Mountain Hospice Newsletter

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=210 BGCOLOR="#99CC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="1628dfc3.jpg"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=82 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="0428dfe1esnpes.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>Mountain Hospice</B></FONT><B>     </B><B>|</B><B>     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mountain Hospice"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=398 colspan=2 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="0428dfc3.jpg"> <div> <I>Mountain Hospice Newsletter</I></div> <div> Volume 4,  Issue 4</div> <div> Fall 2007</div> <bR> <div> <I>Hospice:  It Must Be Love!</I></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>A hospice nurse was recently asked, “How can you work in hospice--it's important work, but it must be so sad!” She responded,  “I love providing highly-skilled, professional nursing care because I can truly make a difference in someone's quality of life.  I love that I can use my training as a nurse to bring comfort and dignity to my patients and seeing the relief on their faces and on the faces of those who love them.  I love being a part of a professional hospice team that works together to offer individualized, holistic care to families when it is critically needed.  I love that I can offer practical solutions to some of life's most difficult challenges, while also providing dignity and humanity.” November is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month - a time to draw attention and raise awareness of this special kind of service. </div> <bR> <div> Hospice is more than traditional healthcare.  Hospice and palliative care programs provide pain management, symptom control, psychosocial support, and spiritual care to patients and their families when a cure is not possible. Hospice and palliative care combines the highest level of quality medical care with the emotional and spiritual support that families need most when facing the end-of-life. This information is provided by the NHPCO and Mountain Hospice at 888-763-7789.</div> <bR> <div> <I><B>“Welcome” New Employees </B></I></div> <bR> <div> Angela Harris-Care Assistant</div> <bR> <div> Casey Edmond-Care Assistant</div> <div> Regina Croston-Care Assistant           </div> <div> Peggy VanDevender-Home Health Aide</div> <div> Janet Clark-Home Health Aide            </div> <div> Elizabeth Rush-Home Health Aide</div> <div> Kelli Kittle-Home Health Aide             </div> <div> Cassie Lantz-On Call Nurse/RN</div> <div> Pamela Moore-Home Health Aide      </div> <div> Crystal Mouse-Program Coordinator</div> <bR> <div> <B>November is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month</B></div> <bR> <div> <U>Mountain Hospice Celebrates National Hospice and Palliative Care Month. </U></div> <bR> <div> November is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month and hospices across the country are reaching out to raise awareness about important care issues for people coping with life-limiting illness. “Every year, more than 1.5 million people living with a life-limiting illness receive care from hospice and palliative care providers in this country,” said J. Donald Schumacher, president and CEO of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. “These highly-trained professionals don't only provide quality medical care. They work to make sure patients and families find dignity, respect, and love during life's most difficult journey.” Hospice is more than traditional healthcare. Hospice and palliative care programs provide pain management, symptom control, psychosocial support, and spiritual care to patients and their families when a cure is not possible. Hospice and palliative care combines the highest level of quality medical care with the emotional and spiritual support that families need most when facing the end of life. </div> <bR> <div> Mountain Hospice will host a Veterans Day Celebration on November the 10<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >th</FONT> 2007 at 1:00 p.m. at the Belington Mountain Hospice office. We hope to help learn more about hospice and palliative care and details about the veterans hospice benefit. Throughout the month of November, organizations across the nation are hosting activities that focus on celebrating this unique system of support and the benefits provided by the loving care of hospice. Additional information about hospice, palliative care, and advance care planning is available from Mountain Hospice.  <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#800080" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.caringinfo.org/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.caringinfo.org/"><U><U>www.caringinfo.org</U></U></A></FONT>,   (Information via Caring Connections).</div> <bR> <div> <B>Light- A- Life this Holiday Season </B></div> <bR> <div> The annual decorating of the <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#336600" FACE="Arial" ><I><B>Light-A-Life</B></I></FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#658D6C" FACE="Arial" ><I><B> </B></I></FONT>tree in Barbour, Grant, Pendleton, Pocahontas, CityRandolph, and placePlaceNameTucker PlaceTypeCounties will begin December 1st.  