it, and the staff proclaimed her chicken soup to be delicious. She made plans to prepare a meal for the weekend staff as well. But make no mistake—Sharon had no quibbles with the food at Trillium Woods! “The food is awesome,” she said. And if she didn’t care for what was on the menu, the chef was more than willing to whip up something more to her liking.
The eldest of three in a very warm family, Sharon was thrilled at how close she became to the staff at Trillium Woods. They dropped by after days off to catch her up on their news, and they shared their individual cultures through stories and food. She also became friends with the other patients.
Sharon truly made herself at home at Trillium Woods. Her shepherd-husky mix, Brownie MacTavish, came to visit on a regular basis. Brownie loved looking out the window of Sharon’s room, much as Sharon did, watching the woodland creatures as well as the comings and goings of the patients, their families and staff. Volunteers stopped by regularly to give her manicures and to cut and style her hair.
She even hosted what she called a “pig-out party” in her room—friends and family gathered together to watch movies and eat as much junk food as they could handle. When one of them “crashed” on her sofa for the night, Sharon knew she was really at home!
A visit from a volunteer skilled in genealogy helped Sharon prepare a legacy for future generations—together they researched and documented information on thirteen generations of Sharon’s family—something Sharon had been wanting to do for many years. Members of the Legacy Creation team planned to help her explore other means of leaving her imprint on the world as well.
But even beyond all the activities, Sharon found Trillium Woods to be a spiritual place, a place where she enjoyed talking to the chaplain and where even the doctor prayed with her. Her time at Trillium Woods, according to Sharon, gave her the opportunity to “reflect on things.”
August 11th, 2009 | Posted in General, Trillium Woods | Share this on Facebook or Twitter