Our Lady Of Perpetual Help Fre sits in a two-story brick building in Atlanta, Georgia, and has been caring for people since 1939 when Rose Hawthorne Lathrop founded it, and this home's run by the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, who work alongside 22 attendants and 8 resident sisters to provide care and comfort for terminal cancer patients and for those who need palliative care, so if someone comes in with advanced illness or needs skilled care after a hospital stay, they'll find a quiet, gentle place where the staff helps with bathing, dressing, medication, and mobility, all day and night, because 24-hour nursing support and supervision is always available. Residents live in bright rooms with large windows looking out on gardens and natural scenery, and they'll find patterned bed covers, polished floors, and flowers in glass vases brightening their space, with kitchenettes, private bathrooms, cable TV, telephones, air conditioning, and Wi-Fi in both private and shared studio suites, so there's always a sense of dignity and ease with everything close by and fully furnished.
You'll hear the sounds from Turner Field sometimes coming in through the stained-glass windows of the hospice chapel, and maybe see Sister Edwin out on the deck listening to the evening sounds in the summer, and on the men's floor, Sister Mary Edwin might be pushing her pill cart as she checks on everyone, and there's a quiet hush in the halls that gives space for thinking and prayer for anybody who wants it. The community makes all meals fresh with organic food, adapts to special diets like diabetes, and handles laundry, linen service, and housekeeping so no one has to worry about daily chores. Residents take part in daily activities, movie nights, music programs, and outdoor programs, with outings, day trips, and games for staying active, and there's a small library, a computer area, a fitness room, a game room, and walking paths in the garden for peaceful strolls.
The building keeps everyone safe with secure areas to prevent wandering, and there's a full emergency call and alert system, so help is always near, and the staff can arrange rides to appointments or activities with community transportation options. The care here is free for those who can't pay, because the home's supported by voluntary donations and stands as one of only seven free cancer homes run by the Hawthorne Dominican Sisters, and all the services-like memory care, round-the-clock personal assistance, housekeeping, and skilled nursing-are thoughtfully delivered to meet individual needs with honesty and kindness. The main goal of Our Lady Of Perpetual Help Fre is to provide a safe, warm, and contemplative place where people facing serious illness or end-of-life stages can find real support, whether that support is medical, spiritual, or simply the comfort of a quiet room with a view of the gardens and the gentle company of those watching over them.
