Spiritual Care Opens Pathways to Peace

By James “Jim” Andrews
Suncoast Hospice’s Director of Spiritual Care



Jim Andrews

One of the founding principles of the hospice movement is that caring for people faced with life-limiting illnesses requires attention to not only their medical needs but their psycho-social and spiritual needs as well. Suncoast Hospice is fortunate to have compassionate, highly-trained hospice chaplains dedicated to addressing those spiritual needs. 

I recently became the director of spiritual care for Suncoast Hospice. Before that, I served as one of our hospice chaplains for more than 12 years. It was a privilege and honor being a companion on the journeys of our patients and families.

One Man's Spiritual Pain

Whether you’re a religious person or not, facing a serious illness inherently brings up spiritual questions of meaning, purpose, comfort, forgiveness, relatedness and hope. I remember meeting one patient named "Connor" who lived inside a beautiful building in an exclusive part of town. The building's elevator had one stop on his floor and it opened in to his enormous, impeccably decorated home. I was greeted by a paid caregiver who took me back to the living room and introduced me to Connor. Before we finished shaking hands, Connor broke down in tears. 

We sat quietly together side by side on his couch, and after some time passed Connor was able to speak and share his story with me. On the surface, it sounded like the great American success story. He had started out selling door to door and over the years had worked his way up from regional sales manager to marketing vice president for an international corporation. He had more money than he knew what to do with and every creature comfort that his heart desired. Yet, he was filled with regret. 

Connor explained to me, “Jim, I spent my whole life chasing after the all-mighty dollar and I totally neglected what matters most in life.” I asked him what that was to him and he responded, “Faith, family and friends.”

He went on, “As a young man, I was very involved with my church and got a lot out of it. But I haven’t darkened the doorway of a church in decades. I cheated on my wife and never spent time with my children, so I’m estranged from all of them. I was always too concerned that my friends were just out for my money. So here I am facing the end of my life and there’s not a soul on the planet who really loves me and cares about what I’m going through.” 

Finding Peace Within

Connor faced some deep questions of faith, forgiveness and meaning, however with some support and guidance he was able to come to a sense of peaceful closure about his life and relationships. The chaplains and specially-trained volunteers of Suncoast Hospice and other hospices across the country provide a compassionate presence and a safe, gentle place for people to wrestle with their unanswered questions and pain in their souls. 

It’s an honor to work with our hospice’s incredible group of spiritual caregivers.

Are you or someone you love living with a serious illness?

Call us to find out about our services at 727-467-7423 or visit us online to request services.

*The patient's name was changed for privacy protection.

Volunteer Connects the Bereaved to Grief Support

Mary "Missy" Wolf

Mary “Missy” Wolf reaches out to support those who've had loved ones die in our care. As one of our bereavement support volunteers, Missy makes 12 to 15 calls monthly from her home to the bereaved six or nine months after the deaths. She finds out how they're doing and lets them know we're here to help.

“I love that Suncoast Hospice care is all inclusive helping patients and the families. A lot of times people want to talk after a death but others around them don’t want to talk about it. They may feel isolated or lost. We give them an open invitation to receive our grief support if they want to participate,” Missy said.

Missy works full time for a commercial realtor’s office and has children. She began her volunteer service with our Suncoast Hospice Foundation in 2004, including doing ambassador calls to thank donors and special events, which help support the care and services we provide. She then joined us doing patient and family support and bereavement support.

She makes many bereavement calls on weekends when she feels people are in more relaxed settings and may follow up with them during the week. She enjoys making that connection.

“Most people I speak with are so appreciative of the care their loved ones received from Suncoast Hospice and appreciate that I’ve called, even if they don’t feel they need any help at that time. I find it rewarding to check in with them so they know they’re not forgotten. After my mother died and having a baby, I didn’t really have the ability to talk to anyone professionally and I was left to deal with my grief alone. It’s nice for people to know that someone is going to call them and ask how things are going,” she said.

Interested in becoming a bereavement support volunteer? Submit an online volunteer application or call 727-586-4432.

Are you hurting from the loss of a family member or friend? Join us for support at our groups or workshops.

Suncoast Hospice Integrative Medicine Clinic Provides Comforting Care to Patients

Integrative medicine is a specialized kind of care that blends conventional medicine with therapies such as acupuncture to treat the whole patient. The care can help relieve the the physical, emotional and spiritual pain of a patient with a serious illness.

