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 Chef Cooks Up Comfort

Chef Sheila preps at Suncoast Hospice Care Center Mid-Pinellas

Chef Sheila Wooden puts a whole lotta love into her food. Sheila serves as the dietary manager for our Suncoast Hospice Care Centers in north and mid-Pinellas. She and her kitchen teams passionately prepare delicious, homestyle meals for our patients and families. Sometimes they’ll even cook specially–requested dishes.

She has savored her work, bringing comfort and happiness through food.

“It’s rewarding to provide for our patients and their family members in the hospice houses. We make the food that patients want and love in some of their final hours. It’s an amazing gift to take care of patients. We also get back from them when we see them smile or become more comfortable in what can be a very stressful time,” Sheila said.

Another part of her job is catering special events for Suncoast Hospice programs. Gourmet desserts are her specialty. Her talent is producing fine quality food fit for each occasion.

“Sheila always goes above and beyond and takes such care in matching her food offerings to the guests at our events,” said Grace Case, patient family care coordinator at Suncoast Hospice Care Center North Pinellas.

Chef Sheila recently appeared on Studio 10 to discuss her passion for cooking homestyle food and goodies every day for patients and families.  Watch the video.

Do you have a passion for hospice care? Check out our latest jobs.

Inside the Role of a Care Center Senior Staff Nurse

Audlyn Lord, R.N.

Audlyn Lord recently celebrated her 10th anniversary working for Suncoast Hospice. She has served as a senior staff nurse (SSN) at our Suncoast Hospice Care Center South Pinellas since it opened a year ago. She spends long, busy days on the floor seeing her patients and families and supervising the hospice aides. She’s the only SSN with direct patient care responsibilities.

“When I come in I receive a report from a registered nurse (RN) who’s here. Our care team has meetings to discuss each patient. I assess and reassess my patients and give them their medications. In between I counsel, supervise, provide support and do admissions,” Audlyn said.

Audlyn chats with Suncoast Hospice volunteer Suzanne Verhulst

Audlyn has also served as a SSN with a facility-based care team, was a RN with Suncoast Hospice Care Center Mid-Pinellas and worked on a home-based care team. She enjoys the smaller size of the South Pinellas Care Center and the close connection she makes with the people in her care.

“This care center is a very intimate setting with 12 patients. Sometimes in the hallway you see family members in tears and wanting to talk, so you stop and give them hugs and, if necessary, get the social workers or chaplains for them. Sometimes you go into patients’ rooms and there are six people inside, so you stay and chat. This is the most private time in their lives and you get to share that with them. That’s quite an honor,” she said.

Loving Her Life’s Work

Audlyn was born in the West Indies and lived in Canada for 30 years, where she helped start a palliative care team at a nursing home. She moved to Florida in 2000 and worked for one facility before coming on board with Suncoast Hospice. “This is what I was meant to do – take care of patients and their families through the dying process. I love what I do,” Audlyn said.

In her position she sees tremendous hope from hospice. “Isn’t the h in hospice for hope? Hope that you’ve made peace with your loved ones, hope that you’ve completed your bucket list, hope that you’ve accomplished whatever your dreams are,” she said.

Audlyn believes in spreading the word about hospice care; she has done an in-service on living wills at her church. “Especially in African–American communities, they hear the word hospice and they panic. Hospice is not only about death and dying. We must continue to educate people about everything that we have to offer,” she said.

Are you interested in a job at Suncoast Hospice? Check out our latest job listings.