Lakeland Hospice House - Chapters Health System

hospice house
Lakeland
Highlighting Construction Progress
Volume 1, No. 3
The Heart of Hospice
“Service to a just cause rewards the worker with more real happiness and satisfaction
than any other venture of life.”
– Carrie Chapman Catt, founder, League of Women Voters
Marty Dickey
Marty Dickey has lived a life of adventure, but
for the past 17 years, her heart and passion has
been volunteering with Good Shepherd Hospice.
After spending most of her adult life teaching
in European civilian schools and traveling the
world every chance she could, Marty landed in
Lakeland in 1995. The next year a church friend
suggested that she might enjoy volunteering
with Good Shepherd Hospice. She has been
helping patients, families, and staff ever since
– as much as 20 hours a week at some points.
Most rewarding, she says has been providing
respite care for families, sitting with patients to
give family caretakers a chance to run errands
or simply relax. “I guess the volunteers seem
‘unconnected’ to the clinical care, so the patients
talk to us about everything. And the families
are so grateful,” says Marty. She also takes
pride in helping to form one of the first church
teams in the congregation she belongs to at
North Lakeland Presbyterian. Church teams are
comprised of volunteers who are trained to help
hospice patients from their own congregations.
These days, she primarily volunteers in the
Good Shepherd offices, helping staff in
numerous ways. Marty moved into Florida
Presbyterian Homes in 2009 and is an advocate
for hospice and the need for volunteers among
other residents.
Tiffany Frazier, Volunteer Department Secretary
with Marty Dickey
continued page 2
The Need for Volunteers
“Some people feel they don’t have a talent
to offer as a volunteer,” says Allyson Moskowitz,
Social Services and Volunteer Services Manager
for Good Shepherd Hospice. “If you have a desire
to give back and really make a difference, you
don’t have to be afraid to try it. Our volunteers get
a lot of support.”
Many people aren’t aware that hospice
programs are required by Medicare to document
that volunteers deliver at least five percent of the
care hours given to patients compared to staff
hours. Good Shepherd Hospice has about 320
active volunteers, averaging upward of 10 percent
of those hours in recent times, which Allyson
calls “tremendous.” However, some new state
regulations have created a more cumbersome
process for new volunteers, especially winter
residents, resulting in lower numbers of new
volunteers. With the opening of the Lakeland
Hospice House, the need will be even greater, with
new opportunities for those seeking meaningful
volunteer openings. Good Shepherd Hospice
currently has an office in Lakeland, hospice
houses and offices in Auburndale and Sebring,
an inpatient unit at Palm Terrace in Lakeland,
the Bethany Center for Grieving Children in
Auburndale and the annual Camp Brave Heart –
all of which welcome volunteers. And of course,
the majority of hospice patients are seen in their
homes or other residential facilities.
“Our volunteers do many things. Some are
greeters in our buildings, while others offer pet
therapy. Volunteers can be companions for
patients, simply sitting with them, or reading,
writing letters, or even recording their stories
for future generations. The veterans program is
popular, and we like having veterans available
to talk with and help honor our patients who are
veterans.” Allyson notes that some volunteers are
more comfortable handling administrative tasks
in the offices, providing valuable help with filing,
mail handling, and other needs. “Some volunteers
serve as ‘phone buddies’ and call patients who
live alone to make sure they are doing okay,
taking their medications and know that help is a
call away. We also have those who will sit with
patients who might otherwise be alone in their final
hours.” Allyson assures those interested that the
volunteer coordinators will work with them to find
the roles they’re comfortable with and to answer
any questions.
Volunteer Stats
320 active volunteers
2012 hours served = 30,767 hours
• 2012 average % to staff hours = 10.47%
• total value of $656,265
YTD 2013 hours served = 15,544 hours
• 2013 ytd average % to staff hours = 11.53%
• total value of $344,133.31
Opportunities = plenty
Personal rewards = priceless!
Dan Moscone
Dan Moscone is a volunteer-to-be at Good
Shepherd Hospice’s Lakeland Hospice House.
After 68.5 years of marriage, Dan lost his wife
Dolores earlier this year. “I’ve had a wonderful
life, and Dee was my girl,” he says. “Everyone just
loved her.”
Dee had been in poor health for several years
before her final admission to the hospital. After
suffering a stroke with inoperable bleeding, she
was referred to hospice care. “I talked to her,”
says Dan, “but she wouldn’t open her eyes.
