WesleyLife Hospice and Palliative Care

09/02/2026

The Walk for Frontotemporal Degeneration is a new national educational and fundraising program led by The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration.
The first of three inaugural walks is being held right here in the Des Moines, Iowa area. Local volunteers are diligently working to host an exciting event at Terra Park, Johnston Iowa.
I look forward to you joining us virtually or in person!

“Safe and happiness all day long”

Melissa Jacobson
Event Chair
Walk for FTD - Des Moines area

08/21/2026

08/18/2026

🌟 Hospice Compassion Award – August 🌟

Congratulations to Shellie Barkalow, our Hospice Program Coordinator, on being named our August Hospice Compassion Award recipient! 💜

Shellie brings kindness, compassion, and dedication to everything she does for our patients, families, and team. We are so grateful for the heart she brings to hospice every day.

Congratulations, Shellie! You are so deserving of this recognition! 💜

08/05/2026

We are pleased to welcome Nick O. to WesleyLife as director of sales.

In this role, Nick will lead sales strategy and support growth across WesleyLife’s communities for healthy living as well as our Home and Community-Based Services network.

Nick brings extensive experience in healthcare sales and relationship development. Most recently, he served as an area sales director with Suncrest Hospice and previously held leadership roles with Integro Healthcare Services and Arbor Springs.

His strong understanding of the Iowa healthcare landscape, collaborative leadership style, and commitment to building meaningful relationships will support WesleyLife as we continue expanding the ways we serve older adults across the state.

Please join us in welcoming Nick to WesleyLife!

06/29/2026

Our leaders bring more than professional experience to their work: They bring full lives, creative passions, and personal stories that shape how they lead.

Sophia Ahmad, vice president of philanthropy for WesleyLife, was featured last week in the Des Moines Business Record’s 2026 Photo Issue for her lifelong connection to music. A classically trained pianist with degrees in piano performance and literature, Sophia shared how music has shaped her creativity, discipline, collaboration and ability to connect with others, qualities that also inform her work in meaningful, relationship-based philanthropy.

We are grateful for leaders like Sophia, whose passions outside work continue to enrich the way they serve our mission and help foster connection across generations. Read the feature on Sophia in the link below.

Tell us a little about your hobby.   I am a classically trained musician with undergraduate and master’s degrees in piano performance and literature, as well as an MBA. Playing classical music has always been a defining passion and, for me, serves as a portal to expand creativity, imagine the uni...

06/15/2026

🇺🇸 Honoring Flag Day 🇺🇸
Yesterday was Flag Day—a time to reflect on the symbol that represents our nation and the freedoms we cherish.
Just the day before, during our annual Butterfly Release Memorial, each table was adorned with an American flag. 🦋 It was a meaningful touch, reminding us of the courage, sacrifice, and stories of those who have served our country—many of whom we have the privilege to care for and honor.
At WesleyLife Hospice, our commitment to the We Honor Veterans program allows us to recognize and express gratitude to the veterans and families we serve every day.
Each flag is more than a symbol—it represents lives of service, dedication, and love for country. We are honored to walk alongside our veterans, ensuring they are met with dignity, respect, and compassionate care.
❤️🤍💙 Always remembered. Always honored.

06/15/2026

WesleyLife Hospice Butterfly Memorial Release

The WesleyLife Hospice and Palliative Care team hosted its annual Memorial Butterfly Release, a celebration of life and remembrance, at Wesley on Grand in Des Moines today. Families and friends of those served by the hospice team in the past year gathered to share memories, prayer, music, and fellowship, followed by a group release of monarch butterflies.

In the words of Aimee Spores, director of WesleyLife Hospice and Palliative Care: “The release of the butterflies reminds us that although our loved ones may be gone from our sight, they live on and will always be a part of us.”

The annual memorial event is made possible each year by generous sponsors. This year, we extend gratitude to Boesen The Florist; the Prairie Meadows Hydroponic Farm on the WesleyLife Meals on Wheels campus; and Clover Lawn butterflies. As always, we thank the WesleyLife Foundation team for their partnership.

Please take a moment to browse photos of meaningful moments from today’s ceremony. Then, if you have a loved one who you feel might benefit from hospice services or palliative care, please take a moment to learn more about the award-winning services our Hospice team provides at WesleyLife.org/hospice.

06/14/2026