A NEWSLETTER FOR OUR HOSP ICE VOLUNTEERS

Page 2 What Body Language Mistakes Are You Making?

Symptoms of Dementia

Page 3 Soup for the Soul

Page 4 Thank You, Congratulations

& Thinking of You!

Serving Cabarrus, Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, & Union counties in North Carolina and Chester, Lancaster & York counties in South Carolina.

Winter 2016

Volunteers At the heart

A Message from Elise Hurst, Director of Volunteer Services

Happy New Year from the volunteer department!!! 2015 was an amazing year for Hospice & Pallia!ve Care Charlo#e Region,

and we can’t wait to see what 2016 will bring. Looking back on the year, there were many exci!ng things in the life of the

organiza!on- we con!nued to grow and provide excep!onal end of life care in our eleven county service area, reaching a peak

census of 831 hospice pa!ents in October. We opened the Philip L. Van Every Learning Resource Center in south Charlo#e,

which includes a simula!on lab for staff, beau!ful office space and the ability to host large groups for educa!onal events for

staff, volunteers and the community at large. The volunteer department plans to begin hos!ng events at this loca!on in 2016,

so more to come!

This year we trained 132 new volunteers, bringing our total number of volunteers to 470, with over 93% of you assigned at any

given !me. While that number is amazing, we rely on and need each and every one of you to help us provide care to our

pa!ents and families. We could not do the work we do without you and your support. Whether your volunteer involvement

includes office work, answering phones, providing respite, being a presence for a nonresponsive pa!ent, providing

transporta!on, making pet therapy visits, filling a shi< at one of our inpa!ent units or any of our other opportuni!es, your role

is invaluable to the success of HPCCR.

Although our year end numbers are not quite compiled, it appears that you, our wonderful volunteers, provided over 38,500

hours of service in 2015 - that’s OUTSTANDING! Many thanks to each and every one of you for your contribu!ons. I know we

don’t always make it easy on you, with annual educa!on, tuberculosis skin tests, paperwork and pa!ent documenta!on- but we

so appreciate your willingness to comply! For those of you that would like to get a head start on your 2016 requirements, please

visit our website to complete this year’s paperwork! h#p://www.hpccr.org/volunteers/volunteer-resources/annual-paperwork.

I look forward to seeing you at one of our events soon!

As you all know, Hospice & Pallia!ve Care Charlo#e Region is accredited by the Accredita!on Commission for Health Care

(ACHC). ACHC visits our organiza!on every three years, and they will be back with us this year some!me between March and

August for our recer!fica!on survey. Why?

• Accredita!on represents agencies as credible and reputable organiza!ons dedicated to ongoing and con!nuous compliance

with the highest standard of quality.

• Shows the public, the community, and our pa!ents and families that we are serious about the quality of our care.

• In order for HPCCR to con!nue to par!cipate in and receive payment from the Medicare and Medicaid programs, we must

be recer!fied every 3 years as complying with the federal Condi!ons of Par!cipa!on.

• This recer!fica!on is based on a survey conducted by a state agency (ACHC) on behalf of the Centers for Medicare &

Medicaid Services (CMS).

• ACHC has and enforces standards that meet the Medicare Condi!ons of Par!cipa!on. CMS grants ACHC "deeming"

authority to "deem" each accredited hospice as mee!ng the Medicare and Medicaid cer!fica!on requirements a<er a

survey.

• “Deemed status" means we are considered in compliance, and HPCCR would not be subject to the CMS Survey and

cer!fica!on process.

• As volunteers, you play an important role in our accreditation by completing annual paperwork on time, receiving

your tuberculosis skin test as required, attending continuing education opportunities, visiting patients at the

frequency assigned and documenting these visits appropriately. More information to come.

Page 2

What Body Language Mistakes Are You Making? Adapted From the December 2015 ed. of Trinity Consulting-NFP Newsletter

During a 30 minute conversation, we are giving over 800 non-verbal cues, according to language expert Vanessa Van Edwards. Below

are the "mistakes" followed by the non-verbal cue we may be giving according to Van Edwards:

Mashing your lips together: Secrecy. "A lip purse is what people typically do when they are trying to withhold or cover information.

Try not to purse your lips when having an important conversation with a colleague, boss, or friend. It can make them think you are

holding back."

Looking over the rim of your glasses: Critical. "In our research lab we nicknamed it the Judge Judy." Instead, take off your glasses or

push them up on your head.

Playing with your jewelry: Flirting. Leave the earring, necklaces, bracelets, and watches alone.

Playing with or touching your hair: Distraction and undermining confidence. "Our eye naturally follows objects in motion. Every time

you touch your hair, you distract the person you're speaking to. Worse still, the twirling, and flipping might come off as anxious

behavior."

