The comforts of home can ease the grief of death.

“Many people, they want to be able to die in their own home. They don't want to have to leave their home, they don't want to have to go to a facility or the hospital,” said Suzanne Grove, director of hospice and palliative care of VNA, Western Pennsylvania Lutheran Senior Life.

“They want to be able to be surrounded by their family, things that they're used to.”

Since 1981, the VNA, Western Pennsylvania Lutheran Senior Life — which serves Allegheny, Armstrong, Butler, Lawrence, Mercer and northwest Westmoreland counties — has provided services for the area, said Grove, whose career with the VNA spans 20 years.

The goal of VNA hospice care is to support the patient and family to stay at home at the end of life. At home, a patient's family is present and offering support.

“Especially in the last maybe days to weeks of life, the family is in visiting more frequently, they're pretty much right there all the time,” she said.

Read the full story in Monday's Butler Eagle as well as an accompanying article on palliative care. If you missed the first in our series, pick up Friday's paper.