Journeys

A newsletter for friends and families of Hospice of the North Country

It’s about how you live... Fall 2010

Hospice of the North Country Highlights

Recording Life Review Many of our hospice patients express a desire to record per-sonal life stories, let-ters or poems or to just communicate messages to leave for their loved ones after they have passed. The process of think-ing back and discuss-ing one’s life with an-other person is called life review. It is very common for our social workers and counsel-ors to engage in life review conversations with our patients, as communicating our own personal stories is an important part of reflecting on our life as it comes to a close.

The goal of life review in hospice care is to help bring closure. Additionally, there are many secondary benefits to recording life review. Many times, loved ones will actually participate in

sessions in which they benefit from the com-munication. Re-cording life review can also lead to the crea-tion of a permanent historical record. Ulti-mately, the patient leaves behind a part of themselves for their loved ones.

At HONC, we will be-gin offering our pa-tients the option to digitally record life review sessions. Re-cordings will be done with a studio quality handheld digital re-corder. These ses-sions will be trans-ferred to a computer program that will al-low us to transfer the recordings on to a CD that can be given to our patients to give to their loved ones.

At this time we are in need of volunteers who would be willing to become a part of our life review re-cording project. Vol-unteers would sit with

patients and record the actual life review sessions. Volunteers would also need to learn how to use the digital equipment in-volved and be trained by our social workers on techniques on how to help patients re-member stories and memories that they would like recorded. Although life review is common at the end-of-life and can happen without soliciting the information, tech-niques are sometimes used in structured ways to help the pa-tient recall memories. For information on volunteering for re-cording life review, please contact Joy Gifford at 518.561.8465.

358 Tom Miller Road, Open For Business!

Clinton County 358 Tom Miller Road

Plattsburgh, New York 12901 518.561.8465

Franklin County 104 Park Street

Malone, New York 12953 518.483.3200

The Plattsburgh staff at Hospice of the North Country (HONC) moved into the office at 358 Tom Miller Road in May of 2010. After weeks of moving furniture around, adding decorative fixtures, touching up paint on the walls, and set-tling into the new surroundings, the of-fice was ready for an Open House/Ribbon Cutting on June 15, 2010. Com-munity members, business people, staff, volunteers, board members and those involved in the building project attended the event. The HONC staff is ecstatic and extremely grateful for the new home. We cannot express our thanks enough to the group of community members and businesses that came together to make this hap-pen. We would also like to thank all those who contributed to the Home for Hospice 2010 campaign. Your donations were greatly appreciated and will help offset our mortgage expense. Thank you for helping us solidify our presence in the North Country!

From the Chief Executive Officer Kent W. Brooks

Thank you to those who made personal contributions through the United Way for Hospice of the North Country, SEFA and memorial donations. We appreciate your kindness and continued support!

We would like to acknowledge organizations in the community that have

organized fundraisers and raised money for Hospice of the North Country

from February through July 2010…..

Adirondack Riders Motorcycle Club

Plattsburgh Sunrise Rotary Drive

Clinton Community College– College of

Nursing Club

Bonesteel’s Gardening Center, LLC

Malone Farm and Home Center

Crystal Minkler– Zumba Instructor

Back Porch Band

Plattsburgh Lodge of Elks

Ausable Valley Booster Club

Fraternal Lodge #155, F & AM

Fourth Ward Irishmen

Beekmantown Lions Club

Champlain Valley Classic Cruisers

Plattsburgh Radio Aeromodelers

HONC Welcomes New Medical Director

We are pleased to welcome Dr. Christo-pher Badger to the HONC team as Medi-cal Director for both Clinton and Frank-lin counties. Dr. Badger comes to us with a multitude of expertise that will only benefit our agency and, most im-portantly, our patients and their loved ones.

Dr. Badger worked for over fifteen years in Seattle as an Oncologist and Re-searcher. He came to Plattsburgh in 1995 where he practiced Internal Medi-cine. He is very familiar with the hos-pice mission and our goal to provide the best end-of-life care to those who need it in our community. He is most inter-ested in the pain management compo-nent of what we offer to our patients.

“This is a wonderful opportunity both for me as it allows me to get back into medicine in a not too stressful manner and is ideal for hospice because I have a lot of time and don’t have the distrac-tion of a full-time practice,” Dr. Badger said.

We are very excited to welcome Dr. Badger to our team and look forward to working with him to provide quality and compassionate care to our patients.

