Thanksgiving and Hospice: Blessings Abound

Edition of Thursday-Friday, Nov. 27-28, 2014

Editor’s Note: Lola Rathbone is president/CEO of the Catskill Area Hospice & Palliative Care.

Thanksgiving is about family, traditions and a time to be thankful for life’s blessings. Hospice, too, is about family, traditions and a time to be thankful for life’s blessings. Thanksgiving comes once a year. Every day we are privileged to offer a wide variety of “Thanksgivings” to our Hospice families.

Personally, one of my most memorable Thanksgivings was my father-in-law’s last Thanksgiving. We traveled to Hagerstown, Pa., just as we traditionally had for many Thanksgivings in the past. My father-in-law, a Hospice patient for eight months, was happy to be “home” to celebrate this special family holiday. He was in his comfy flannel PJs and his well-worn plaid bathrobe. He wanted to get dressed for dinner, so we helped him get – according to his term – “presentable.” If you have a loved in a place like a hospice cleveland facility, you know that they are getting the care they need, as it can be a lot for anyone to look after a relative who needs a higher level of care. Even though there are in a hospice, allowing them to create memories over time is also very important.

He requested his favorite Pennsylvania Dutch holiday treat, “hog maw” (cabbage, potatoes, and sausage stuffed in a pig’s stomach and roasted to a deep golden brown). As awful as this may sound, it truly is delicious and filled the house with a mouthwatering aroma, he loved it! His wish was made possible because he was able to be “at home” because of the excellent care his Hospice Team gave him.

This experience inspires me to remember at all times that our Hospice is here to provide Hospice families with their “Thanksgiving,” regardless of what time of year it is. Our goal is to help patients and families “Feel Better” so they can “Live Better.” This can often result in people living longer than those who do not use Hospice.

Because so many people have caught on to using Hospice much sooner, they not only have the time, they have the “quality of time” needed to benefit from the opportunity of making their “Thanksgivings” possible. In life, we only get one shot at making these beautiful, lifelong memories – it is our privilege and commitment to everyone we serve.

Right now we are helping one of our patients plan a family reunion. His family is coming in from out of town. They will all get together for a wonderful dinner and time-sharing memory and creating new ones. What a blessing!
November is National Hospice Month, but we celebrate Hospice every day through the stories and experiences our Hospice families give to us.

We are here for you, to help you “Feel and Live Better,” and to help make your “Thanksgiving Wishes” come true.