Those of us who find it hard to sit s!ll will need to be conscious of what our faces and bodies are doing as we talk, meet, and engage

with others.

Symptoms of Demen(a Adapted From the November 2015 ed. of The Tribute, a publication of the Association for Home & Hospice Care of NC

and from http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/

Studies show that people 65 years old and older survive, on average, for four to eight years a<er a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s

disease (AD). Some live for as long as 20 years. Most of these years lived are when the AD is in its most severe stage. It is in this

late stage of AD that pa!ents are admi#ed to hospice. These pa!ents have lost the ability to perform ac!vi!es of daily living or in

some case recognize loved ones.

Demen!a symptoms can be cogni!ve or psychiatric. When caring for the demen!a pa!ent communica!on is one of our greatest

challenges. This may be in part because of one of the four A’s exhibited in the demen!a pa!ent.

Amnesia is the loss of memory. This may be long term memory loss or short term memory loss. The areas of the brain damaged

will determine whether short-term or long term is affected. With AD, short term memory is damaged first.

Aphasia impedes a person's ability to use or understand words. It doesn’t interfere with their intelligence. People who have

aphasia may find it hard to say and find the "appropriate" words to complete their thoughts. Problems understanding conversa-

!on, reading and comprehending wri#en words, wri!ng words, and using numbers may also be present.

Apraxia is the loss of motor skills. This includes ac!vi!es of daily living such as dressing, combing hair, grooming, etc. In the late

stages the ability to walk, swallow, and eat may be lost.

Agnosia is the inability to process informa!on from the five senses. O<en there is a loss of ability to recognize objects, persons,

sounds, shapes, or smells. They may lose the ability to recognize the urge to void, have a bowel movement or even if they are in

pain.

Demen(a Types • Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) - The most common form of demen!a, a neurologic disease characterized by loss of mental ability severe

enough to interfere with ac!vi!es of daily living, not present from birth, usually occurring in old age.

• Vascular demen!a - patchy deteriora!on of intellectual func!on resul!ng from damage by a significant cerebrovascular disorder

• Lewy body demen!a - neurodegenera!ve disease characterized by gradual and progressive loss of intellectual abili!es combined

with a movement disorder that resembles Parkinson’s disease. Those affected o<en have marked fluctua!ons in their ability to stay

alert and awake.

• Frontotemporal demen!a - A form of demen!a that affects speech and personality, while s!mula!ng visual percep!on

• Hun!ngton’s disease – a rare abnormal hereditary condi!on characterized by chronic progressive chorea (involuntary, jerky

movements) and mental deteriora!on

• Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease - transmissible, rapidly progressing, neurodegenera!ve disorder called a spongiform degenera!on; related

to “mad cow disease”.

Page 3

Interested in any of our fabulous events?

Please reach out to:

Nancy Cole, Director of Special Events,

for more details.

P: 704.335.4312 | E: colen@hpccr.org

Soup for the Soul Here’s what’s cookin’ in January…mark your calendars for our ever-popular event: Soup On Sunday on January 31 from 11am un(l

2pm.

Soup, known as a “comfort food” for the body and soul, is also a popular menu item when the weather outside is chilly, wet, and

downright cold! Thus Soup on Sunday is an event you don’t want to miss! In addi!on to the abundant soups that are prepared by

local restaurants and three culinary schools, you have the opportunity to purchase po#ery bowls made especially for the event by

local po#ers. There are also a variety of breads and sweets available to taste.

A huge THANK YOU goes out to our sponsors and to the dedicated Culinary & Hospitality Team at Central Piedmont Community

College, who will host the annual event in the Philip L. Van Every Culinary Arts Center, located at 425 North Kings Drive (corner of

Kings Drive and Seventh Street). Tickets are available at the door the morning of the event, online by visi!ng souponsunday.org, or

by calling Nancy Cole at 704.335.4312. Soup Lover’s Special is $40 (includes handmade po6ery bowl), General Admission is $30,

and (ckets for children ages 7-12 are $10 (6 and under, free).

Looking ahead: Volunteers are always a welcomed treasure for special events. Your !me and talents are needed and much appreciated. In April

we have our annual Run the Rail 5K event in Lincolnton, and in May we host the annual Lake Norman Hospice Rega�a & Party. For

these events, we have mul!ple opportuni!es you may be interested in:

Volunteering: Run the Rail has course monitor, check-in, and finish line celebra!on volunteer opportuni!es. The Rega#a & Party is

in need of volunteers for the Auc!on & Decora!on commi#ee. Helping to secure auc!on items is easy and fun!

Dona�ng: if you have a hidden talent, consider a dona!on to the auc!on. You may even ask your friends and business associates to

donate an item or services to the auc!on.

