New Suncoast PACE Day Care Center & Medical Clinic Opens in Pinellas Park

By Karen Wells, Suncoast PACE Executive Director                                                                                                            

Karen Wells

Excitement abounded at our Suncoast PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) day care center and medical clinic official ribbon cutting in Pinellas Park on May 14.

Our Suncoast PACE participants advisory council president, Barbara LeFranc, brought the crowd to tears when she shared what PACE has meant to her. Barbara told us that she felt alone after her sister’s death shortly after they had moved to Florida. Barbara enrolled in PACE, and we have become her family and she ours.

Suncoast PACE board chair Kathryn Hyer (left) 
presents Barbara LeFranc at ribbon cutting

Many other supporters graced our opening, including local and state elected officials and representatives from their offices, individuals from our parent organization Suncoast Hospice and its other affiliates, and others who provide services to the elderly in our community.

Improving Quality of Life

If you haven’t heard about PACE, it’s a nationwide program that’s quite special and different from other programs. PACE provides a wide array of services to individuals who:

• Are ages 55 and older
• Live in a PACE service area (for Suncoast PACE that’s all of Pinellas County)
•  Meet the state standard of being eligible for placement in a nursing home but wish to remain at home or in an assisted living facility

Suncoast PACE Day Care Center

The day care center is the heart and soul of PACE, where the sense of family is born. All PACE participants spend time in the center receiving hearty meals (always within dietary guidelines), socializing with peers, and above all, keeping active.

Generally speaking, PACE participants are Medicare and Medicaid eligible. Once participants are officially enrolled in PACE all of their necessary services (whether medical care, therapies, medications or home care) are authorized by the interdisciplinary team and paid for by PACE. For our Suncoast PACE participants there are no co-pays or deductibles for services, helping them to stretch their incomes a little bit farther each month.

Our Suncoast PACE primary care physician, Dr. Laurence Petty, is on staff and available on site in our medical clinic. We contract with a wide range of specialists in the community in order to ensure the highest quality of medical care.

Without seeing Suncoast PACE’s center and clinic it’s very difficult to fully grasp our capacity to change the life of a frail, older adult. We’re located at 6774 102^nd Ave. N., Pinellas Park.

For information on enrollment or to arrange a tour, please call 727-289-0062. We hope to see you soon.

Is it Time for Palliative Care?

By Wayne Anderson, M.D., M.P.H.
Suncoast Hospice Palliative Care Physician

Dr. Wayne Anderson

The number one question I’m asked is, “What do you do as a palliative care doctor?” A primary part of my job is listening.

In my five years as a Suncoast Hospice palliative care physician doing consults in the hospital I’ve heard wonderful stories from patients and families. Couples married for 65 years to those looking forward to their first anniversaries have shared their stories with me. Some people have told me the names of all their children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and even a few great-great-grandchildren.

I’ve listened when patients and families need to talk about their feelings. Parents wonder if they’ll see their children graduate from high school or get married. Those who have cancer express concern about losing their hair and experiencing nausea and pain. Others worry about what will happen to their loved ones or how they can help their aging parents.

Education & Coordination of Care

When someone is faced with a serious diagnosis his or her entire world is turned upside down. He or she may ask, “What do I do?” Too many times patients are told by their doctors what they need to do. Oftentimes patients are unaware of the options they have for their treatment. They need their doctors to help them understand all of the options of care and to understand who they are as people.

One option is palliative care – a type of medical care focused on improving the quality of life for patients with chronic or advanced illnesses and their families. Palliative care is an extra resource that works together with the patient’s own physicians to form a plan of care that’s medically sound and fits the patient’s wishes. Palliative care can sometimes include therapies that are designed to bring comfort. Unlike hospice care, palliative care is not confined to the final months of life.

As a palliative care physician, I want to know what my patients actually understand about their diseases. I spend time with them so I can understand their concerns, fears, wishes and goals.

It’s my hope that you’re never faced with difficult medical decisions. However, if you or a loved one is unsure of what to do about care, perhaps talking with a palliative care physician or other care team member may help. We don’t have all the answers, but we’ll work with you to find a level of care that’s right for you.