We would also like to thank Dr. John Homer, Dr. G. Berton Davis, Dr. Wouter Rietsema and Dr. Rajiv Shah for their years of dedication as Medical Director and Assistant Medical Directors. Their service to our patients and their loved ones is greatly appreciated and will not be forgotten! We look forward to hav-ing them remain as Assistant Medical Directors.

I cannot think of a more pleasing way to cope with one of life’s

greatest challenges than to be at home with well managed pain

and symptoms, surrounded by that which is most dear. It con-

tinues to be a privilege to serve our neighbors who are battling

life limiting illness here in the North Country. To have the op-

portunity to assist our patients in achieving the final goals of life

is very rewarding.

For many, final goals include being at home surrounded by famil-

iar people and things. The sights and sounds and smells of home

are of great comfort to each of us, and even more comforting for

those who are in the last miles of this journey that we call life.

Indeed many important memories are made during this time.

Studies are now beginning to show that those who are on hos-

pice care appear to be living longer than otherwise would be the

case. We believe that this is true due to the quality that enters

into the picture when hospice services are utilized.

Thank you for entrusting us with this awesome responsibility.

Thank you for continuing to support us with your gifts of time

and financial resources that allow us to serve with even greater

effectiveness.

November is National Hospice And

Palliative Care Month!!

Volunteer Training

Hospice of the North Country is a partner agency with the United Way of the Adirondack Region, Inc.

Life at Hospice of the North Country

Important Terms Everyone Should Know!

Advanced Directives (also known as a Living Will) - instructions given by individuals specifying what actions should be taken

for their health in the event that they are no longer able to make decisions due to illness or incapacity, and appointing a person to make such decisions on their behalf.

Health Care Proxy - an instrument (or document) that allows a patient to appoint an agent to make health care decisions in the

event that the primary individual is incapable of executing such decisions

Power of Attorney - an authorization to act on someone else's behalf in a legal or business matter.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org

Hospice volunteers visit patients in their homes, assist in the office and help with fundraising events.

For more information on volunteer op-portunities and training, please contact Joy Gifford, Director of Volunteer Ser-vices at 518.561.8465.

“Malone Memorial Butterfly Release” Pictured left-Kristin Trombley. Kristin released a butterfly in memory of her husband Stephen.

“Malone Memorial Butterfly Release” Pictured above-Jessica Lavarnway, RN/Malone Team Leader, Molly Lavarnway and Jackie Clookey Bouissey.

“15th Annual Clinton County Carol Wallett Memorial Golf Tournament” Pictured above-HONC volunteer George Cummings and Beth Sharlow, RN/Plattsburgh Team Leader.

Approximately $10,000 was raised at the the 3rd Annual Warren Conners Memorial Golf Tournament held on July 3, 2010 at North Country Golf Club. Pictured above-Sherry Miller, HONC Director of Patient Services, Todd Conners, Amanda Bow, HONC Director of Develop-ment and Vicky Conners.

Pictured above are HONC volunteers Karen and Dan Hickey and Sr. Joan Lashway during the Hot Rods for Hos-pice event.

Pictured above at the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the HONC Administra-tive Facility are HONC Chief Executive Officer Kent W. Brooks, HONC Home Health Aide Ellen Bruno, Ken Mous-seau, Project Manager and HONC Board Member Robert Wallett.

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358 Tom Miller Road Plattsburgh, New York 12901

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Board of Directors

Cindie Gardner PRESIDENT

Bob Wallett

VICE-PRESIDENT

Rose Pandozy SECRETARY

Tom Rennell TREASURER

Mary Anne Duso

Debbi Barber

Michelle Denny

Judge Patrick McGill

Tom Conlin

Raeanne McLaughlin

Joanne Swiesz

Kris Duus

Medical Directors

Christopher Badger, MD

John Homer, MD

Wouter Rietsema, MD

G. Berton Davis, MD

Rajiv Shah, MD Visit us on the web at www.hospicenc.org

HONC Events

November 3, 2010 Write Your Own Ending: It’s About Living Each Day

Conference Speakers: Stephen P. Kiernan &

Linda Piotrowski High Peaks Resort, Lake Placid, NY

9:30 AM-3:30 PM $40.00 Per Person

(includes morning break, lunch & conference) Sponsored by High Peaks Hospice &

Hospice of the North Country For more information, please call 891-9631

Light Up A Life 2010 Month of December

Champlain Centre North

December 5, 2010 26th Annual Ecumenical Christmas Concert

St. Joseph’s Church, Malone, NY 4:00 PM