HOSPICE AR07 C:Layout 1 - Hospice of the Rapidan

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LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR A key part of our mission here at Hospice of the Rapidan has been to educate the communities we serve about how much hospice can do for terminally ill patients and their families. When we were founded 24 years ago few people understood what hospice was or what we did. Today many know that hospice provides compassionate and dignified endof-life care including high quality medical care plus social, emotional, and spiritual support to help patients make the most of the time they have left. But hospice is so much more than this. What many people still do not understand is how much hospice does not only for each patient, but also for his or her primary caregiver, other family members, children facing the death of a loved one for the first time, and even the communities we serve. At Hospice of the Rapidan, it has always been our mission to care for families, not just patients. It has also long been our policy to do whatever it takes, within the limits of our resources, to ensure each patient and his or her loved ones get all the care they need to make the most of the time they have together. This often goes beyond the care for which we are reimbursed by Medicare and health insurance. With the generous support of the communities we serve we have always been able to live up to these lofty goals. In 2006–2007 Hospice of the Rapidan served more patients and families than ever before. The area we serve, Culpeper, Fauquier, Madison, Orange and Rappahannock Counties, is growing faster than the population in general, with the greatest growth in residents age 65 and older. Our strategic plan calls for adding staff and resources to meet this growing demand for hospice without any diminution in the high quality of care that has been Hospice of the Rapidan’s trademark for 25 years. Your continuing support of the essential work we do makes this possible. As I look forward to our second quarter century of providing the best possible hospice care I see both great promise and challenge. More Americans than ever understand the comfort, dignity and care that hospice provides at the end-of-life. Locally the name Hospice of the Rapidan has come to symbolize the very best o f what hospice can and should be. On the challenge side the need for high quality hospice care is expected to grow dramatically as baby boomers age. At the same time, Congress and Medicare have targeted the amount hospices are reimbursed in their efforts to control healthcare spending. Against this landscape, the support we receive from our donors, volunteers and local communities is more important than ever. You make the difference that assures every area resident that they can receive the best possible endof-life care should they ever need it, no questions asked. Just being able to say that warms my heart. Thank you! Kathy R. Clements, RN, BSN Executive Director
A Wife’s Love 1 My experience with Hospice of the Rapidan was brief, but it meant a great deal to both my husband and me. My husband died only a few days after entering hospice. I have since learned this is not unusual, as almost a third of patients pass away less than a week after beginning hospice. As my husband’s illness progressed, my daughter, who is a nurse with a lot of hospice experience, suggested I speak with Hospice of the Rapidan. I was a bit reluctant, as was his doctor who equated hospice with “giving up”, but at my daughter’s urging I met with one of their nurses. When I understood what was involved, I decided hospice was the right option for both my husband and me. From that moment on, Hospice of the Rapidan took care of everything. They handled the paperwork and arranged for a hospital bed, oxygen, and everything needed for my husband’s feeding tube to be quickly delivered and installed in our home. Everything was ready when my husband returned home, and our hospice nurse and her team were with us frequently over the first few days. On his third day home, my husband developed a lot of congestion. I called our hospice nurse, who understood immediately that this was the end of life. She assured me he was not in pain (one of my big fears), that he was able to breathe, and that it would be over quickly. I was able to go to him, hold him in my arms calmly in the home we shared, and be with him during the last minutes of his life. This would not have been possible in the hospital or if I hadn’t understood what was happening. Hospice of the Rapidan’s compassionate honesty and immediate attention made his death peaceful for both of us, which I consider a valued gift. Since my husband’s death, Craig Wilt, Hospice of the Rapidan’s grief coordinator, has been so helpful. He is kind and patient and I look forward to our conversations each month. Hospice made a world of difference for both of us in just a few days. Now I am grateful for that every day. Dorothy Erlenborn Wife of John Erlenborn, 10 term Congressman from Illinois 2006–2007 ANNUAL REPORT 1
Page 1: Hospice of the Rapidan 2006 - 2007
Page 5 and 6: T HE Hospice of the Rapidan DIFFERE
Page 7 and 8: Grief Care Every person and every f
Page 9 and 10: HOSPICE CAN DO SO MUCH MORE WHEN IT
Page 11 and 12: Hospice of the Rapidan 2007 FINANCI
Page 13 and 14: 2006-2007 Honor Roll of Giving Ms.
Page 15 and 16: 2006-2007 Honor Roll of Giving Ms.
Page 17 and 18: 2006-2007 Honor Roll of Giving Mr.
Page 19 and 20: MISSION STATEMENT Hospice of the Ra

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