By Margaret Cogswell, CEO Ever since March 2020, the word “normal” has been in our vocabulary much more often. At first, we talked about a return to normal; then, we shifted to a hope that we could return to normal. But before long, we started to talk about a new normal. We envisioned a time when…
By Renee Bledsoe LPN, CHPLN Talking about children in hospice care is tough. What is tougher is being the parent or caregiver of a child who is very seriously ill and not having the opportunity to give that child the life that they thought they’d have together. The goal of hospice care for pediatric patients…
By Tony Pirrone, Hospice Chaplain During my first two years as a clinical chaplain at Hospice of the Panhandle, I provided spiritual support to a multitude of patients with an average age of well over 70. Entering my third year though, I wasn’t ready for a new experience—a pediatric patient. I had never worked with…
By Katrina Stevens Volunteer Services Manager One of the things I have missed the most during COVID is seeing people’s faces! Individuals’ facial expressions, smiles, emotions and reactions are so important when working together. We can learn so much from watching a person’s face, and we’ve missed out on this for a long time. Volunteers…
By Julie Sayre, MA, LSW, LMFT Social Work Manager at Hospice of the Panhandle I was at a doctor’s office the other day and had to fill out the basic “new patient” paperwork before an appointment. All the normal questions were on the form, including name, address, insurance and emergency contact person. As I was…
By Dr. Karen Rudolph Board of Directors When I was asked to write an article sharing my perspective on palliative community care, I realized my reflections on the topic are bittersweet. As an internist and geriatrician who worked in our community for 35 years before my retirement in 2020, I took care of many patients…
I am Sandy Hamilton and am grateful and humbled to share some background information and insight as to why I readily agreed to share my family’s Hospice of the Panhandle story. My family’s story is the subject of a commercial currently airing on local TV and radio stations. I never doubted the value of Hospice…
By Maria Lorensen, Development Director Taylor Spigler-James served as a nurse at Hospice of the Panhandle’s Inpatient Facility, until she passed away on June 13. Taylor was an animal and nature lover. Staff members are collecting items for the Berkeley County Humane Society, and a Hospice of the Panhandle Nursing Scholarship has been set up…
By Margaret Cogswell, RN, CHPCA CEO I’m writing today to share with you a story of someone who just last year needed hospice care (and who many of you may know). I’d like to introduce you to Theresa Goodman, hospice volunteer extraordinaire. Theresa came to hospice volunteering through her experience with her dad when he…
By Maria Lorensen, Development Director Several months ago, our good friend Dr. Ryan McCarthy reached out to ask about Hospice of the Panhandle participating in a Facebook collaborative project he was working on called “Healthcare Is Human.” The project is designed to help healthcare workers share their personal stories, and he was interested in hearing…