Suncoast Hospice physician Kirksak Jay Poonkasem, M.D. practices integrative medicine to bring much needed comfort to our hospice patients at our new Suncoast Hospice Integrative Medicine Clinic. Watch Dr. Poonkasem talk about integrative medicine and our care at the clinic in this video.  

Check back soon for a Part II video with Dr. Poonkasem telling the story of one patient who greatly benefited from the care at the clinic.

Suncoast Hospice Celebrates National Hospice and Palliative Care Month

By Deidra Woods, MD, FACP, FAAHPM, CMD
Suncoast Hospice Medical Director

Dr. Deidra Woods

November is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month: Hospice. Care on Your Terms. Palliative care is the medical specialty focused on the relief of symptoms associated with serious illness and hospice care is palliative care applied to patients nearing the end of life.   

I’d like to share what a privilege it has been for me to devote my medical career to this very special group of patients. The first reaction of my medical colleagues is usually, “Hospice does such a wonderful job. I appreciate all your organization does for my patients.”  But then they lean in closely, grab my arm tightly and whisper, “I don’t know how you could do that work.” I sincerely answer, “I can’t imagine doing any other work.”

Drawn to Hospice

Prior to working in hospice care, I practiced in Naples, Florida in a geriatric practice that supplied physician services to long term care facilities, including nursing homes and assisted living facilities. After about a year, a hospice nurse approached me in a nursing home and asked if I’d be interested in becoming a full time hospice physician. At that time in 1994, I wasn’t familiar with the concept of full time employment for physicians in hospice care. But her enthusiasm for her organization and conviction that I was suited for that work swayed me to interview for the position and I’ve been a hospice physician ever since. 

Rewarding Field 

The ability to relieve suffering and address the important issues and meaning of end of life are the greatest rewards in medicine. To my colleagues who are concerned that my work may be depressing, my answer is never. It’s ultimately the greatest feeling to know that I’ve helped a patient or family to have a meaningful experience as death approaches, with the patient as comfortable as possible.  

The loving care that families provide to hospice patients is an inspiration to us in our daily work. Our volunteers who provide countless hours of care and companionship to our frail elders remind us of the goodness and generosity of people. The courage that our patients and families demonstrate as they face the reality that life is finite and each day is a gift makes us thankful for our own blessings.   

The lessons I’ve learned at the bedsides of people whose lives are drawing to a close are the most valuable I’ve ever learned and have enriched my life immeasurably. Being allowed to share such intimate moments with families is a real gift.   

The practice of medicine itself is a very special career, made even more special when devoted to patients in hospice and palliative care. Please help us celebrate National Hospice and Palliative Care Month by visiting the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization website, nhpco.org.   

Have you been touched by hospice and palliative care? Tell us your story.

Suncoast Hospice Provides Care in ALFs and Nursing Homes

By Sherylee Hanson
Community Liaison

Sherylee Hanson

Did you know Suncoast Hospice provides care and support to our patients and families not only in their homes and assisted living facilities (ALFs) but in nursing homes, too?

Our services are the same in all settings, which may come as a surprise to some. For many in our Pinellas County community, the ALFs and nursing homes are their homes and Suncoast Hospice can be there to help those who are affected by advanced or chronic illnesses, caregiving or grief.

Our care teams are experts in hospice care and palliative care, also known as comfort care. It’s our privilege to partner with and work alongside the staff of these skilled and assisted living facilities to provide specialized physical, emotional and spiritual care to our patients and families. We work together with our patients and families and their doctors and health care providers to establish personalized care plans that honor the decisions and wishes of our patients and families. Our goal is to bring them improved quality of life. 

Some of the members of our care teams include board-certified hospice and palliative medicine physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, licensed counselors and therapists, chaplains, certified home health nurses aides and trained volunteers. Our teams provide pain and symptom management, palliative therapies (pet, music, massage, aroma, etc.), emotional and spiritual counseling, caregiver training and support, family support and more.

Our services may be paid for by Medicare, Medicaid, managed care, private health insurance, private payments and the generous financial support of our community. Through community donations, we’re able to care for all who need us regardless of their ability to pay.       

