'Going Home' series honors hospice workers, removes negative stigma around end-of-life care
Hospice and end-of-life care isn’t a popular subject in media and television, but “Going Home,” a heartwarming series from Great American Pure Flix, seeks to remove the stigma surrounding the topic by following a group of nurses as they treat those dying with dignity and compassion.
Now on its second season, “Going Home” stars Cynthia Geary, Cozi Zuehlesdorff, Aviona Rodriguez Brown, Steve Lloyd, Christopher Wiehl, Elly Sims, Trent Sims and Matt Davidson. The series follows Charley Copeland, a hospice nurse at Sunset House who sees her role as a calling from God to help shepherd people from this life to eternity, as well as nurses Janey and Tamara.
“I hadn't even heard the concept of a ‘good death’ before starting the series,” Zuehlesdorff, who stars as Janey in the series, told The Christian Post.
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“Once I heard it, everything clicked in terms of why to even make a show like this, to show people that no matter what you enter hospice care with, that you're dealing with physically, mentally, spiritually, it is possible to come into alignment with God and your loved ones and just find that peace in the end,” she continued. “It's never too late. We serve a God who saved the thief on the cross. It’s never too late to have a moment to turn to Him and experience the warmth of His love.”
In season two of the series, work takes a more personal turn for Charley and the other hospice nurses as Charley explores GriefShare to manage her own loss, Janey finds a new love interest and Tamara manages serious health issues.
“Season one found Janey learning the ropes. She didn't have any of her own clients, she was being trained, she was getting it wrong half the time and having to learn on the job,” Zuehlesdorff said. “In season two, she's come such a long way. She has her own clients. She's found her place at Sunset House. And she's falling in love for the first time, which was super fun. I felt like I was in a rom-com this season. It was very windswept and delightful.”
Though “Going Home” features lighthearted moments, the series doesn't shy away from tackling tough topics like hospice care, end-of-life experiences and grief. Showrunners relied on the insight of real-life hospice nurses to address the subject with sensitivity and grace, Zuehlesdorff said.
"Nurses require a level of strength and composure to support people in their grief and not make it about themselves,” the "Dolphin Tale" actress reflected. “I found myself fighting not to cry, fighting to be that peaceful, strong presence for the characters that I was treating, but also for the actors that were going to such heavy places. So often I was playing a nurse helping an actor who was crying their eyes out. When we yell ‘cut,’ they're still crying. That's still some human soul that is experiencing that level of emotion.”
"Going Home" is streaming on the faith-based platform Great American Pure Flix. In May 2023, Great American Media, helmed by Bill Abbott, announced it had merged with PureFlix, the faith-based streaming service of Sony Pictures Entertainment, to form the platform. Actress Candace Cameron Bure serves as chief content officer of the service.
At the time, Abbott described the move as "an alignment of mission-driven people and brands."
"We will be the leader in faith and family content, both in streaming and in linear," Abbott told CP. "When you think streaming, you think Netflix. When you think faith and family content, you'll think Great American Media, Great American Pure Flix; Great America as a brand that represents a high quality, that represents that focus on faith and family, that never disappoints."
And faith is also a focal point of “Going Home;” it’s the nurse’s faith that allows them to holistically care for those dying and their families.
“It is never too late to experience the love of Jesus Christ, and there are so many opportunities if you're in a hospital — you can call upon services of a chaplain, or call a local pastor, and if you're in hospice care, there's always opportunities to get questions answered that you've always had and go from there,” Zuehlesdorff said.
The actress said her experience on the show has not only deepened her understanding of end-of-life care but also drawn her closer to her faith.
"From a macro perspective, this is the first time I've worked on a set of a Christian series. I've always worked on projects that align with my values, but never were so vocally exactly what my values are,” she said.
"It's so special when a show or movie leaps off the screen and into the hearts of the people watching and has a bigger impact than just 'oh, man, that was really funny' or 'wow, that show made me cry.'"
Zuehlsdorff said she hopes that through “Going Home” viewers realize hospice care can provide precious moments in the end-of-life journey — and that with faith, a “good death” is possible.
“Sometimes hospice care has a reputation of being like ... ‘Oh, this is really the end in such a sad way.’ But it really is possible to have a good death, which is what we talk about on the show, and those hours and days with your loved one, when they're comfortable in hospice care, and taken care of so well, can be some of the most precious times with them that you'll ever have. I would say, try to not be as afraid of it as you can, because they can be precious, precious moments.”
“Going Home” season two is now streaming on Great American Pure Flix.
Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: leah.klett@christianpost.com
