By Kris Hummer
THE holidays are a time to make wonderful memories. But if a family member or loved one suffers from a debilitating disease, this time of year can be anything BUT jolly.
If you’re in need of help, Hospice Savannah is here for you.
You may think, “Hospice Savannah? They deal with end-of-life situations. That doesn’t pertain to me.”
And you’d be partially correct. Hospice Savannah, now starting its 46th year of service in the Coastal Empire and surrounding areas, does offer help for patients with specific needs. But they assist caregivers too.
Terri Collins, Vice President of Business Development for Hospice Savannah and the Steward Center for Palliative Care, says one of the non-profit organization’s biggest hurdles is letting the public know all the services they provide.
“Studies have shown that putting people under hospice is not a death sentence. It has actually extended their lives,” she says.
“People naturally associate the word ‘hospice’ with ‘death.’ But we're now looking at other needs in the community. We've done assessments and identified there's a population that's not seriously ill. They're just old. We're living longer.”
In detailing the milestones she and her staff are most proud of, Collins took a deep breath and began listing Hospice Savannah’s myriad services:
The Edel Caregiver Institute offers support for those who care for sick family members. It’s so easy to become burned out, and this program offers resources – like support groups and consultations – to help when times are overwhelming.
Hospice care isn’t just for the elderly: The Butterfly Program is the only hospice program in Savannah that takes care of children.
And with Medicare’s Concurrent Care program, children can be eligible for aggressive treatments AND hospice support at the same time. This helps the child and the family members cope during such a difficult time.
And as we live longer, hospice care can go hand-in-hand with palliative care. The Steward Center for Palliative Care utilizes a team to treat and manage symptoms for patients with serious, progressive illnesses.
This multidisciplinary approach integrates caregivers (doctors, nurses, social workers, dieticians, and chaplains, just to name a few) and treats the patient’s symptoms.
Perhaps the one program Hospice Savannah offers with the most far-reaching effect is their Full Circle Grief and Loss program. What happens when a loved one passes on after hospice care? The family and friends left behind may need help long after saying goodbye.
This program is available to anyone dealing with grief, not just families who have benefitted from any of the Hospice Savannah services. Best of all, these grief services are funded through generous donations and provided free of charge.
Collins revealed a personal story about what motivates her to provide so many services to the Coastal Empire.
For years she was a registered nurse. And then her mother needed long-term care.
“I was a stubborn caregiver. 11 specialists were taking care of my mother. I'd worked with all of them in some capacity or another, and they assumed that I knew all about hospice.”
She did not. And when she was finally used hospice services, her mother died less than one day later.
“And I will regret that to the day I die, because medical people assume that you know," she said.
"And when you're medical…I mean, I went to school to be a nurse. And in school, you aren't talking about death and dying or end of life. You’re taught how to fix and cure and make better. And so I dragged my mother through hell. So many medical specialists assume, because you're in the medical field, that you already know, and you'll let them know when it's time to stop everything.”
Collins decided to use her medical and marketing background to let people know the services available to them.
“Because if a health professional doesn't know, and your doctor doesn't know, how can you expect other people to know when it's time to just kind of say enough's enough?”
And when Collins’ father needed hospice care, she felt much better informed to make some tough decisions.
Collins says, “My heart is full, and that's why I show up to work every day…because it's very rewarding work. The more we do, the more we learn what we can do, and the more we perfect it…what a blessing to be able to give that gift to our community.”
Hospice Savannah has about 200 full time employees and more than 100 volunteers. If you want more information on how you can help, or about any of the services they offer, go to their website: HospiceSavannah.org.