I believe there is hope in hospice and at Suncoast Hospice we’ve learned how to redefine hope. Many find that at this time in their lives they hope for new things. It can manifest itself in ways, such as when our patients benefit from our pet therapy. A majority of our pet therapy visits happen in nursing homes, ALFs and our care centers. We had one patient who had closed himself off from others, and only after trying pet therapy did he open up to the dogs that visited him, his care team and others.

Our teams are there to be supportive and bring comfort, dignity and hope in the journeys of our patients and families. Most patients and families say they wish they had called us sooner. It’s never too early to ask about our care and services. 

Are you wondering if it’s time for hospice for you or a loved one?

Call us any time for information at 727-467-7423 or submit an online request form.

Women’s Group Sews for a Cause – Comforting Patients

It’s a drizzly September afternoon outside the St. Petersburg Woman’s Club, but upstairs a room is buzzing with patterning, stuffing and sewing of neck pillows. Several members of the club’s sewing group are producing these pieces with great care.

The tight-knit group meets weekly 11 months a year and has a member working from home on comfort items for adults and children served by several local organizations, including Suncoast Hospice. Many of their sewing supplies are donated by the community. They also collect and donate personal care items, toys, Easter baskets and more to the organizations.

The ladies began volunteering making the pillows for Suncoast Hospice patients around 2000. They’ve also done crochet and quilted lap robes and specialty bibkins (half adult bibs/half napkins) designed by Mildred Gardner, a former group member and longtime Suncoast Hospice supporter. They like creating special holiday items and patriotic items, which are given to and appreciated by our patients who are veterans. It’s a rewarding operation.

“We have a lot of fun doing this. Suncoast Hospice performs a wonderful service,” said Marjorie Joiner, assistant chair and longest-serving member of the group. 

Want to volunteer to help our mission? 

Join our volunteer recruitment and coffee socials this month at our St. Petersburg and Clearwater community service centers and Mid-Pinellas Care Center.

Want to make a donation to the Suncoast Hospice sewing club? Call (727) 822-4982.

Teen Volunteer Receives NHPCO Award for Outstanding Service

Christina Solazzo

Christina Solazzo, a longtime, award-winning Suncoast Hospice teen volunteer, has received the prestigious Volunteers Are the Foundation of Hospice Award for outstanding teen service. She was one of three award winners honored for their exceptional, inspirational volunteer service at National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s (NHPCO) clinical team conference in Kansas City on Sept. 26.

This award was a major honor for Christina, who’s now attending her freshman year of college. She volunteered with Suncoast Hospice throughout high school giving her heart to our mission. She received our 2013 Suncoast Hospice Volunteer of the Year outstanding student award last spring.

Christina stood out with her compassion, dedication and thoughtfulness to our patients and families. She visited patients at our care centers and local nursing homes, bringing cheer, companionship and comforting music. Her service also included fundraising, special events, community outreach and office and resale shoppe support. She did all this while excelling academically and serving on her school’s teen council board. She was an inspiration to other teen volunteers.

Watch Christina in her video acceptance speech talking about the impact her hospice volunteerism had on her life, including a story of her endearing relationship with one special patient.

Do you know a teen who wants to make a difference? Check out our opportunities with our teen volunteer program.

Suncoast Hospice and its Affilates Continue Commitment to Transparency and Accountability with Guidestar

Suncoast Hospice is proud to be designated a GuideStar Exchange Gold Participant for our transparency. Our affiliates, Suncoast Hospice Foundation, AIDS Service Association of Pinellas, Inc. (ASAP) and Project GRACE also have this designation.

GuideStar is a national program that encourages transparency with nonprofits. The gold logo is the highest distinction in GuideStar’s system and indicates that an agency has provided up-to-date, comprehensive, accurate information about its mission, leadership, financials and the impact of its programs.  

“We partner with the community to design and provide services needed. We’re so pleased to have this platform for communicating our progress,” said Rafael Sciullo, Suncoast Hospice president and CEO.

Kim Stangle, Suncoast Hospice Foundation executive director, added, “Our donors need to have complete confidence that their contributions are being used to carry out our mission of serving everyone regardless of their ability to pay”.

Visit guidestar.org to learn more and view our agencies’ profiles. 

Want to help support our mission of care and services? Please make a donation online at suncoasthospicefoundation.org.

Couple Volunteers Bring Satisfaction to Patients & Families

Ellie and Ray (back) visit with Nargis.

