Pat Jurinek is a businesswoman, a member of many organizations, a volunteer, and a goal-setter. One of this Hinsdale resident’s long-time goals—to become involved in hospice work—was inspired by her father, who at 88 has been a hospice volunteer for 14 years in Florida.

“My father likes to garden and brought roses from his garden to a hospice facility to share with patients. The facility had space available and asked my father to coordinate on-site plantings, which he did, using much of his own stock. Now flowers grow outside each window and can be picked and brought into patients’ rooms regularly,” explains Jurinek. “He also has a computer program that makes cards, which he sends to patients on their birthdays.

“Lack of knowledge initially made me fearful of hospice,” says Jurinek, “but my father’s experience changed my perspective. I started writing 'hospice training' on my goals list.”

Last year when a weekend training opportunity allowed her to fit the 20-hour training into her busy schedule, she finally reached her goal. “Hospice had brought me to a position where I thought I could help patients, but I was surprised that it brought me an opportunity to share my faith as well.”

Her second hospice assignment with St. Thomas Hospice, a member of Adventist Health System Midwest Region, was with a couple who lived in Darien. The wife had Alzheimer’s disease, and Jurinek’s role was to provide care for her during needed respite for the husband. She worked with this family about two to three times a week for six weeks.

“The woman was fretful, and I often massaged her hand or head to keep her relaxed. I would sing, read, or pray with her and always chatted with the husband for a while before and after he did his errands.

“One day the husband asked me to come back on Saturday morning, but I told him I couldn’t come because it was my Sabbath.”

Another time, Jurinek suggested she could visit on Saturday afternoon, but the husband said he had researched Sabbath-observing churches and didn’t think she should come to work that day.

“I told him 'work' was something that profited self, and a hospice visit would be OK.”

After his wife passed away, Jurinek learned the man had taken an Adventist Bible correspondence course and went to hear a speaker at an Adventist church.

“He got back into the spiritual realm because I was in a position to share my faith,” Jurinek said. He also is following her footsteps as a hospice volunteer.

“Hospice is just the most normal transition before we meet our Creator,” says Jurinek, who works with her husband in the home-building field. Three years ago, Jurinek became a member of the Downers Grove Adventist Church.

“I had attended a Sunday-keeping church for many years while my husband was a Sabbath-keeper. Our son attended an Adventist school, and during that time, I started going to Sabbath church.” And now, through St. Thomas Hospice, she is helping others physically and spiritually in their final transition of life.

Lynn Larson, Adventist Health System Midwest Region Lake Union Herald correspondent