Call us to learn more about our palliative care at 467-7423.

Saluting Nurses In Recognition of National Nurses Week

Nurses Care at Care Center

It’s National Nurses Week May 6 to 12 and we’d like to acknowledge our fabulous nurses who take loving care of our patients and families.

Our nurses are compassionate and uplifting and bring comfort in so many ways. They’re experts at resolving the pain and symptoms of our patients. They also give education and emotional support to our patients and families, helping them understand what to expect with their illnesses and listening to them as they cope with their feelings.

Working with the Care Teams

Collaboration with the other care team members is also an integral part of their job to ensure the best possible care to patients and families. Melanie Harmon, a registered nurse (R.N.) with our supplemental staff-PRN department, celebrated ten years with Suncoast Hospice this year. She shared how she and one of our chaplains worked together swiftly to bring comfort and peace to a patient right before she died.

R.N. Home Visit

“One of our patients had a debilitating illness and was close to death. I rubbed her swollen foot, and she liked it. I called one of our chaplains to help her and he came that day. He baptized her and said the Lord’s Prayer with her family all around her bedside.  It was amazing what he did and wonderful to be there,” Melanie said.

Fulfilling Careers

Two of our other nurses say that working in hospice care is extremely meaningful. “It has been an honor and educational experience going into people’s homes and hearing their stories,” said Stephen Mitchell, a licensed practical nurse (L.P.N.) with our supplemental staff-continuous care department. Cynthia Peterson, an R.N. with one of our care teams shared, “I just don’t think there’s anything more rewarding than being at the bedsides of the dying and helping their families. It’s the best job.”

Do you want to make a difference in the lives of patients and families? Check out our current job openings.

Celebrating Volunteers In Recognition of National Volunteer Week

This week is National Volunteer Week and we’re celebrating our fantastic volunteers and the many staffers who work with them.

Our volunteer coordinators and other employees supervise and support volunteers who serve in many areas, including in our resale shoppes, community service centers and care centers and with our care teams, providing comfort, assistance and companionship to our patients and families. Our volunteers are loved and appreciated for their dedicated service.

Several staffers have expressed their pleasure of working with our volunteers. “It’s wonderful to nurture teen volunteers and hear how their hospice experiences have enriched and changed their lives,” said Laura McGary, a teen volunteer coordinator. Jill Pelletier, a finance department administrative assistant shared, “One of the things I love here is our wonderful volunteers. I really enjoy interacting with them. They do a lot for us.”


Showing Appreciation

Janet Pattison, a volunteer coordinator with one of our south Pinellas care teams, has been touched by her volunteers’ support to our patients and families. “I have the privilege of hearing their stories. They’re doing amazing things,” Janet said.

Picnic Time

Janet along with three other south Pinellas care team volunteer coordinators hosted a volunteer appreciation picnic at Sawgrass Lake Park in St. Petersburg last week. The volunteers enjoyed their special celebration and some delicious food grilled by a psycho-social team leader with one of the teams and her husband.

Please check out our debut issue of Suncoast Hospice Spotlight online magazine showcasing our volunteers and the many ways they support our mission. Click here to read it.

Do you want to make a difference as a volunteer? See our many volunteer opportunities.

Make Your Healthcare Wishes Known: An Advance Care Planning Q&A

   

Project GRACE 
Exec. Dir. Tracy Christner

Suncoast Hospice and our affiliate Project GRACE join in recognizing National Healthcare Decisions Day on April 16. This day is an important reminder to us all to communicate and document the medical care we would want or not want if we could no longer speak for ourselves because of a life-limiting illness or injury.

Project GRACE’s staff and trained facilitators are available throughout Tampa Bay to assist with advance care planning. Tracy Christner, Project GRACE executive director, encourages everyone to discuss and plan their healthcare wishes with their families and healthcare providers so their wishes may be honored.

Here Tracy answers a few frequently asked questions about advance care planning and Project GRACE’s services:

Q: What is advance care planning and how long does the process take?

A: Advance care planning is a thoughtful process of planning for future medical care. It involves education, reflection, communication and documentation. The process is different for each individual and how long it takes depends on your specific situation. Some individuals may be able to sit down with their loved ones and begin a dialogue and others may need some guidance. Studies show that families who engage in the advance care planning process have less stress, confusion and guilt about their decisions.