Raymond “Ray” and Eleanor “Ellie” Weaver drop by in the morning to see Suncoast Hospice patient Nargis Fischer, who’s living at a health care facility in Palm Harbor. The husband and wife volunteers chat with Nargis about her recent trip to an aquarium and her visit with her family who came down from New Jersey.

The couple gets ready to take Nargis down the hallway to the lunchroom, and Ellie tells her she’ll bring black cherries the next time. They’ve also brought her the wafer cookies she likes and books, which she loves to read in the afternoons.

Nargis appreciates the Weavers’ company and kindness. “I don’t have anyone in Florida. I like it when they come here. I couldn’t ask for nicer people,” Nargis said.

Married for more than 54 years, the couple has volunteered together for Suncoast Hospice since 2005. Ray is an author and former activities director of facilities. Ellie previously worked in the banking industry. They visit patients and families at two Palm Harbor health care facilities twice a week. They spread lots of delight, telling stories of their travels, taking patients outdoors in nice weather and bringing patients the comforts of life.

Ray assists Nargis on the way to the lunchroom.

Ray says he enjoys supporting patients, and part of that means being attuned to their lifestyles.

“One of the things that we work very hard at is not to disrupt our patients’ routines. You have to understand where they’re at, and some days they don’t want to see anyone,” Ray said. He also likes to come in on the weekends to meet the family members of patients.

The couple is attentive to the personal needs of their patients. Ellie says it’s satisfying to do the small acts for patients.

“We had one patient who wanted clothes for her dolls, so we went around the neighborhood gathering some clothes and brought them to her here. I’ve also made sheepskin coverings to soften the arms of wheelchairs and used a voucher at one of the Suncoast Hospice resale shoppes to get clothes and shoes for a patient. It warms my heart to do the little things for our patients. My mother used to be in a nursing home, and I treat them just like it was my mom,” Ellie said.

Are you interested in being a Suncoast Hospice volunteer?

Suncoast Hospice is currently in need of volunteers to do patient and family support, office support, telephone support and bereavement support.  For more information on these and other roles, please call 727–467–7423 or visit the volunteer section on our website.

Suncoast Hospice Joins We Honor Veterans

The Suncoast Hospice veterans program has been designated as a partner level one for the We Honor Veterans program of National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

We Honor Veterans is comprised of community hospices, state hospice organizations, VA facilities and other organizations that serve veterans at the end of life. The program provides access to many educational resources to help hospice professionals meet the unique needs of dying veterans to bring them peace and comfort.

Marci Pruitt, Suncoast Hospice’s vice president of programs, shares, “We’re pleased to have achieved this level of national recognition. Suncoast Hospice remains honored and committed to serving the veterans in our community.”

Staff and veterans serving veterans volunteers watch Honor
Flight movie at our Clearwater community service center.

Our Suncoast Hospice veterans program includes special recognition and support to veterans in our care, including presentations of pins and certificates and a volunteer program that provides visits with volunteers who’ve served in the military. Our staff and volunteers also take part in veterans-related education, outreach and partnerships. Two of our ongoing partnerships to honor our local veterans are Veterans History Project and Honor Flight of West Central Florida.


To learn more about We Honor Veterans, visit www.wehonorveterans.org/.

For information about our Suncoast Hospice veterans program, call 727-523-3442.

 

Teen Volunteers Enrich Suncoast Hospice's Mission

(left to right) Teen volunteer coordinator Fabiana Compas
greets new teen volunteers Shekeema Striggles and
 Kirstin Miller at an ice cream social at
our St. Petersburg community service center.

Suncoast Hospice teen volunteers provide invaluable service to our organization and family of programs. Their passion, creativity and commitment carry through in the many activities they’re involved in.

Many teens find joy in visiting our patients and families at their homes, our care centers and various other facilities in Pinellas County. They may hold celebrations, play music or sing at bedsides or make and deliver comfort items for patients. While others like providing support at our community service centers, resale shoppes or events. No matter what roles they take on, the teen volunteers learn, grow and enrich the lives of the people we serve. 

Teen volunteer Carrie Hall volunteers at our 2012
Gift Wrap & Trees of Love event at Tyrone Square Mall.

Are you a mid-Pinellas County teen interested in becoming a Suncoast Hospice teen volunteer? Come learn more at our teen volunteer open house on Sept. 10 at 6 p.m. at our Clearwater community service center. For more information, call 727-523-3431.

