Reed Army Medical Center’s New Hospice Care Suite
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Reed Army Medical Center’s New Hospice Care Suite
The Walter Reed Army Medical Center recently opened up a hospice care suite. It is just for soldiers with terminal illnesses and it comes at a time when more and more soldiers are being diagnosed with cancer.
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The Walter Reed Army Medical Center recently opened up a hospice care suite.

It is just for soldiers with terminal illnesses and it comes at a time when more and more soldiers are being diagnosed with cancer.

Six days after Reagan Sommers 4th birthday, her father Sergeant Michael Sommers died of a rare form of cancer.

Michael’s wife, Ladonna said, "We had to come here and support him and be with him every day. It was as good for him as it was for them."

The antiseptic hospital hallways made Ladonna summers and her daughters last days with dad difficult.

Ladonna added, "It was near impossible for us to spend the night. Standard hospital rooms are very small. There's no room for a second bed. There might be a recliner."

But the Pentagon Federal Credit Union Foundation changed that for future families of terminally ill soldiers.

A hospice suite with all the comforts of home is now open and available.

Couches with pull out beds, wide screen TV’s, a computer with a web cam, a kitchen to prepare meals.

Even a jacuzzi.

Walter Reed has also added a break room: a place where families can come together, phone relatives, cry, meditate, grab a snack or just relax.

Ladonna continued, "A room like this provides both the patient and the family with a quiet place, in a beautiful surrounding to deal with this awful thing that is happening. I mean, a standard hospital room is what it is. There's not a lot of room for the families to feel comfortable and for the patient to look around and see beautiful things. Why shouldn't the end of life include beautiful things."


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