Compassionate Carefor the Family Caregiver

The Ken Hamilton Caregivers CenterJill Gottlieb, Replication CoordinatorMarian Hamilton, FounderJerri Rosenfeld, Director, LCSW

April, 2019

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Key takeaways from todayIt is critical to recognize, support and involve family caregivers as part of the health care team across all types of health care facilities.The value of supporting family caregivers in various ways helps them, the patient, the professional staff and hospital administration.Support needs to continue at home when responsibilities and isolation increase.Volunteers can play a highly valuable role through careful recruitment, training and ongoing support.

When one person in the family becomes ill....other family members are greatly impacted.

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Sheer numbers and time spent on caregiving are staggering

Significant impact on one’s physical and mental health

Considerable impact on one’s financial health

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Caregivers are all around us… and the statistics are grim

Emotional Whirlwind

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FearEXHAUSTION

Guilt

Marian Hamilton, one such caregiver

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A place to go…distinct from the floor lounge, a peaceful sanctuary to take a break, gather one’s thoughts and to refuel and recharge

Access to someone who is non-judgmental and will listen and allow one to share their feelings, offer support and be their advocate

Assistance with navigating the hospital or health care facility

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Vision of Caregiver Support

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Essence of a Caregivers Center“Compassion is willingness to be close to suffering. To simply listen to someone, to “be with” suffering, or bear witness to it, is honestly the greatest gift we can give someone.”

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Continuum of Care for the Caregiver

Support on UnitCoaches part of care team

Meet the Caregiver where they are!

The Physical Center “An Oasis”

Post Hospitalization Phone Support

“We are still here for you”

Scope and Breadth of ServicesFor Family Caregivers:• Non-judgmental emotional support• Assistance with:

Navigating the health care systemGoals and Plan of care meetingsUnderstanding Discharge planning Advance DirectivesEnd of LifeResource ReferralsPost discharge telephonic supportMonthly Caregivers Support Group

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Scope and Breadth of ServicesFor Professional Caregivers:• Help with their personal caregiving needs• Support and encouragement for their role as a

professional caregiver• Act as liaison between family and professional

caregiver• Provide debriefing post traumatic event

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“Stay in Touch”

Post Discharge – Caregiver Support Program

The connection continues….

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Benefits of Stay in Touch Program

• Maintains connection to caregiver post hospitalization• Trusted source for emotional support, appropriate community resources

and stress reduction techniques • Supports family when dealing with feelings of isolation and increased

responsibilities• May contribute to minimizing hospital readmissions

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How do we do this?The Heart and Soul of our Program

Our Volunteers – Our “Caregiver Coaches”

Caregiver Coaches – Highly Trained and Highly Valued VolunteersHighly selective recruitment and onboarding process:4- 6 months of supervised training and shadowing by Program Social Worker

Active listening Advanced training in HIPAA and Boundaries, Resource Referrals Hospital ProtocolsDebriefingEnd of life support

Ongoing Training:Regular debriefingMonthly meetingsTraining videosAnnual Symposium

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Caregiver Coaches – Highly Trained and Valued Volunteers:

Results of a Caregivers Support Program• Family Caregivers are supported and feel cared for• Family Caregivers are more knowledgeable and

comfortable navigating the hospital• Concerns are identified earlier on and proactively

addressed• Patient and family satisfaction is positively impacted• Hospital staff saves time and can be freed up to

better attend to medical needs• Professional Caregivers’ own needs can be addressed

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Additional Benefits of a Caregivers Center• Greater visibility for hospital within the community• Broader pool of donors• Volunteers become ambassadors for the hospital

within the community

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Over 75,000 Caregiver interactions in total$3.0 million endowment

18 Replicated Sites

2007 Center

Opened

2009 P/T SocialWorker/

Professional Caregiver Support

2014 Caregiver

Action Network Award

2006 Support program piloted

2008Expanded Hospital

Wide

2009First

Replicated Site

2013Caregivers

CentersConsortium (7 centers)

2016Stay in Touch

Program Launched

OUR 13 YEAR JOURNEY

Organizational Outcomes

Organizational Outcomes• Started with 3 volunteers in 2006 now up to 34 trained volunteers,

some of whom are prior recipients of our service.

• Program began with donations totaling $500K in 2005 and in 2018 the endowment has reached $3.0 MM.

• Annual gifts on average total $100K - donor base has expanded from grateful caregivers, in memoriam donations, corporate donors and community members.

• Sensitivity to issues facing family caregivers is part of multiple committee discussions throughout hospital. This involvement influences policies and protocols.

Organizational Outcomes –Building a Caregivers Center Consortium

2006 Northern

Westchester Hospital, NY

2009Cancer Services of Midland Michigan,

MI

2010Montefiore Medical

Center – Moses Campus, NY

2011Overlook Hospital,

NJWhite Plains Hospital, NY

2012Westchester Medical

Center, NY

2013Danbury Hospital,

CT

2014

Hospital of the University of

Pennsylvania, PA,

Mercy Medical Center, IA

2015 Shore Medical

Center, NJMontefiore - Weiler

Hospital, NY

2017

Montefiore -Wakefield Hospital, NY

Burke Rehabilitation Hospital, NY

Northwell - Peconic Bay Hospital, NY

2018Northwell-North Shore University

Hospital, NYNorthwell - Phelps

Hospital, NYGood Samaritan

Hospital, NYMartha Jefferson

Hospital, VA

2019Stanford University Medical Center, CA 2020 and

beyond…???

2006-2011

2012-2015

2017-2020

Award Recognition through the Years2018: “Stay in Touch” Program - Planetree’s Global Person Centered

Innovation 2016: L’Oreal’s Women of Worth – Marian Hamilton,

Founder

2016: Northwell Health Regional Award Winner for Customer Service –

Jerri Rosenfeld, Director of the Ken Hamilton Caregivers Center

2015: Planetree’s Spirit of Planetree Program Award for: Family, Friends

and Social Support- Caring for the Family Caregiver

2014: Caregiver Action Network: Top Caregiver Award - Founder,

Marian Hamilton for Excellence in Patient and Family Engagement

2014: “Quality of Life” award by the Volunteer Center of United Way –Marian Hamilton, Founder

2009: Clayton Scanlan Byrne Planetree Award – Jerri Rosenfeld, Director

of the Ken Hamilton Caregivers Center

“Grateful Caregivers have this to say….”• “The people at the Caregivers Center provided my family and me

with love and support that we needed. They dedicate their time to complete strangers, to give them what they need at a time when they need it most.”

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• “Our family was experiencing the unimaginable and the Center was an unexpected resource that made our journey a bit more manageable. The Center staff provided counseling for our family and checked in regularly to see how they could be helpful.”

“Clinical Team sums up our work…”

• The KHCC has brought tremendous value to patient care.• The social worker and the volunteer coaches are indispensable

in providing support to our patients during one the most difficult times in their lives; they are an important link between patients, their caregivers and clinicians.• I am always impressed with how much ease, grace and patience

they navigate the most difficult family dynamics. Above everything they always know how to listen.

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For Family CaregiversFor PatientsFor Professional CaregiversFor VolunteersFor Hospital AdministratorsFor Community Members

Closing ThoughtsWhat is your organization doing to support family caregivers? What, if anything, would you like to see change?

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The Ken Hamilton Caregivers CenterAt Northern Westchester HospitalMount Kisco, NY

For more info on replicationContact: Jill Gottliebjgottlieb2@northwell.edu914-242-7920

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