Want to see more about our teen volunteer program? Watch this video of the stories of four teens who have made a difference through their volunteer service.

 

Resale Shoppe Volunteer Gives All-Around Support

John tries out the DVD player.

John Zaccagnini zips around our Suncoast Hospice Resale Shoppe in Clearwater pitching in wherever he can. He answers the phone, tests a DVD player, helps a customer and starts cleaning the break room in preparation for closing.

John has been a dedicated volunteer at the store for four years. He works three days a week and sometimes on his days off doing the mechanical testing of items and practically anything else that needs to be done.

“I’m retired so I’ve got the time. I do everything. One of the greatest things about working here is you never know what’s going to come through those doors,” John said.

One of the beautiful pieces that John admires.

John has a background in hard work and an upbeat attitude. He’s a former, longtime police officer who raised a big family. He also previously served in another volunteer position at a soup kitchen.

Hospice has touched his life. His mother was cared for by a hospice in Massachusetts, which he’s grateful for because she didn’t suffer. He finds satisfaction volunteering for Suncoast Hospice.

“I work with a good bunch of people. I like to help and talk with the people who come in,” he said.

John and fellow volunteer Betty Hertlein sort inventory.

Want to help at at our resale shoppes in Clearwater, St. Petersburg or Tarpon Springs?

Call 727-467-7423 or visit our website to find out about our positions and apply.

POLST Captures End-of-Life Care Choices

By Tracy Christner
Project GRACE executive director



Tracy Christner

Very few of us want a state-of-the-art death. You know the kind – with high-tech, aggressive interventions, such as breathing machines and feeding tubes. These devices may keep you alive technically for weeks, months or even years. However, in some circumstances, such as a heart attack, many of us would want CPR. That's where the Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) program comes in.

POLST is designed to help individuals in the last stages of life express their wishes regarding life-sustaining treatment. Suncoast Hospice will be the first hospice in Florida to offer POLST to its patients. The pilot will begin this fall after staff has been trained by Project GRACE, the Suncoast Hospice affiliate leading this effort.

Why POLST Is Needed

Just imagine an elderly man (Mr. M) with advanced dementia living in a nursing home.  His living will requests no CPR and no intensive care. He chose his daughter as his healthcare decision maker.

One Friday evening, Mr. M is found unresponsive with an irregular, weak pulse and extremely low blood pressure. The nursing home is unable to reach his daughter and emergency services are called. The paramedics arrive and Mr. M is resuscitated, intubated and transferred to the local hospital. His daughter learns what has happened and demands to know why his living will was not followed.

Completing a living will is often not enough to ensure that your wishes to have or limit medical treatment will be respected. Living wills are general statements of your preferences but need to be carried out through specific medical orders when the need arises. Without special arrangements, medical orders have limited authority outside of the institutions in which they are written. For example, a physician’s orders at the nursing home usually have no authority in the ambulance or hospital.

Mr. M needed a document with medical orders that were followed at each step of his care, from the nursing home to ambulance to emergency department to intensive care unit. That is what POLST does.

How POLST Works

POLST is an approach to end-of-life planning based on thoughtful, facilitated conversations between patients, loved ones and medical providers. It’s designed to ensure that seriously ill patients can choose the treatments they do and do not want based on their values, personal beliefs and current states of health.

POLST’s several advantages include:

• It’s signed by the healthcare provider. There’s no need for interpretation and translation because it’s an immediately actionable medical order.

• It’s easy to follow because it’s on a single-page, standardized form.

• Unlike DNR (do-not-resuscitate) orders, it addresses not just CPR but an entire range of life-sustaining interventions, such as IV fluids, antibiotics, feeding tubes and artificial breathing.

• It’s transportable. It remains in the patient’s chart and travels with the patient. It’s recognized and honored across all treatment settings.

POLST Provides Peace of Mind

We believe POLST to be the best tool to help our patients and their families achieve peace of mind through shared and informed medical decision making.

Just imagine if Mr. M and his physician had completed a POLST form with orders indicating “Do Not Attempt Resuscitation, Comfort Measures Only and Do Not Transfer to Hospital for Life-Sustaining Treatment.” The covering physician and daughter, who agree with the POLST orders, are called. The daughter understands that her father would be transferred to the hospital if his comfort needs cannot be met at the nursing home. The next morning, Mr. M dies in comfort at the nursing home surrounded by his daughter, other family members and the staff who know him well.

