Hospice Can Be Emotional

Hope Clark is offering a behind-the-scenes look at how Hospice of North Sunflower can be essential for your family. She aspires to fix the misconception some have about hospice.
 
“It doesn’t mean a death sentence. We help people who want to live out their life comfortably,” Hope says. “When you get hospice, you are gaining another family. You have someone to come in and help mentally, spiritually, and physically.”
 
Hope has been a nurse for nine years, and her passion is helping people facing serious or life-ending illnesses. The community is fortunate to have her as director of nursing for Hospice of North Sunflower.
 
She says her team has decades of experience and approaches problems from every angle.

Hospice Can Be Affordable

Some people worry that they cannot afford hospice. That worry is unnecessary.
 
Most people who need it qualify for hospice under Medicare or Medicaid, which pays for equipment and medicines. You can ask your doctor or call Hope’s team to get more information.
 
Once hospice arrives, Hope says people realize how much help they need. The team includes nursing staff, a social worker, and a chaplain.
 
“We take care of the whole family, not just the patient,” Hope says.  “When the end of life is approaching, there are signs we know. For someone who has not witnessed that, it can be traumatic. We hold hands. Our chaplain comes out and prays – whatever religion the patient practices,” she says. “We take off some of the burdens and take care of pretty much whatever they need.”
 
Hospice nurses guide and educate families. And a misconception, Hope says, is that it is a negative time.
 
“Most of the patients have lived a full life. It’s a celebration for them to go home,” she says. “You get close because you work with the family every day. We spend time in their homes. They have our personal cell phone numbers. Even the ones that have gone on, we still stay in touch.”

November is National Home Care Month

We celebrate Hope’s work as part of November’s National Home Care month.
 
According to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, 1.61 million Medicare beneficiaries living with life-limiting illness and their families received care from hospice programs in communities across America in 2019. Hospice provides services like caregiver training, respite care, and bereavement support.
 
“Hospice organizations are some of the best providers of community-based palliative care. In an increasingly fragmented and broken health care system, hospice is one of the few sectors that demonstrates how health care can – and should – work at its best for the people it serves,” according to the resolution for the 2021 hospice month.

Hospice of North Sunflower is Ready to Help

Hospice of North Sunflower goes to private homes and also serves residents of assisted living and nursing homes.
 
The registered nurses and licensed practical nurses at Hospice of North Sunflower share a trait, Hope says, they are compassionate and dedicated to patients.
 
“Compassion and empathy are the main requirements. Patience is important too,” she says. “We have a close-knit team. We all work together. It’s not just one person’s patient. It’s everyone’s patient.”
 
She said in traditional nursing, the goal is to do everything possible to save someone’s life. “In this field, we are here to comfort to the end. We provide all the comfort and needs necessary. We want patients to be pain-free with the limited time left.”
 
Hope and her team are ready to help you.
 
“We’re a small team but give really great care. We go above and beyond.”
 
To reach Hospice of North Sunflower, call 662-756-1700, or go to:
https://northsunflower.com/services/hospice-of-north-sunflower