July 30, 2024

Hospice Founder's Son Receives the Care His Mother Championed

Note: Mr. Conley passed away shortly after he and his family graciously provided the interview upon which this article is based.

The history of hospice care in Iowa began in 1978, when a group of volunteers saw the need for compassionate end-of-life care in Des Moines and founded Hospice of Central Iowa to fulfill that mission. Now called EveryStep, the son of one of the founding members, nurse Genevieve Conley, is now receiving care from EveryStep Hospice in his Clive home.

The full-circle moment of his mother’s legacy is not lost on Robert “Bob” Conley, who began having symptoms of ALS three years ago and was formally diagnosed late last year.

“When it came time with my diagnosis, I told the VA that I wanted to go through hospice. It would be disloyal of me not to.” Both Bob’s mother and father received hospice care at EveryStep’s Kavanagh House hospice home in Des Moines.

Bob’s father was a funeral director. “My mother became interested in hospice, as she believed there had to be a better way for people to leave this world,” says Bob. “She went to London to study about hospice care and later connected with Sister Eve Kavanagh, who was forming a group of nurses to provide hospice care in Des Moines.

Bob vividly remembers meeting Sister Eve. “I met Eve and thought she was a delightful little fireplug of a woman. And I was quite pleased when they decided to name the Kavanagh House after her.”

Though Bob’s father had hoped his son would follow in the funeral business, he had other plans. Bob went into the hotel business, with a brief stint in real estate. “Real estate didn't work out the way I planned. I planned to be very wealthy doing that. That didn't happen,” says Bob. “So, I fell back on the hotel business and bought the hotel I was most familiar with — the downtown Des Moines Holiday Inn.”

Married 51 years, Bob and his wife Martha have three children. With distinguished military service in the Army Infantry in Vietnam, Bob earned two purple hearts and a bronze star in just one year. He has been active in veteran organizations and causes his entire adult life.

Bob’s daughter Gretchen says the care her father has been receiving from EveryStep Hospice in Des Moines has been a comfort. “I think it's been phenomenal. We've had some really great people. Lori (Carlyle, EveryStep Hospice RN), for example, has just been really great to us.” Gretchen says the fact that hospice care can be provided to her father in his home is especially important. She and other family members provide care during the overnights six days a week, but they know they can always call EveryStep Hospice if help is needed. “To be able to call —no matter when —and have someone there to help me or guide me. It’s huge.”

Bob wanted to utilize EveryStep Hospice’s services as a way of paying respect and homage to his mother. “Those people that started hospice here would be happy to know that the people that stood on their shoulders have done a great job with hospice and have made a significant change in people's lives,” says Bob. 

EveryStep Hospice’s local hospice teams work with you and your family to create a customized plan for your care, which is covered by Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurance policies.

For more information about EveryStep Hospice, with teams in Des Moines, Centerville, Mount Ayr, Mount Pleasant, Osceola and Winterset. Most hospice care is provided wherever a patient calls home, but when round-the-clock or more advance care is needed, EveryStep’s Kavanagh House hospice home in Des Moines is available. For more information about EveryStep Hospice, click here. To find care for yourself or a loved one, click here and fill out the easy, confidential online form. An EveryStep staff member will then contact you to offer support.