When Linda [their daughter] came, the nurses
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hospice: A system of coordinated care by an interdisciplinary team to meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs
of those facing an end-of-life journey, delivered wherever a patient calls “home.”
encouraged her to talk to Dee. We both did, and
she opened her big blue eyes, smiled, and died.
She was waiting for Linda to get here.”
Dan and Dolores Moscone
With tears in his eyes, Dan admits that he
didn’t know what to do without the love of his life.
“Good Shepherd Hospice helped me through
it, and I didn’t think I’d make it. They helped my
daughter and hugged her, and they helped me
make the arrangements. I had no idea what to do.”
Dan maintains his home at Florida
Presbyterian Homes, and his daughter Linda lives
in Baltimore. “She calls me every morning and
every night and tells me what to do and what not
to do,” he says with a laugh. Dan has worked hard
all his life, moving with Dee 25 times for his job.
He doesn’t intend to slow down now and is waiting
for the Lakeland Hospice House to open to begin
his volunteer service. “I was just so impressed
with the way my wife was treated by hospice,” he
says. Now, Dan is being trained to give back that
support and hope to hospice patients and families.
To become a
Good Shepherd Hospice volunteer,
call our Volunteer Coordinator,
Peg O’Leary Parsche at 863-616-2343.
Bereavement Programs
After losing a loved one, some survivors may
find that the pain associated with their loss doesn’t
always lessen with time. Support groups offer a
safe place to express feelings, share experiences
and move forward with life.
Good Shepherd Hospice is deeply committed
to providing a variety of bereavement programs,
not only to the families of hospice patients but also
to members of the community who have suffered
a loss. These services include:
• personal counseling for loved ones of
hospice patients
• support groups, including some for unique needs:
• loss of a spouse
• loss of an adult child
• loss of a young child
• Bethany Center for grieving children and teens
• Camp Brave Heart, an annual weekend camp for
grieving children and teens
Alyson Moskowitz, who also oversees
bereavement programs, notes how important
these programs are for the entire community. “We
have a large number of traumatic deaths, such as
car accidents and shootings, in our community,
and these survivors often are in the most need
of support,” she says. “The Bethany Center and
Camp Brave Heart are such wonderful resources
for the children affected.” While hospice family
bereavement programs are required by Medicare,
community programs are not, nor are they funded.
Good Shepherd Hospice remains committed to
serving all who need help during these difficult times.
Complete listings of support programs are
mailed to survivors after a loss and are always
available on the chaptershealth.org website or by
calling or visiting the Good Shepherd Hospice office
in Lakeland at 863.682.0027.
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Good Shepherd Hospice Mission: To provide quality palliative care and relieve the suffering of those in our
communities affected by life-limiting illnesses and end-of-life issues, maintaining the highest ethical standards,
so all may live as fully and comfortably as possible.
NONPROFIT ORG
US POSTAGE
PAID
TAMPA FL
PERMIT NO 3723
320 W. Main Street
Lakeland, FL 33815
Lakeland hospice house
Hard Hat Tour Schedule
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Contact Information
Tuesday, August 20, 4:00 p.m.
Tuesday, September 10, 4:00 p.m.
Please Contact Diana Herchig by calling 863-616-2363 or
e-mail HerchigD@chaptershealth.org if you would like to
take a hard hat tour of the Lakeland Hospice House.
Lakeland Hospice House
3450 Lakeland Hills Boulevard
Lakeland, FL 33805
Directions:
863-682-0027
www.ChaptersHealth.org
From the South
Coming from the south on Lakeland Hills Boulevard, turn left on
Robson Street, which is the first left after the blood bank and
Griffin Road. Signs will direct you to the parking area.
From the North
Coming from the North on Lakeland Hills Boulevard turn right
on Robson Street, which is the first street following the GSH
Construction Site. Signs will direct you to the parking area.
Good Shepherd Hospice is a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit organization whose missions are to provide quality palliative care and relieve the suffering of those in our communities affected by life-limiting illnesses and end-of-life issues, maintaining the highest ethical standards, so all may live a fully
and comfortably as possible. A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE OF FLORIDA. REGISTRATION DOES NOT
IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. Chapters Health System does not share, sell, or distribute the mailing lists to any third parties, for any reason. We are grateful for the support we receive from our friends in the community. If you wish to no longer
receive our requests for charitable support, please let us know by calling (863) 297-1880, emailing at development@chaptershealth.org, faxing (863) 682-3006 or writing to Good Shepherd Hospice 320 W. Main Street Lakeland, FL 33815. Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for us to honor this request.