Promo�ng: if you know someone who may consider sponsoring this event, please let me know.

A Hear=elt Thank-you! Every (me a bell rings, an angel gets her wings…

During the months of October through January, special volunteers share their penmanship talents by inscribing the Light Up A Life

Commemora!ve Bells that are purchased to “honor” a loved one. This year, our dedicated inscribers are: Nora Keuster, Sharon

Muzarek, and Rebecca Axelrod. Thank YOU! Packing and shipping these li#le treasurers is a project Lisa Muse has dedicated

herself to for the past five years! You all are blessings to the Development Department!

I would also like to give a big “shout out” to the Corks & Karats gala event volunteers as well: Jessica Alexander, Robin Buck, Joanie

Donnegan, Bill Freeman, Wendy Hagan, Anita Hebeisen, Alison Hudson, Amanda Kushmider, Angela and Johnathon Miller,

Sharon Mazurek, Andrea Powell, Lindsay Stroker, and Judi Wax. THANK YOU!

HAPPY

NEW

YEAR

From your

HPCCR Volunteer

Services

Department

Pictured le< to right: (back row) Anita Hebeisen, Alia King, Crystal England, Lindsay Alger, Melissa

Nance-Orr, Colleen Miller & Mike Meehan. (front row) Elise Hurst & Ka(e Hardin

Have you ever had a ques!on for a member of the Interdisciplinary Team (IDT) but were too afraid to call them to ask?

Now is your chance!

Please join us for our first in-service of the year - a “Q & A with the IDT” and receive two hours of con(nuing educa(on.

We have invited members of the IDT and chosen individuals who have served on HART, Homecare, or an inpa!ent unit for a

Ques!on and Answer session . You bring the ques!ons! This is your opportunity to ask the Physician, Nurse, Chaplain,

Nursing Assistant, Social Worker, and Volunteer Manager those burning ques!ons. We ask that you take some !me to think

of two ques!ons (or more) and include them with your RSVP to Crystal England at englandc@hpccr.org or

704-335-3578. We look forward to seeing you there!

Saturday, February 27, 9-11am, Uptown (7th Street) Boardroom

Page 4

Upcoming Events...

To RSVP for any of our Volunteer events please contact Crystal England at 704.335.3578 or englandc@hpccr.org. Please note, we ask that you think through your schedule when signing up for an event to make sure you are able to attend, as we plan and pay for food for each attendee. As a non-profit organization, we strive to prevent waste and one way we try to do this is through an accurate headcount when planning our meals. If you must cancel your attendance at an event, please do so at least one full week prior to the event date.

Anita Hebeisen

Barbara Goodloe

Becky Hinote and Constance Moses

Betsy Unger Cathy and Mike Means Chick-fil-a Woodlawn

Colorful Minds Book Club

Davidson College Presbyterian

Dilworth Prayer Shawl Ministry Dorothy Earp

Family of Eugene Brown

Gregory Mercer Heavenly Hands Home Care

Hopewell Presbyterian

Jamie Gilbert Jane Kuester Jazzercise of Charlotte

Judy Wright Karanda Osborne

Kathy Mischoliz Lynn Tew

Lynn West Mary Guion

Mary Beth Kelly Mecklenburg Co. 4-H

Nancy Wells North Carolina Order of the Eastern Star Our Lady of Consolation

Parveen Mirza

Share a Bear St. Albans Episcopal St. Gabriel Catholic Church

St. Mark Catholic Church

St. Matthews Catholic Church

St. Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic Church

Wolfman Pizza

Congratula!ons!

To Barbara Carlton (Helms) on her marriage

To Charles Elligson on his marriage

To Audrey Marion on her new job

Thinking of You... Erica Alford

Frank DeLuise

Jane Deniker

Dick Gardner

Shirley Greenlee

Pat Hallisey

Brenda Napier

Tara Peace

Kate Suko

Our special thanks to the following community members, churches, civic organizations and others who have generously donated prayer

shawls, lap robes, stuffed animals, snacks, meals and other items that make life happier for our patients and easier for our families.

Thank you...

A Very Special Thank You A Very Special Thank You A Very Special Thank You A Very Special Thank You to all of you who provided a Thanksgiving or Holiday meal for a pa(ent and their family. One donor wrote: On Monday, November 23

rd, I delivered

all the items we collected and purchased via contribu�on. The items ranged from cake mixes

to fresh vegetables to two large hams. Once everything was purchased, the remaining funds

were placed on a grocery gi' card to purchase any items I might have overlooked. When I

arrived at the family’s home, they were very, very thankful and overwhelmed when they saw

the items. They never imagined the level of generosity we were able to express to them.

57 Thanksgiving meals and 67 Holiday meals were requested and filled thanks to your kindness!