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Each time Nurse Case Manager Jessica Lord spoke with her member who had life-threatening health conditions and was in hospice care, she sensed his longing for autonomy in a situation that seemed out of his control.

To the extent that she could help, Jessica wanted him to have that. And her compassionate support lifted his spirits.

“People going through things like this can feel more like a medical case than a person,” Jessica says. “I wanted him to have a voice.”

Reassurance — and a strong presence

Jessica first worked with this member in 2023, helping him find a provider for in-home hospice care to manage his late-stage conditions.

“I called him several times after hospice service was set up,” she says. “I told him we’re here if he needed us again.” 

A little more than a year later, he reached out again with a similar urgent need.

Listening and overcoming barriers

The member told Jessica he was staying with a friend to assist with his care, but it had become more than his friend could manage. He’d recently been hospitalized and needed skilled nursing hospice care.

But something else caught Jessica’s attention during that call.

“What I heard in his breathing indicated he needed to be checked as soon as possible,” Jessica says.

He went to the ER at Jessica’s urging and was once again admitted. Jessica worked with a hospital case manager on the hospice care he’d need after discharge.

When they couldn’t find a hospice provider who had availability in time for his discharge, Jessica wanted to honor his final wish. “He didn’t want to die in a hospital or other facility,” Jessica says.

Determined to find a provider, Jessica made multiple calls, finally locating a hospice provider  who could assist.

But there was another hurdle to overcome: This member did not have stable permanent housing.

Supported by Case Management Supervisor Angela Maffett-Terry, Jessica helped him find a hotel he could afford so that he could receive hospice care.

“It was challenging,” Jessica says. “But when the member said he never expected BlueCross to do this much, that meant everything.”

A final challenge

Once the member arrived at the hotel, Jessica felt relief. But that was short-lived.

After the initial hospice visit, that provider was unable to continue providing care. Jessica hit the phones and found another hospice that could.

“The member was relieved to stay out of the hospital,” Jessica says. “Everyone deserves the dignity of making choices for themselves.” 

Jessica checked in with the member frequently. He told Jessica that one day when he’d felt a little better, he was able to get out of the hotel for a few hours.

“That gave him some autonomy to feel more like himself again,” Jessica says.

Feeling like family — to the end

A few weeks later, Jessica learned that the member passed away. That hits everyone hard when they’ve worked together to help someone, Angela believes.

“Jessica made such an impression on this member,” Angela says. “He called her sometimes just to have a sounding board. We discussed his case frequently, so his story began to feel like our story. She and I both came to feel like he was family.”

Jessica often thinks about conversations she had with this member. What sticks with her the most were his words, “You’re an angel.”

“To hear him say ‘angel’ told me he appreciated what we’d done,” Jessica says. “To know he was able to pass away where he wanted, that means everything.”

“When a person is in the last stages of life, we can’t change that. But we can give them a voice  and provide peace of mind.”