When medical science can no longer add more days to life, it is the mission of Hospice to add more life to each and every day. Hospice is a special way of caring for people with terminal illnesses and for their families.
Our Hope...
...To serve patients from Canadian and the surrounding area.
...To provide support, comfort and encouragement for them and for their families as they face the final months of their lives.
...To educate people about Hospice--and its function. To show them that, though we cannot cure, we can care. We can help with pain control, with care at home--and with living more fully the final days.
...To inform people that there is a caring option for the terminally ill and their families.
~Motto~
"You matter because you are. You matter to the last moment of life, and we will do all we can, not only to help you die peacefully, but to live until you die." --Dr. Cecily Saunders
Our Service...
...Hospice provides many benefits that are not possible in a traditional health care setting.
...Hospice focuses on the unique needs of patients and families:
Hospice nurses visit patients in their home at least twice weekly and home health aides are available to assist with personal care as needed. Help is always available-24 hours a day; 7 days a week. Family or friends providing care in the home can call for help anytime.
Sometimes caring and giving can make all the difference. With dedicated volunteers, Hospice can help provide many extras, such as a friendly person with whom to talk, a favorite food, or a flower to brighten a room.
Hospice has professional staff to help patients and their families cope with loneliness, isolation, and the fear of being abandoned. Hospice continues to help family and friends through their grief after their loved one has died.
Hospice recognizes the importance of spiritual matters. Patients and families can, if they choose, share their feelings with a minister who is a part of the Hospice team.
Our Purpose...
When a person is seriously ill, there may come a time when continued medical treatment aimed solely at cure no longer serves a useful purpose. It then becomes important to focus attention daily on the physical, spiritual, social, emotional and financial needs of that person and family - the philosophy of the hospice concept.
The hospice concept of care for the terminally ill originated in England in 1964. It is now broadly accepted in the U.S. as the preferred way of taking care of the dying. Hospice programs concentrate on delivering care in the home instead of in an institutional setting.
The purpose of hospice is to provide support and care for persons in the last phases of their disease so that they can live as fully and comfortably as possible. Comfort means to be free from pain without loss of mental faculties. Hospice affirms life and regards dying as a normal process. Hospice neither hastens nor postpones death. Hospice believes that through personalized services and a caring community, patients and families can attain the necessary preparation for death.
The Hospice Care Team.
Our team is made up of volunteers and professionals who support the Hospice concept and also have a strong sensitivity to the feelings and needs of others. Among them are licensed physicians, nurses, social workers, members of the clergy and representatives of other professions as they are needed. Volunteers play an important role, since our Hospice represents the entire community coming together to enhance life for terminally ill people. Many volunteers are needed in this effort, for visiting, office work, and special one-time tasks. Training is offered twice a year for those who desire to become patient volunteers.
Admission Criteria.
Patient families will be admitted to Hospice based on the following criteria, within the capability of Hospice to serve them.
1. The patient has a medical prognosis of approximately 6 months or less to live if the disease follows its normal progression.
2. Efforts at cure have ceased, and the focus is on providing physical, emotional, and spiritual comfort.
3. There is at least one person responsible to provide supportive care in the home.
4. Residency in Hospice Service is required. (Hemphill County and the surrounding areas.)
5. The patient's physician consents to and authorizes Hospice care.
6. The patient and family are fully informed and give their consent to participate in Hospice.
Fundraisers
Angel of Love - Christmas Tree in December
Golf Tournament
Memorials & Donations throughout the year
Volunteer of the Year:
1994-95 Sandie Cook 1998-1999 Larry Dyess
1995-96 Bill Popham 1999-2000 Phyllis Spruell
1996-97 Tria Godwin
1997-98 Sandy Waterfield
Hospice will admit and serve patients based on need. We do not discriminate based on age, disease, religion, disability, race, or any other basis.
--Phone number: (806) 323-6422