Individuals may purchase a ribbon and light and/or keepsake ornament “in honor of” or “in memory of” their loved one.  The names of all memorials and donors will be published in the local newspaper.  Each county will have a personalized tree in which the personalized ribbons and lights will be placed. To find the location of your community <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#336600" FACE="Arial" ><I><B>Light-A-Life</B></I></FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#658D6C" FACE="Arial" ><I><B> </B></I></FONT>tree, please contact our office for further details.  Our ability to meet the needs of our patients is made possible by the continued dedicated financial support from our communities.  Your support enables us to focus our attention on providing high quality hospice services.  For more information, contact Shannon Gear at 823-3922 or toll free at 888-763-7789 Ext. 103.  Or, send your loved one's name and details to this address: </div> <div> Mountain Hospice, 1600 Crim Avenue, Belington, WV 26250. </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I><B><U>Donation levels</U></B></I>  </div> <div>    <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#658D75" FACE="Arial" >   </FONT></div> <div> <B>White Light and Personalized Ribbon  $20.00       </B></div> <div> <B>Keepsake Ornament (delivered to your home) $50.00</B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Neighborhood Investment Program ( Save on your taxes)</B></div> <bR> <div> Mountain Hospice received $3,000.00 in grant funds from the West Virginia Development Office Neighborhood Investment Program (NIP).  The NIP was established by the West Virginia Legislature in 1996 to increase charitable giving to local non-profit organizations.  The program allows 501(c)3 designated charitable organizations to apply for tax credit vouchers.  These organizations then distribute vouchers to businesses and individuals who contribute to the organizations.  By donating to approved NIP organizations, contributors can support their communities and earn credits to reduce certain placeStateWest Virginia taxes. Businesses and individuals who contribute to NIP organizations are eligible to receive up to 50% of the contributed amount in the form of state tax credits.  Donors may use the credits to reduce liability for Corporate Net Income Tax, Business Franchise Tax, or Personal Income Tax.  For more information  regarding the program, you can visit the website at <U>www.wvdo.org/community/nip</U>, or contact Shannon Gear, Director of Development, at 823-3922.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Volunteers Needed </B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> Our hospice program relies on trained, compassionate volunteers to provide an extra set of hands and ears for both the patient and the family. With their varied interests and special talents, volunteers can greatly expand both the number and scope of services we are able to offer.  Hospice volunteers work in many capacities including helping in the office and with fund raising; providing transportation for patients; cooking or assisting with yard work; and staying in the patient's home hours at a time so caregivers can take a break.  Volunteers also act in a liaison capacity with the community to maintain and increase community awareness and support of services offered by hospice.  Most importantly, volunteers act as loving companions who listen to their patient's and family's concerns, anxieties, and joys.  Hospice volunteers strive beyond the ordinary… enriching the mission of hospice with uncompromising EXCELLENCE. </div> <bR> <div> No other form of health care embraces the volunteer as enthusiastically as hospice.  Volunteers are fundamentally important to the hospice concept and are used in nearly all aspects of the program. Volunteer service is considered so vital to hospice that the Federal Medicare Guidelines require that at least 5% of hospice services be provided by volunteers.  For more Information,  contact Tia Hovatter, Volunteer Coordinator, at 304-823-3922 or 888-763-7789.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Hospice Sunday</B></div> <bR> <div> On November 25th, Mountain Hospice, along with area churches, will be joining in a day of prayer in observance of   Hospice Sunday, an outreach effort encouraging communities to remember persons who live with hope and dignity in the face of a life-limiting illness.</div> <bR> <div> Hospice Sunday is offered to raise awareness about hospice and to connect the resources of local faith communities to the needs of hospice patients, families, and caregivers.  People of faith are encouraged to remember in personal prayer those who live with a life-limiting illness, the families who care for them, and the health care professionals who serve them.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>