For more information on POLST or Project GRACE, visit www.projectgrace.org/POLST or call (727) 536-7364. You may also read more about POLST in Suncoast Hospice’s recent article in Tampa Bay Medical News.

Providing Spiritual Care At End Of Life

The end-of-life journey may touch the body, mind and spirit. Rev. Nina Douglas, a longtime Suncoast Hospice chaplain, helps patients and families at our care centers find spiritual peace by honoring their faith traditions.

Watch Nina discuss her spiritual care in this video.  

                                                                   

Suncoast Hospice Patient & Veteran Recipient of Honor Flight

Betty (left) receives a warm welcome home from
Daphni Austin, Suncoast Hospice veterans liaison.

The war memorials in our nation’s capitol generate great patriotic pride, especially among our military veterans. Suncoast Hospice patient Betty Schefter served as a medical secretary in the Women's Army Corp. She and several fellow World War II-era veterans went to see the World War II memorial on a recent trip to Washington, D.C. with Honor Flight West Central Florida. She’s one of 782 veterans, accompanied by guardians, who have traveled there in the past two years courtesy of the nonprofit organization. 

Betty’s care team registered nurse Maureen Diorio along with a group of other Suncoast staff and volunteers welcomed Betty back at the airport. She exited the plane last, beaming with joy and dressed in her pristine red, white and blue outfit prepared by her care team hospice aide Carol Hogan. 

“When I looked at this beautiful woman who had traveled the distance and been gone for more than 16 hours, two words came to mind: Betty Strong. We’re so proud of her,” Maureen said. 

Suncoast Hospice is proud to honor our local veterans through our many partnerships, including Honor Flight West Central Florida and Veterans History Project, which collects and archives interviews of wartime veterans.

If you’re interested in being a guardian or attending a welcome home celebration for Honor Flight, visit www.honorflightwcf.org.

Planned Giving Supports Suncoast Hospice’s Mission of Care

By Karen Van De Putte
Suncoast Hospice Foundation’s Planned Giving Director


Karen Van De Putte

Suncoast Hospice is a nonprofit, community hospice that’s committed to providing expert, compassionate care and services to patients and families as they face one of life’s most difficult journeys. Our Suncoast Hospice Foundation works to raise funds needed to serve our community. Estate planning (or planned giving) is one of the ways in which people can give to our foundation in support of Suncoast Hospice.

Through planned giving, you can make a significant gift in the future, which won’t impact you financially now. Some examples of how you can include Suncoast Hospice in your estate plan are:

• Include Suncoast Hospice in your will or trust. If you don’t have an estate plan in place, we can help you get started with it. If you already have one in place, you can do a codicil to your will or amendment to your trust that adds a bequest to Suncoast Hospice. 

• Charitable gift annuity. You can fund a charitable gift annuity now and then receive income guaranteed for the rest of your life. If there is anything left over at the end of your life, that amount stays with Suncoast Hospice. Rates of return are based on your age, and we can help you find out what rate you would receive at your age.

• Beneficiary designation. You can make Suncoast Hospice a beneficiary or partial beneficiary of your IRA, life insurance policy or investment, bank or money market account. You can usually do this with a simple, one-page beneficiary designation form, which you can request from your institution.

When you let us know you’ve made a planned gift to our foundation, you’ll become a member of our Parker Legacy Guild, which includes having your name put on our guild donor wall (with your permission) and an invitation for you and a guest to attend our annual, springtime Celebration of Caring dinner.

Thanks to all who have supported the Suncoast Hospice mission. 

If you’d like more information on or need assistance with planned giving, please call (727) 523-3422. 

You’re also invited to join us at our next panel discussion covering estate planning and other topics on Aug. 5 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Suncoast Hospice’s Mary J. Labyak community service center, Garden House, in Clearwater. RSVP to Suzanne Pace at (727) 523-3417 or suzannepace@thehospice.org.

Suncoast Hospice Recognized for High–Quality Patient Care

By Laurie West
Suncoast Hospice director of quality and service

Laurie West

It was a big honor for Suncoast Hospice to receive Deyta’s 1st annual Hospice Honors Award this past spring. This award recognized our hospice as one of the top hospice agencies in the U.S. to provide the highest level of satisfaction in patient care as rated by the patients’ caregivers. 

