2021 Year in Review
Here we are! 2021 is coming to a close and as we reflect on the past year, we are grateful, and in awe, of all that has happened. It’s been a wild ride and we are thankful that you’ve been by our side. Take a look back at some highlights from 2021. February Webinar Series The Miller-Dwan Foundation started a
Drawing Close to Nature
08-04-2021 at 10:25 am… My dad lived on a farm for most of life. He came to Solvay Hospice House and the night before he died, a doe and her fawn were standing outside his sliding glass door in his room, looking in. Also, a skunk was noted outside at the same time, eating grass. My dad said, “Close the door!” You
Stepping up to construct hope for the region’s health
Solvay Hospice House has a special place in the heart of Shane Johnson. His company, Johnson Wilson Constructors, constructed the Duluth healthcare facility in 2007 following a Miller-Dwan Foundation campaign to create the region’s first residential hospice house. That’s when the Foundation, which owns and maintains Solvay, got on Shane’s radar as a charity worth paying closer attention to. “Working
What is Your Favorite Music?
What’s your favorite music? We used to believe that it was classical music that made us smarter. Today, thanks to more than 25 years of research, we know that whether it’s rock ‘n’ roll, jazz, hip-hop or classical, your gray matter prefers the same music you do. And it doesn’t just impact your smarts. Music can affect our brains and our
Respite Care at Solvay Hospice House
Sometimes people die at Solvay. Sometimes they go home. That’s because, in addition to providing the very best in humane and compassionate care for people at the end of life, Solvay also provides respite care for those enrolled in a hospice program. Respite is just a fancy word for taking a break. Respite care provides short-term break for caregivers and
Have You Thought About Death and Dying?
I think about Solvay Hospice House and hospice services every day. But that’s probably only because I work at the Miller-Dwan Foundation. The Miller-Dwan Foundation owns the 12-bed Solvay Hospice House and works every day to assure that it and its care program will continue well into the future. Sustaining Solvay, however, is not the focus of my hospice thinking.
Solvay Nurse Dispels Common Myths About Hospice Care
Tami Vukonich, RN, wouldn’t change anything about her job as a nurse at Solvay Hospice House in Duluth, MN. What she would change, however, is the general misconception people have about end-of-life care. “There is a stigma surrounding hospice care,” Vukonich says. “People think it’s about dying, when really it’s about living the best life possible during your final days.”
Giving the Gift of Comfort
With help from her nurses, a patient signs her daughter’s birthday card, knowing this is the last time she will do so. A wife embraces her husband, sharing a final dance before she is helped back to bed. Jayme Persch, RN, has witnessed many final moments like these at Solvay Hospice House. “They are things I’ll never forget,” she says.
Solvay Provides Comfort
Dave Emerson knew Solvay Hospice House had good things to offer. Yet, it was nothing like what he expected. “Everything was warm and peaceful,” he says. “I just didn’t realize what a quality place it is.” Dave’s mom, Carol, fought cancer for more than 10 years, and at 70, spent her final days at Solvay. Carol’s family gathered in her
Super One Foods, Community Support Solvay Hospice House
(Duluth, MN) December 6, 2016 – Super One Foods and its customers have joined together to give a record-setting gift to the Miller-Dawn Foundation in support of Solvay Hospice House, the region’s only end-of-life care facility. Eleven regional Super One stores offered paper ornaments available for purchase for $1 throughout the month of November. This year, the campaign raised more
