Welcome to the Caris Healthcare blog!

Caris wanted our first blog post to capture the company’s mission, vision and values. At Caris Healthcare, our mission is to provide Hospice care with Grace. We have taken steps to ensure this mission is grounded in the day-to-day care provided to each patient. One major step taken is our Three Most Important Things (TMIT) program. The program is based off of the question, “What are the three most important things we need to know about you to provide excellent care?” This simple method of understanding each patient has grown significantly to become the bedrock of Caris’ personalized care. It has become Caris’ benchmark to ensure we meet every need of a patient, no matter how unique or individualized.

Below is one example of how Caris employees honored a patient’s TMIT in a meaningful and memorable way:

Caris recently served a patient who loved ballroom dancing and ice cream blizzards from Dairy Queen. The patient’s daughter lived out of state and had not been able to visit with her father due to her own battle with cancer. He also had a son who distanced himself from his father due to difficulty in seeing his father decline. As the patient approached his 90th birthday, Caris employees sprang into action to plan a birthday party for him. Caris staff invited ballroom dancers to perform and provided a Blizzard birthday cake from Dairy Queen.

When the big day arrived, the Caris staff was dressed in 40’s attire and decorated the now ballroom with balloons, streamers and banners. The patient was overwhelmed with joy, especially to have his very own blizzard cake. The patient’s certified hospice aide recalls the patient as the very definition of a gentleman. “He was classic and polite, a true gentleman. If I had to pick one word to describe him, it would be ‘suave.’ Even though his health declined, his eyes and smile lit up the room like a disco ball. I will always remember him and the joy we were able to bring. Bringing a smile to his face was all I wanted.”
As the party was underway, the patient had a few surprise guests: his daughter and son arrived! The son gave a very heartwarming tribute to his father, and the dancers began. The patient was all smiles as he watched the dancers perform with his son and daughter at his side. As the party came to a close and as the patient was taken back to his room, he spoke to the Caris hospice aide with a smile on his face, “Thank you. This was the best day I have ever had and it was well worth it. If I make it to 91, can we do this again?” The aide said “Of course!” and gave him a hug as she tucked him in bed. The patient did not see his 91st birthday. He passed away two days after the best day he ever had.