We’re benchmarked nationally with the Family Evaluation of Hospice Care surveys, and to be honored as one of the top hospices for our patient and family satisfaction is remarkable. We’re committed to patient and family–centered care. The voices of our patients and families are extremely important. That’s what defines our care and leads us.

It touches my heart when I read the comments from our surveys. One common theme is  compassion. A lot also say, my loved one died at peace and my loved one died with dignity. Many also state, thank you for taking care of me, the caregiver.  

To me, this recognition shows that no matter what discipline you are, it’s what we all do together that touches our patients and families. From our physicians to our volunteers to our DME (durable medical equipment) drivers, we are all one team. 

Our care teams go above and beyond to provide compassionate care to our patients and families. I heard a recent story about one of our nurses who sat and held a patient’s hand and sang to that patient. Our staff and volunteers are always there to provide that wonderful human presence.  

Have you been touched by our care? Please share your story.

Suncoast Homecare Offers Skilled Palliative Home Care & Support

By Debra Shade, RN
Suncoast Hospice Director of Palliative Care 

Debra Shade, RN

Suncoast Homecare provides expert palliative care to individuals of all ages who have advanced chronic illnesses or conditions. Care may be provided in patients’ homes, hospitals or assisted or independent living facilities.  

Palliative care is a specialized type of care that helps control the distressing symptoms that may occur with seriously-ill patients and their families. Our care teams help address and resolve the physical, spiritual and psycho-social stressors or concerns of patients and families. Palliative care doesn’t stop someone from seeking or continuing curative treatment; it provides another layer of medical assistance, care and support.

Our Suncoast Homecare is a Medicare and Medicaid certified and licensed palliative home health agency. This care for patients combines traditional home health services with palliative care, including skilled symptom management, medication management, disease management and/or complex care management. Patients may receive this care while continuing their treatment regimens for their diseases. Caregiver training for family caregivers is also available.

It doesn’t matter how old or young you are, we have experts to assist you. All of our staff has received training in palliative care and is experienced to work alongside you, your family and your physician to ensure we reach your care goals. We’re all part of the same team. Our goal is to work together to create a plan of care that meets all of your needs so you and your family may experience increased quality of life.

Care & Services

Our Suncoast Homecare teams include qualified clinical professionals and trained  volunteers who visit you where you live to provide the care and support you need. The teams may provide:

• Nursing care 
• Personal care (bathing, dressing, skin care)
• Specialized care (physical, occupational and speech therapies, wound care, 
   infusions, etc.)
• Emotional and spiritual counseling
• Volunteer help, companionship and palliative therapies (music, art, pet visits, etc.)
• Assistance with long-range decision making and advanced care planning
• Dietary education 

Suncoast Homecare may be paid for with Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance and some Medicaid Waivers. 

To learn more about our Suncoast Homecare, call 727-467-7423 or visit suncoasthospice.org.

Community Memorial Services: A Time for Remembrance

By Calvin Crews Suncoast Hospice chaplain

Chaplain Calvin Crews

It’s that time again for Suncoast Hospice and our community to come together at our community memorial service to remember friends and family members. There’s an added bit of excitement with this service because it will be held at a local faith community, as we’ve done in the past.

Our service will be July 25 at 6 p.m. at Anona United Methodist Church, 13233 Indian Rocks Road in Largo. It’s open to everyone of all faiths. Our services were held at our community service centers in the past several years. We’re looking forward to going back out in the community. As with all of our services, it gives us another opportunity to connect with the families we’ve served and to continue the journeys with them. 

We feel that this is an important service to many in our community because we all come together to comfort one another and share memories of our deceased loved ones. Some have made our services part of their bereavement process, attending year after year. Our services provide the perfect occasions for people to acknowledge and mourn those who’ve died, regardless of when the losses occurred. 

It’s also important for our own staff and volunteers to remember the patients and others we’ve served. In the book, Tuesdays with Morrie, author Mitch Albom states, “Death takes a life not a relationship”. Our services are to help those relationships stay alive through the remembering and honoring of our loved ones.  

Our services include meaningful words, music and other rituals that can support the moment that’s shared. At this particular service we’ll be giving an inspirational stone to each of our attendees to take with them as an expression of the moment and hope of the comfort that they received during the service.

