IRON MOUNTAIN - With the year quickly coming to a close, the OSF Hospice program in Dickinson County is looking back on its first year serving the community.
November is National Home Care and Hospice Month, so it's appropriate to take the time to reflect on the services provided during the first year.
The program was offered in Dickinson County on Jan. 1, and 42 patients have been served since that time, noted Ilene Kotajarvi, Hospice volunteer coordinator.
The first group of volunteers included seven women, who were trained in February just after the program started. Due to the increase in demand for volunteers, a second group of six volunteers is taking training now.
"We've been busy and it's increased since the word has gotten out that Hospice is available in Dickinson County. Not every family wants a volunteer, but many do. The volunteers can offer support for the patient and family members in many different ways. But they can't provide any direct medical care - that's provided by Hospice nurses and medical staff," she said.
One of her volunteers brings meals to a patient, another is a member of the Zion Lutheran Church quilting group that provides quilts for each patient, and others provide respite care so that caregivers can have a break.
Respite care includes giving the caregivers time to take a nap, go to appointments, or just have a chance to leave the home.
"The caregivers are so busy providing 24 hour care to their loved ones that they won't even leave for a short time. Volunteers will establish a trusting, close relationship with families so they can feel comfortable in leaving their loved ones with them," she said.
"The volunteer is also companion for both the patient and its family and will provide follow-up care for the families as they come to terms with the death of their loved one," Kotajarvi said. "That is why we have started to offer a grief support group in Dickinson County in the fall and the spring for families."
The OSF Hospice program provides bereavement care to families for up to 13 months.
The Reverie Harp was introduced to the local volunteers in August, and is being used to provide music therapy for patients.
Kotajarvi said that therapy is going well.
Most recently, the volunteers have started to receive training using the flip camera. What is taken on the camera can be recorded and transferred to a DVD as a keepsake for the families.
"The camera can be attached to the bed post and record whenever the patient wants to. It provides a family legacy - a record for those left behind," she said.
Kotajarvi added that they have also ordered books for a "Mother's Legacy" and "Father's Legacy."
"It's a daunting task to write down memories. This is a good program to use for those that want this type of a memory recorded," Kotajarvi said.
Bay de Noc Hospice in Delta County was the first and also the oldest hospice program in Michigan. Work to coordinate, recruit volunteers and training occurred in 1978 with the first patient served on Sept. 14, 1979.
The program was run entirely by volunteers for many years until 1995 when the agency merged with OSF St. Francis Hospital to become OSF Bay de Noc Hospice.
The merger with the hospital allowed the agency to provide more enhanced services to residents in Delta and Menominee counties.
Most recently, a collaboration with Dickinson County Memorial Hospital occurred in January to allow services to be provided to patients in Dickinson County. OSF Hospice is a part of OSF Home Care Services located in Escanaba.
According to Kotajarvi, hospice is for patients of all ages with a life-threatening illness with a prognosis of six months or less to live.
These patients have decided not to pursue life prolonging treatment and want to focus on palliative or comfort care in their own home, nursing home or assisted living facilities. The Hospice nurses are trained in pain management and symptom control.
The basic principles upheld by OSF Hospice include a commitment to making patients as comfortable as possible, recognizing that dying is part of the normal process of living, and an affirmation and celebration of life that neither hastens or postpones death.
To learn more about home health or hospice, call the OSF Home Care Services at (906) 786-4456 or toll-free at (800) 673-5288 or visit the website at osfhomecare.org.
Linda Lobeck's e-mail address is llobeck@ironmountaindailynews.com.
