The November 2018 Department Discovery shines a light on Campbell County
Health’s
Home Health and Hospice.
For those who don’t know, Home Health and Hospice are two different
departments operated by a highly skilled team of 28 who offer a wide array
of services with an incredible team of nurses, social workers, CNA’s,
therapists, volunteers, pharmacists, and support staff.
“Most people say, “You work in hospice? That must be sad.”
But, we find it to be one of the most uplifting callings one can have,”
says Ashley Fraser, CCH Home Health and Hospice Director. “We bring
a lot of hope, joy and laughter to most situations we get the pleasure
of being included in—in other words, we are FUN people!”
To quote Hollie Alexander, RN, who works for Home Health and Hospice: “The
best part of working in this department is the close, compassionate, and
individualized care that we get to provide to our patients and families
in their most vulnerable state. We get to make some their hardest days
have hope again.”
From wound care to IV infusions and medication education to physical therapy,
CCH’s
Home Health brings skilled care right to the patient’s home—where they
receive support from trained medical professionals, family, friends, plus
the comfort of familiar surroundings. Regardless of age, everyone appreciates
the comfort and convenience of recovery in their home as an alternative
to hospitalization or a nursing home. Home healthcare may also mean earlier
discharge from the hospital, and lower healthcare costs. It is a personalized
form of care, which may be paid by Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance,
or directly by the patient.
CCH added
Hospice services to the home health program in 2003. Hospice is a special kind
of care for people with life-limiting illnesses. Helping patients physically,
emotionally and spiritually is the focus of CCH Hospice as they help patients
with end of life care—usually the last six months. That means for
the patients, there will be no discussions about the next treatment or
more options to cure whatever disease or ailment that has brought them
to that point. The discussion turns to what they want their end of life
care to look like and how they can enjoy the highest quality of life for
the time remaining. Some of the most basic caregiving begins with pain
management for the patient and then slowly addressing the patient’s
additional needs. From helping patients get connected to spiritual leaders
to just spending time talking about life, the Hospice team is there to
assist the patient and their family as much as possible. Each day the
team at Hospice, from those who clean the rooms to the doctors and nurses,
works to help every second count for the patients they care for. Although
the Close to Home Hospice Hospitality House is most visible, the majority
of Hospice patients receive care wherever they call home, which could
be from the comfort of their home, a relative’s home, or The Legacy
Living and Rehabilitation Center for example.
Home Health and Hospice also provides bereavement to families who have
lost a loved one. One of the many ways they do this is through the
Service of Memory and Hope, which will take place on Monday, November 19 at 6 pm at the First Presbyterian
Church, 511 Carey Avenue. This event gives those in grief a chance to
remember and celebrate loved ones who have passed away. Learn more at
www.cchwyo.org/hope.
Throughout the year, the departments invite you to honor a loved one who
has passed away by writing them a message on a
memorial bloom—artfully printed flat scrap-booking paper that can be written and
drawn on by someone who wishes to memorialize an individual for a donation.
Hospice volunteers turn your memory sheet into a beautiful flower to be
displayed in the hospice house for the next year. Learn more at
www.cchwyo.org/blooms.
CCH Hospice volunteers and the Hospice Advisory Board have also partnered
to help keep that memory close. Volunteers transform any piece of clothing into a
custom memory pillow. Learn more about this at
www.cchwyo.org/pillow.
A big round of applause to CCH’s Home Health and Hospice team! Thank
you for all that you do. You can learn more about Home Health and Hospice at
www.cchwyo.org/hhh.