Our society often thinks a funeral or memorial service provides closure. That just isn’t true. At the end of a person’s life, the most important need is to know that his or her life mattered and that he or she will not be forgotten. Our relationships with our deceased loved ones play out in our hearts every day as we remember them. A memorial service gives us another opportunity for remembrance.

It was once stated that if our tears become our stairs and our memories our road, we’ll always be able to travel with our loved ones in this life that is left behind.

We hope you’ll join us at our service on July 25.

If you feel you need support with your grief, you can always call us at 467-7423.

Proud of Our Rich History of Volunteer Service

It’s amazing when a community comes together to care for each other. A small group of Pinellas County, Florida residents cared deeply about improving the quality of life for the dying and their families in the community, and made a giant leap to do it. In 1977 this group of volunteers gave birth to one of the first community hospices in America, the Elizabeth Kubler-Ross Hospice (today known as Suncoast Hospice). 

Our hospice started out small and humble with 50 volunteers operating from a one-bedroom bungalow in Largo. They carried out a mission of end-of-life care that was centered around patients and families. They cared for patients in their homes, giving them comfort and support physically, emotionally and spiritually. They also supported family members as they cared for, lost and grieved their loved ones.


Visionary Leadership, Innovative Care
Soon many more volunteers and employees joined in the mission, including the late Mary J. Labyak, who went on to lead the organization for more than 30 years. Innovative, specialized programs were launched as well, including hospice care for children and AIDS patients and a teen volunteer program.

President & CEO Rafael Sciullo

Suncoast Hospice has grown into one of the nation’s leading hospice and palliative care providers. Our new President and CEO Rafael Sciullo started this past February. He’s a mission-driven, visionary leader with close to 30 years of end-of-life care experience.

Rafael shared, “I believe our organization’s care should encompass the three founding principles of hospice: openness, mind matched with heart and uplifting the spirit. Those principles ignite the passion in what we do. When you uplift the spirit of someone you’re caring for, you transform the person, the experience and yourself.”

Under Rafael J. Sciullo's  leadership, our programs and services continue to expand and touch those who are affected by advanced and chronic illnesses, end of life and grief. This work wouldn’t be possible without the support of the more than 3,200 volunteers who serve. He greatly values all volunteers for their dedicated service.


A Founder Carries On Mission
Volunteer Mary Jean Etten, Phd, one of the Suncoast Hospice founders, is very proud of the organization’s mission. She continues to serve on three boards. Last year, she was honored for her outstanding, longtime service with the dedication of the Dr. Mary Jean Etten Center for Caring at our Mary J. Labyak community service center in Clearwater.

Dr. Mary Jean Etten

“It has been a precious gift to be a founding member of this organization and to watch it grow. Having cared for the dying for many years prior to coming to Florida, it became evident when I was teaching nursing here that there were many lonely, suffering and unattended deaths and families who received little or no support with their grief. The hospice movement brought hope, comfort and peace to our community. Together with our board members, staff and volunteers, we have made a dramatic 

difference in how people live and die in Pinellas County,” Dr. Etten said.   

Interested in becoming a Suncoast Hospice volunteer? Click here.     

New Pet Therapy Cat is Purrfect for Patients

Pals BearBear and Olivia

He settles comfortably into her lap and arms and purrs. BearBear, the charming, 6-year-old black tabby, has made an instant love connection with one of our patients, Sonia Zeluff, in her room at St. Mark Village. She snuggles with him and tells him, “You’re so beautiful, baby. You’re perfect.”  

BearBear’s the new and sole trained cat in our pet therapy program serving with his owner, teen volunteer Olivia Watson. There are 49 trained dog volunteers. The cat and his two sisters were rescued as newborn kittens by Olivia’s family. She marvels at the pure joy he brings to the patients they visit.

BearBear gives some love to Betty

“We knew BearBear had a talent. It’s rewarding to see the patients’ faces light up when we come to visit,” Olivia says.

Later the pair stops by the room of patient Betty Schefter, who gladly welcomes the cat on her lap. “He’s a sweetheart. I think what you’re doing is wonderful because most of us who’ve had pets all of our lives are thoroughly loving this,” Betty says.

Want to brighten the days of patients and families with your animals? Call us at 467-7423 for information on our pet therapy program.