By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — November is National Hospice Month.
"Hospice and Home Care Month is a special time that we, as an industry and an agency honor all of our staff," said Stacy Goss, Community Liason for Hospice & HomeCare of Reno County. "That includes nurses, home care aides, social workers, chaplains, homemakers, volunteers and our administration. Every day our staff is able to make a remarkable difference in the lives of our patients and their families. We take health care and we make it personal and we bring it home to our patients."
Hospice is a tough subject for some families, but with the holidays coming up, it's one that may need to be addressed.
"There is a common myth that hospice means giving up or throwing in the towel," Goss said. "The reality is that hospice care is just one more form of care. It focuses on reducing pain and discomfort for the patient while improving their quality of life. These objectives are just as important as treating an illness itself. It's been statistically proven that caregiver support is also very important. We provide support to the family unit as a whole through volunteer services to sit with the patients, veteran volunteers, as well, for those veterans on services. We provide social work and home health aides, all sorts of different levels of care, besides just the standard nursing care."
There are some events coming up to commemorate Veterans Day this week.
"November 10, we will be recognizing our staff and volunteers within the Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System with a short ceremony," Goss said. "This will include the dedication of a new flagpole and the new foyer, which has been redecorated at the Hospice House. On Veterans Day, on November 11, we have three events. We will be buying coffee for veterans and a guest. If you are in Hutch, this will be from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Scuttlebutts. In Lyons, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., we will be at Brew 56. If you're in McPherson, we will be serving root beer floats from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the McPherson Senior Center."
The project is part of Hospice's participation in "We Honor Veterans," a national program established to promote collaboration between the Department of Veterans Affairs and hospice organizations throughout the nation.