Jackson County Times

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Friday, November 27, 2009

Emerald Coast Hospice…A Jewel in Our Community

By Sid Riley

Emerald Coast Hospice has their area offices in Marianna, on the corner of Wynn Street and Lafayette Street. From this office they serve Jackson, Calhoun, Washington, and Holmes Counties. They are part of an Atlanta based Hospice Gentiva Home Health network which serves the Southeast Region. They began their work in the Florida Panhandle in 1989.

Hospice is a non profit organization which provides “end of life” care for patients and their grieving family members. The Marianna office has 25 paid employees and utilizes 15 volunteers. The staff consists of RN’s, LPN’s, Hospice Aides, Social Workers, and Chaplains. The local organization normally assists several hundred families through the trauma of a death experience of a loved one during each year.

The nurses are there to provide needed medical attention to the patients as the patient’s condition worsens. The Hospice aides provide support to the entire staff, as well as attending to family needs such as bathing the patients, feeding, and assistance in taking medications. The Chaplains are there to provide constant emotional support to the patient and the family. After the patient has passed away, the Chaplain continues to provide emotional counseling and support for as long as is needed.

Another worthwhile program sponsored by this organization is “Camp Braveheart”. This is a completely free camp for children ages 7 to 14 who have lost a family member. This camp provides a safe haven for the children who are struggling with the difficult emotions which accompany grieving after a severe loss. The camp is run by clinical specialists who have the training and skills needed to assist these children.

Camp Braveheart provides the usual assortment of camp activities such as swimming, boating, games, arts and crafts, hiking, and much more. It blends fun for the kids with the support and counseling they need during this time. Any grieving child is eligible, the family does not have to be an Emerald Coast client.

During the interview for this article, we asked Ronni Bowen, Account Executive, and Sara Blumenthal, Volunteer Coordinator, if they and the rest of the staff had any problems coping constantly with an environment filled with grief and death. They both responded that in almost every case, the Hospice worker is totally devoted to their job. “The feeling of accomplishment and the fulfillment which is experienced by knowing you are helping during a time of need, is the real reward for this job”, they stated.

Ronni Bowen related one experience encountered by Marie Herring, Branch Director, as a good example of why hospice work is so rewarding. “Marie was working with a family who had a relatively young man, around 46 years old, who was in a terminal situation. His family, including several brothers and sisters had assembled to be with him during his final hours. The patient requested to be assisted into a sitting position, so that he could take part in a loving family “hug”. They realized that he was so weak that the mere act of sitting up might lower his blood pressure to the point of heart failure, but he insisted. So the family formed a circle around him on his bed and they all embraced. They requested that Marie take a photo of the scene. The man passed away as they were engaging in this final act of love. One of the sisters said to Marie, ‘thanks for making it beautiful’. It is just one of many such incidents which remain with you the rest of your life when you are privileged to be part of it as a Hospice worker, ” Bowen concluded.

If you wish to contact Emerald Coast Hospice for any reason, they are available at 850-526-3577. Also, they are always looking for volunteers to help them in their mission of loving support.

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