Project GRACE can provide tools and educational resources to guide individuals through the process. We also have more than 100 trained facilitators in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties to help families facilitate these important conversations. The Project GRACE website, www.projectgrace.org, is a good place to start for current information, news articles and easy-to-download living wills in English and Spanish.

Q: What are advance directives?

A: Advance care planning terminology can vary from state to state and among various healthcare organizations. In the state of Florida, an advance directive is defined as a written or oral statement that allows you to convey your decisions about end-of-life care ahead of time. Many documents are considered advance directives: for example, living wills, designation of healthcare surrogate, medical durable power of attorney and organ/tissue donation.

The most important advance directive is the designation of healthcare surrogate. This document allows you to name another person to make medical decisions for you if you are unable to make them yourself. You want to be sure your healthcare surrogate is easily accessible and a person who you can count on to honor and communicate your personal wishes even if they do not agree with them. Most people choose a relative or friend who knows them best.

Q: What are some ways to bring up the subject of advance care planning with family members or friends?

A: Open and honest conversation with family and friends about your values, spiritual beliefs and hopes and fears about the final stages of your life are the best way to begin. Some conversation starters include newspaper and magazine articles, movies, the recent death of a loved one or well-known person, sermons, television shows or recent medical check-ups.

Have you made your healthcare wishes known? Contact Project GRACE at 727-536-7364 to help you get started.

Counselors Help Community Heal from Loss & Grief

Counselor Dee Brandon

When someone you love dies or a traumatic death happens in your community, your world may start spinning. You don’t have to go through it alone.

Suncoast Hospice’s Center for Loss and Healing offers a broad range of counseling and support groups for those who’ve experienced loss and grief. Services are available to anyone in the community and provided based on an individualized fee scale.

Help with Loss of Loved Ones

Deangelis “Dee” Brandon, MSW is one of the center’s counselors who help people find their grounding and healing. She has served with Suncoast Hospice for 15 years, including working as a children’s counselor with one of our care teams and a counselor with our Stepping Stones children and families program.

In her role with the center, Dee does grief counseling with adults, children and families and works with support groups. Her mission is to help them find understanding and peace.

“I love what I do because I get to help people, which may mean holding their hands, bringing them coffee or listening to their stories. It may be a widow or widower or someone who’s dealing with a loved one’s sudden, unexpected death, such as a heart attack, suicide or accidental overdose. They want somebody to listen to them, help them problem solve and let them know that everything they’re going through is ok. It’s ok if they don’t want to eat or they want to cry,” Dee said.

Support with Traumatic Events

Her work also includes support for people who’ve been newly diagnosed with an illness, as well as crisis intervention, grief–in–the–workplace and other traumatic loss counseling.  

“We do a lot of crisis intervention, including counseling when there are shootings in the community. We reach out to police officers, firefighters and other professionals and give them education and support because they’re on our front lines and see a lot,” she said.

She helps others in the community who’ve been shaken by traumatic news stories. “That news may trigger something, so they’ll come in for a few sessions. Some examples include the recent sinkhole event or loss of homes or family members’ loss of homes. Those can be traumatic. We’ll get referred to families and give them support or information they can take to their loved ones.”

Do you think counseling might help you or someone you know?

Please call 727–467–7423 any time for information or visit our events calendar for a listing of our support groups.

Kids Touched by Suncoast Hospice Give Back

Ashley (left) and Nicholas display their fundraising project

Ashley Boubede and Nicholas Steffen have young and caring hearts, helping to support Suncoast Hospice. The two fifth graders recently made a $320 donation to our organization, in honor of our care of their family members.

They raised the funds putting on an auction for their annual service learning project in their gifted program. Both received outstanding grades for their work, and found it wonderful to give back to an organization that has been so meaningful in their lives and others.

“This experience was rewarding because I got to help the people who helped my family,” Ashley said.

Nicholas also felt great about supporting our care. “It was amazing to do this because I know it will help the patients they serve,” Nicholas said. 

Have you been touched by Suncoast Hospice? Please share your story below.