The Right Care At The Right Time

At the start of 2013 Robert "Bobby" Handy, 67, was so weak he couldn't do much of anything on his own. Being practically bedridden was difficult for this former skilled angler and retired machinist, who worked on submarines and air craft carriers such as the USS Carl Vincent and the USS Nimitz. In February he made the decision to sign on to Coastal Hospice and began receiving services from a team with a care plan specifically designed for his needs. Since then he is no longer dependent on others for all of his needs. He knew calling Coastal Hospice was a big step, but he also knew it was the right one. "Years ago people looked at hospice as a death sentence, but it's such a good program," Bobby says.

He praises the staff of nurses and aids who visit with him regularly. "They really care about what they do." He truly enjoys his time with his Social Worker Carly Banks, (pictured with him at left). "She is excellent." he says. These days he feels well enough to attend church twice a month at New Bethel Ministries in Pocomoke where his sister is pastor. Regular worship and prayer are invaluable to Bobby, so he was overjoyed when a bible study group from his church agreed to meet at his Salisbury home once a month.

Not long ago he took advantage of respite services at Coastal Hospice at the Lake, which not only provided a break from care giving for his wife, Theodora, but also for him. "It's a great place if you need to get away." There he met one of Coastal Hospice's patient care volunteers who now regularly visits him in his home. He considers himself blessed, having escaped tragedy more than once. Miraculously, though he was drafted into the Army in 1965, he was sent to Germany. "By the grace of God I did not get sent to Vietnam." In 1983 he suffered a brain aneurysm, but had the presence of mind and the will to drive himself to the hospital. He had another near death experience in 2001 in which he was told he only had hours to live. Despite these occurrences, nothing has shaken his faith. "When God says I've got to go, then that will be the time," Bobby says. "Until then, I thank God for every day on earth. And I thank the Lord for Coastal Hospice."