As she copes with Lewy body dementia, Jeanne Kruhm is enveloped in the warmth of her family. Bob, her husband of nearly 60 years, lovingly cares for Jeanne in the Durham home of their daughter Kirsten and grandson, Braxton, who also tend to Jeanne. In 2019, Bob and Jeanne moved from their home in Durham to live with Kirsten and Braxton so Bob had more support in taking care of Jeanne. And while the Kruhms’ two other children, Katrina and Christopher, live outside of the Triangle, they check in regularly.

Before the onset of her illness in 2015, Jeanne was active with her family, community, and church. After she Bob retired to Durham in 2003, avid reader Jeanne participated in book clubs, volunteered with nonprofit organizations, was connected to her grandchildren, and active in their congregation, Watts Street Baptist Church. A music lover, she continues to enjoy listening to hymns online each Sunday.

While raising her family, Jeanne was engaged in her children's activities, managing the household while Bob traveled for work, and working in Bob’s business. Earlier in her life, after graduating from Maryville College as a dietician, Jeanne worked for the National Institutes of Health, Johns Hopkins University, and the Washington Hospital Center as a researcher in the field of nutrition.

She has maintained her positive attitude throughout her ongoing journey with dementia which has included a number of falls and hospitalizations. Last December, after Jeanne was discharged from a five-day stay at Duke Hospital, the family welcomed Duke HomeCare & Hospice into their home to support them in their caregiving. Until that point, Bob and Kirstin were handling all of Jeanne’s needs with a rotating group of home health aides for a few hours each week.

Before working with Duke Hospice, I didn't have a lot of confidence in what we were doing in taking care of Jeanne.

“Before working with Duke Hospice, I didn't have a lot of confidence in what we were doing in taking care of Jeanne,” says Bob. “But now I do, because of the great support of our hospice partners.” The family also appreciates the dependability of care provided by Duke HomeCare & Hospice. “We have an aide we love who is dedicated to being here to bathe Jeanne twice a week, usually on the same days and times,” says Bob. “Without being able to share it verbally, Jeanne shows that she loves the care.”

Bob is grateful for Maria, Jeanne’s primary nurse, who visits weekly to check on Jeanne’s vital signs and well-being and to ensure that the team manages Jeanne’s pain. “Maria engages with Jeanne who may not have any verbal engagement, but she smiles and relates to her,” says Bob. He also connects deeply with hospice social worker Mark Powell and finds their conversations relaxing. “We talk very frankly about how helpful hospice is to us and how blessed we are to have that service,” he says.

Chaplain Cheryl McNair is another linchpin of the care team. “I relate well to her and appreciate talking about our church experiences,” says Bob. “She will say a prayer with Jeanne or we’ll all have a prayer holding hands which is really meaningful to us.” He is grateful that Jeanne can enjoy a connection to the faith community from home.

Kirsten notes the impact that the Duke HomeCare & Hospice team has had. “The chaplain, social worker and nurse have helped my dad navigate this experience and understand what the end of life will look like for my mom,” she says. “With their support, we have been able to have discussions that are hard to have.” She adds that Duke HomeCare & Hospice is helping her parents make the best of a hard situation. “I'm getting my dad back a little bit because when he was the caretaker 99% of the time, I was losing two parents at the same time,” says Kirsten. “Now he can also give his time and attention to my son and his other grandchildren; hospice has given us that freedom.”

“Having home hospice care allows us to continue in our community and our church which we might not do if it were not for this support,” says Kirsten. “It gives us some peace of mind. We're better caregivers for my mom because of that small break and my mom has a better experience for us having stepped away.”