As our population ages, more families are faced with complex health challenges. According to the National Council on Aging, 78.7% of adults 60 and older live with two or more chronic conditions. For many, the question becomes: how do we not only manage my loved one’s illness, but also preserve their dignity, peace, and connection at home?
At SSM Health Hospice and Home Health, the answer often begins with compassion — reaching beyond medicine to honor the heart of what it means to be human.
John’s journey into hospice care
John was known for his independence. Strong and intelligent, he prided himself on meeting life’s challenges without help. When congestive heart failure, severe headaches, and anxiety began to take over his daily life, his world grew smaller. Most days were spent quietly in his recliner, withdrawn from conversation, with his wife by his side.
Recognizing the toll of isolation on him, John’s wife reached out to SSM Health Hospice and Home Health for support. She asked if someone could meet John where he was — in his home, in his silence, and in his struggle.
Meeting patients where they are
That someone was Margo Mason, LMT, a massage therapist with 12 years of hospice experience. Margo understood that care isn’t only about treatment — it’s about trust.
At first, John resisted. He disliked noise, resisted touch, and saw himself as self-sufficient. Margo didn’t push. She instead began by being present, sitting nearby, letting John set the pace, and waiting until he was ready.
Slowly, she introduced Comfort TouchⓇ Massage Therapy, a gentle, acupressure-based therapy that promotes deep relaxation without oils. One day, while John slept, she placed her hand gently on his. His breathing slowed. His body softened. Something shifted.
“Once I had met John in his reality, we had come to an understanding,” Margo recalls. “Toward the end of John’s time, I would arrive, we would exchange warm words and a hug, and he would close his eyes and relax as I worked. Inevitably, he would drift off to what I had always hoped to be a peaceful dimension.”
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Care that comforts the whole family
John’s story is just one example of how hospice care offers more than medical support and brings peace to patients and their families. Through community support, SSM Health Hospice and Home Health provides:
- Comfort TouchⓇ Massage Therapy to reduce pain and anxiety
- Peaceful Harmony Music Therapy that uses live music for healing and relaxation
- Essential medical equipment that allows patients to remain at home safely
- Bereavement support to walk alongside families during and after loss
- Caregiver training and resources to help loved ones feel supported and confident
These services ensure patients can stay where they are most comfortable — at home — while receiving the care and dignity they deserve.
Every moment matters
For families like John’s, hospice care is about more than the final chapter of life. It’s about making every moment count, bringing comfort, compassion, and peace into the home.
At SSM Health Foundation – St. Louis, we believe every family should have access to this kind of care. With your support, we can continue to fund patient-first programs that bring comfort home.
Help us continue building healthier tomorrows for St. Louis families, one story, one gift, and one act of service at a time, by making a donation today.