What's New
Adult Loss of Parent Support Group
The death of a parent is a difficult passage in life, regardless of how new or old the loss, or the quality of the relationship. As adults we all know that our parents will one day die, but their death often has a greater emotional impact than we could foresee. When we are grieving, what we need most is to give ourselves permission and to receive from those around us permission to mourn our loss.
Support groups often provide an opportunity for grieving persons to better understand the wide range of thoughts, feelings and behaviors associated with grief. Perhaps more importantly, they offer a safe place where group members come together for mutual support and to learn that their feelings are normal. We invite you to join our support group for adults who have experienced the death of a parent/s.
The next session will be held for seven consecutive Wednesday evenings beginning October 1st through November 11th, 2008 from 7:00-8:30 P.M. at the Adventist St. Thomas Hospice office. Please contact Rosie Cohen at (630) 856-6993 to register.
Importance of Early Referrals
A frequent recommendation from families when surveyed about what could have been improved in regards to hospice care is better tools and resources about their options for their loved one. Many believe this information would enhance their ability to make crucial decisions regarding their loved one’s care, including admittance to a hospice program. "I didn’t realize how close my mother was to death, so I didn’t call hospice in soon enough. Some help with recognizing the urgency would have been helpful," said a former St. Thomas Hospice patient’s family member.
Deciding on hospice care for a loved one can be difficult, especially if you are unfamiliar with the process, as most individuals are. Janet Mallo, intake nurse at St. Thomas Hospice says, "Occasionally I receive phone calls from individuals just wanting to know more about the hospice program. I have found that individuals that have called early on in their loved one’s disease process to gather information and resources about hospice seem to benefit the most from hospice care." In fact, St. Thomas Hospice offers a service called an ‘Explanation of Benefits.’ This service entails a hospice nurse meeting with a family to explain in detail about hospice care with no requirement to obtain services.
While many individuals remain in hospice care for weeks, if not months, the median length of stay in a hospice program is only two weeks, with a large proportion of individuals being admitted for only a few days. "If we can educate society about the importance of early referrals to hospice care, then I believe this statistic could be improved," said Mallo.
Mallo believes that an increase in early referrals would result in better symptom management, more comprehensive support for family members and ultimately a more comfortable and peaceful death. To find out more about hospice care, contact your local area hospice or visit the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization Web site at http://www.nhpco.org/.
Tommy's Kids Camp 2008
Where can you go to ride horses, meet new friends, cruise down a slip ‘n slide and learn healthy ways to express your feelings? Well, Tommy’s Kids Summer Camp of course! St. Thomas Hospice held its third annual bereavement summer camp the week of July 14th-18th. Children ages 5-12 were invited to attend, with 29 in attendance this year.
As in years past, each camper was matched one on one with a trained camp counselor. Counselors assisted their campers with completing their various camp activities which included bereavement games and exercises, fun and games and craft projects.
A favorite bereavement activity of campers was the “Getting to Know You” exercise, where each camper got a balloon to pop and then answered the question inside the balloon with their group. As far as fun and games were concerned, they all seemed to be camper favorites! This included fishing, bouncing bronco, water games, piñata, limbo, super slide, obstacle course and dance dance revolution. The favorite craft project was a tie between Build a Bear and the birdhouses.
Believe it or not, plans are already taking place for next year's camp which will be held Monday, July 13th through Friday, July 17th, 2009. Please conact Heather Kochen at 630-856-6985 for more information on camper registration or volunteering as a camp counselor.
Photos! Photos! Photos!