The Connecticut Hospice, America's first, opened 25 years ago. Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary sings here once a month because this is where his mother died. A hospice aims at making patients as pain-free as possible, and at giving them and their families emotional support to help them face the approach of death. Patty Galla told us she'll die soon, though she's had ALS for only a year and a half. She cannot speak anymore, but she was eager to write about the hospice.
Some people never get the time to prepare for dying.
Another hospice patient, Tom Lalor, was a research scientist at Yale when ALS struck. He and his wife Patricia say they chose the hospice when Tom needed more care than she could give him at home. Hospice brings God's love into the world. Well, you know, we don't like to talk about time. Well, Tom says not long.