Nick Hoover

Solari Hospice Care helps people and their loved ones, during a special time of caring, to live with dignity and comfort through professional hospice care. Nick Hoover has been an incredibly selfless volunteer for hospice since he presented to the Solari Hospice Care in February of 2002.

As a hospice, their mission is to provide end-of-life care to patients who have a life-limiting disease process. Medicare requires that hospice match 5% of paid staff patient care hours with volunteer hours, so even though they are a for-profit agency, their volunteer staff is vital so they can meet Medicare’s requirements for participation.

Hoover has been a consistent volunteer with Solari Hospice Care since he began serving. In the last four years, Hoover has given more than 500 hours of his time caring for the patients and their family members. Hoover is a massage therapy volunteer while currently working at Northwest Health Institute. He holds a job with an erratic schedule where he may not know his work schedule form one week to the next. What makes Hoover so special is that he is legally blind and relies mostly on public transportation to get around. He will often go into facilities and homes that his is unfamiliar with, and relies on others to help him navigate his way around. He does so with good humor and a purposeful stride. About six months ago, Hoover took a sabbatical for about eight weeks while he underwent surgery for kidney cancer. As soon as he was released by his doctor, he was back to providing that special touch to patients who so enjoy his visits. Hoover’s ability to keep upbeat and provide service to others remains a top priority no matter what he has to personally work through.

Hoover is assigned to see several patients on a regular schedule; he is there to provide a wonderful massage to help ease pain and offer relaxation. He socializes with patients who are no longer able to leave their homes; he listens to their life stories, shares their dreams and helps to alleviate their discomfort. Hoover provides a special skill to make sure their lives are made easier during this extraordinarily stressful time.

Hoover has a caring personality and every patient assigned to him is passionate in their praise about how much they love him and how much they look forward to his next visit. He is always in high demand as a volunteer. His capacity to care, to soothe, to listen and to help has been called upon many times in the course of his time with Solari Hospice Care. Hoover is always ready to lend a hand, and he truly loves the relationships he develops with his patients and families. The staff is very proud of Hoover and honored to call him a member of the Solari Hospice Care Team.