Cindy Hushon is the Chair for the Board of Directors at the Senator Bob Hooper House—she is also Bob Hooper’s daughter. Both Cindy’s grandparents and father required hospice care and because she was able to so personally see how profoundly that care helped not only her loved ones, but she and her family too, her perspective on hospice changed.

Now for Cindy, hospice care is never about giving up. It’s about learning to accept that death is a natural part of life and how important it is to live every minute to its fullest. While her dad was in hospice care, she and her family had the opportunity to spend time together talking, sharing stories and saying many of the things they needed to say in a warm and comfortable setting that felt like home. That’s one of the reasons Cindy so strongly feels that providing a place that cares for people who are terminally ill and their families is so important.

The Senator Bob Hooper House is a beautiful and peaceful home for people who need hospice care, and Cindy is committed to making and keeping it available to everyone in our community.

Kristen Gardiner is a Licensed Practical Nurse who has been at the Hooper House since the beginning. Not only is Kristen a fantastic nurse, she has also worked as an Intake Coordinator, Alternate Assisted Living Manager and currently serves as the home’s Assistant Director. She is certified in both hospice and palliative care.

Always impassioned about those she cares for, Kristen knows that providing support to a resident’s family is just as important as the care their loved one receives. Her goal is to consistently ensure exceptional, warm and personal care to every patient. The relationships that form here provide peace and a sense of calm to the residents and their families; but for Kristen, they also confirm for her why what she does and what the Senator Bob Hooper House provides is so important.

Shawn McNamara,Ed.D., M.S., R.N, Clinical Director of the Senator Bob Hooper House

Shawn McNamara is a Registered Nurse who serves as the Assisted Living Manager and Delegating Nurse for the Hooper House. Shawn holds a master’s degree in nursing and a doctoral degree in education. He became involved with hospice care shortly after becoming a nurse over 35 years ago. Shawn has held many leadership positions in hospice advocacy organizations. Shawn teaches end of life and palliative care courses to health care professionals with the goal of increasing practitioner’s understanding of palliative care and thus increasing the quality of care provided in our state.