Letters

Our mother, Janet Lavinio, was a resident of the Villa of Westhampton, a patient at Westhampton Rehabilitation Center, and a resident of the Westhampton Care Center for a number of years. She spent her last night at East End Hospice and died on June 25, 2024.

It was quite a journey for her, going from her own home in Water Mill to assisted living, to long-term care, to hospice, but Mom never felt alone, unsafe or abandoned.

We want to express how indebted we are to Linda West of Heart Wheels Senior Transportation, who became a friend to our mom in their travels to and from doctor appointments, and to the staff of the Villa of Westhampton, and to each of the medical care centers, including Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead. We are fortunate to have had such wonderful staff caring for our mother.

Long-term care centers often get a “bad rap,” but Westhampton Care Center is different. From the receptionists to social workers, nurse practitioners, nurses, aides, physical therapists, occupational therapists, dietary, housekeeping, and maintenance staffs, we were treated with respect, kindness and understanding. And humor, too! We received a heartfelt note from the unit staff upon our mom’s passing that ensured us that she was truly loved and cared for at the center.

A special thank you goes out to Emily Hennessey, social worker, who always answered our questions and let us know how our mom was doing.

Marie Lavinio

Nancy Bloostein

Housatonic, Massachusetts