Friday, November 5, 2010

National Hospice Month

Dr Bernice Catherine Harper
and
me.
Dr Bernice Catherine Harper was presented with the
highest of honors last year at the National Hospice Gala, for her lifetime work.
"The Global Vision Award"
for a pioneer, a social worker, an advocate and a woman who has walked the walk and talked the talk for all people for many years.
...
It is important we know and honor the pioneers of Hospice, that we remember them in daily steps taken to do the work of hospice, to keep our eyes straight and our hands clean as we live the mission and vision promised
...
Thank you Dr Harper, Ann Vickery, Mary Labyak, Florence Wald, Jo Magno, Samira Beckwith, Donald Schumacher, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and so many more who have started this thing we call HOSPICE    

It's National HOSPICE MONTH

Dr Bernice Catherine Harper is one of the
grand dames of the hospice world
and a social worker to boot!
She is known as
"the professionals professional", a social worker
and quite a grand lady to be certain.
One of my hero's and I was honored to see
and
be with her at the last
National Hospice Foundation Gala
in Washington DC this year.
We caught up on old times, laughed much
and enjoyed being together talking about
"back in the day".

Back in the day
we served on the "first" task force for access for minorities in hospice, known as
"Cultural Diversity"
with Samira Beckworth who is now the CEO
of
HOPE Hospice in Lee County in Florida!

We visited with Jean Berquest another old friend and Hospice grand dame from "back in the day";
a mover and shaker in DC,
and many others at that grand Gala.
Those founders and those new to Hospice as well.
HOSPICE IS ABOUT LIFE
About caring and the circle of care,
keeping patients and families and those who love in the middle of the circle and all are connected
and oh how the circle has expanded through the years.
From back in the days of
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
with her landmark work on death and dying, her contributions too large to even attempt, her works and her books still so very useful to professionals and to those who are facing death and loss today.
The mission and values of Hospice that began so long ago, still etched in the hearts of so many as they get up each day and serve, minister to those as they live until the moment they die better with the skills and love of Hospice; those who dedicate themselves professionally and the volunteers who give so freely.    


Hospice does that so well.
Across the life span, the seasons of time
and ages
from the little ones to the Elders
across the world
Hospice is available to provide
care, dignity, respect
to their patients
and
those who love them.

President Obama signed a Proclamation this year
declaring
Novemmber
National Hospice Month
and says this: "
All Americans should take comfort in the important work of hospice care, which enables individuals to carry on their lives, in spite of a terminal illness. During this month, let us recognize those who allow the terminally ill to receive comfortable and dignified care."
Hospice
According to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization,
"Access to care has improved significantly in the three decades since November has been celebrated as National Hospice Month. 
 Dame Cicely Saunders who started this whole thing off at St Christophers in England and once said,
"Care of the body means nothing without care of the soul",
yes,
HOPSICE!
 
The first White House proclamation honoring hospice month was signed by President Jimmy Carter in 1978. At that time, hospices in the US served several thousand individuals and their family members each year. New data from National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization shows that a record 41.5 percent of people who died in the US – 1.56 million patients with life-limiting illness – were served by the nation’s hospices last year."

There are many who work for hospice behind the scenes, those voices that are there, those who deal with the paper end of things, answer the phones, coordinate the nurses, social workers, chaplains and keep things running smoothly... they know what is going on all the time; they find the volunteers in the middle of the day or night to sit with dying patients or to soothe a troubled family member.
Many are the "pulse" of the team.
All to be valued.

The Volunteers are the "hearts" of Hospice
giving their time, talents, and hearts to step out of self
and
into others.
Leaving their personal problems and agendas in their cars or on the door steps and walking in open for whatever may be, and letting the story of the person they are seeing take center stage; as it should be.
It is after all,
the patient and family journey
not ours.

HOSPICE
steeped in history, the stories are woven into a rich and colorful fabric of compassion and care.
Dr Bernice Catherine Harper has set a high standard
a bar that many need remember
when ministering to those in hospice
and to their peers
with professionalism
with
compassion and kindness always
just as

Josephina Magno
Dr Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
Jean Berquest
Samira Beckwith
Mary Labyak
Dame Cicely Saunders
Florence Wald
Balfour Mount
Colin Murray Parkes
Eric J Cassell
Donald Schumacher
Steven O'Connor
and
....
 


Many blessings to
HOSPICES around the world
For you
those who passionately do the work
the volunteers
staff
I give great thanks
and
so
It is good

For more information on
Hospice
or to locate a hospice near you
visit


"That which is to provide light must endure burning"
Victor Frankl

The fire is burning brightly, its embers are hot ~ Sage/Cedar fills the air with
thoughts and prayers on the wind
STOMP
with great gratitude today
As I now prepare to visit and speak to 
GUARDIAN ANGEL HOSPICE
in Lafayette Indiana during this
Hospice month, I am so thrilled to meet and see those doing such great work there.
A hospice that was begun by 
5 women with a vision, mission, and dedication now growing and caring for community ... hospice is about life!
Indiana here I come!
     
Walk In Beauty
That is the
HOPE
in
Healing Heartaches
DRSES







5 comments:

Irene M said...

I agree, I agree, I agree
Bless Hospice and all connected to it.

Anonymous said...

My father in law passed in a beautiful, new ho spice ten years ago. The people were wonderful, full of caring, love, and compassion. My mother in law has been in hospital for the last few weeks...tuesday, told us she needed to be moved to a hospice...tuesday night she requested us. We had planned on "a couple months". We spent time with her til hospice picked her up at 10am. We were talking with her til she left. In the ambulance, she quit talking...arrived at hospice...passed at 11:25. We feel she wanted to be where her husband passed, and also remembered the extreme kindness felt there. We are so grateful she was able to make it there. Hospice is a blessing. ♥

Anonymous said...

Many thnaks to all those in hospice who "walk the walk" giving of themselves deeply in the care of those at the end of their lives. I have been privledged to see hospice at work. Too often they are brought in at the very end, patients can benefit from the tender care and abundant resources hospice has to offer sooner.
A sincere thank you to Dr. Harper and Dr Showalter, to Eileen Dohman and so many others who have long been great contributors to the quality and true spirit of the philosophy of hospice over many years. Many years ago I worked in No. VA as a hospice employee and volunterr. Have wored here in FL in the past as a hospice volunterr and want to also give special acknoledgement to Laura Rorda for her current work with hospice. Chris and Irene have made many contributions in our local hospice here also. Thanks to Dot in VA for here many years as a hospice volunteer also. If I forgot anyone that is a friend here and has volunteered, I apologize. Suffering from the dreaded flu and feel fuzzy stupid last few days. Trying to recover quickly for the big car was Sunday in Oldsmar!

Anonymous said...

Just wanted to post a very special acknowledgment for Dr. Sherry Showalter as she is one of a very few "Heart of Hospice" Natonal Award winners. It is a very special honor and none is more deserving. Thank you Dr Showalter for all you continue to give.

Anonymous said...

Hospice is not only a journey for the patients and families that we are honored to care for, but it's been a journey for me for the last 17 years. Never would have thought something could hold my attention for this long, but am grateful for the opportunity to serve. Also even more grateful for the people I've met along the way, Dr. Showalter is one of them!