September is disaster preparedness month. Part of our job at Hospice of the Panhandle is to help our patients and their families prepare for the unexpected since disaster can affect them more severely than most. We help our patients prepare for weather events by making sure that they have the medications, medical supplies and support…
On this beautiful warm sunny day, I watch a little towheaded girl in a blue top and pink shorts outside my window. She first runs, and then skips along the lawn of our inpatient facility. She’s about 7 or 8 years old, probably here after being picked up from school. She routinely stops under each…
Dottie’s Story Bringing a former Air Guard commander home. When Brigadier General V. Wayne “Speedy” Lloyd was diagnosed with a fast-growing brain tumor, he wanted to get back to his home among the West Virginia hills. “I started my life here,” General Lloyd told his sister, Dottie Lorenz. “And I want to end it here.”…
By John Sherwood, Hospice of the Panhandle Veteran Volunteer My volunteer service with Hospice of the Panhandle has been one of my most enriching life experiences. In addition to being able to recognize and honor many of our veterans, it has provided the opportunity to literally touch pieces of American history. Clarence J. MacNichols was…
Caregiving is one of the hardest jobs out there. Approximately 1 in 4 adults in West Virginia is caring for a loved one. Unpaid and overworked, mentally and physically exhausted, these selfless individuals have transformed their lives so that they can care for a family member or dear friend. This is a lifestyle that the…
Nearly 30 years ago, when my father was in a Hospice facility, an unknown Hospice volunteer brought little bouquets of flowers to brighten the small kitchen table where our family often had meals when we visited Dad. Little did that person know that their thoughtfulness would plant the seeds for me to also share my…
KEARNEYSVILLE — A soft-spoken but articulate woman who works as a human resource professional, Eula Thomas wants others to know what she’s learned through grief counseling at Hospice of the Panhandle: Families stand to gain so much through hospice services. Her husband, John (nicknamed Jay), who died in May 2018 at the age of 56,…
When I tell people that I work at Hospice of the Panhandle as the human resources director, I often get this response, “Oh, it must take some special people to work there. I don’t think I could do that.” Indeed, it does take some special people. It’s very hard work, but it’s also some of…
MARTINSBURG — May 24, 2019, is a day that Patricia Hosby and Bill Bailey will remember forever. Not just because it was their wedding day, but because they got to celebrate with a very small group of close family members and friends, including their elderly mothers. Hosby’s mom, Anna Henson, had been residing at Elmcroft…
I remember always being fascinated by nature. Even as a young child I was in awe of the complexities of living things. It is not surprising that I ended up seeking a degree in biology and ultimately medicine. As I proceeded through higher education, my amazement of the human body and mind increased exponentially. The…