Island Senior: What You Need To Know About Hospice

Peggy Sue checks in with another Island Senior article from Mullis Center…

Dana Brothers, Outreach and Communications Program Manager for Hospice of the Northwest – Photo Peggy Sue McRae

We don’t like talking about death in our culture but if we are currently living there is no avoiding the eventual outcome. When the time comes, for our selves and for our loved ones, it is good to know that there is support available.

Two distinct entities offer hospice services to San Juan Islanders. Hospice of the Northwest, staffed by paid professionals plus volunteers, is funded by both Medicare and donors, and serves Whatcom, Island, Skagit, and Snohomish counties besides San Juan County. Hospice of San Juan is all-volunteer and serves only San Juan Island. On Wednesday, Dana Brothers from Hospice of the Northwest and Pat Reveles from Hospice of San Juan spoke at the Mullis Center informing Islanders about what each organization has to offer and how we can best utilized these important services.

Pat Reveles, Training Coordinator for Hospice of San Juan – Photo Peggy Sue McRae

“Don’t wait so long”, both speakers emphasized this to me as a parting message. Naturally, we hesitate coming to grips with our own or a loved one’s mortality and yet the sooner we engage with hospice support the easier we can make this meaningful and momentous transition.

To initiate services from Hospice of the Northwest a patient needs to have a terminal diagnosis with the expectation that they will die within the next 6 months. Patients will often improve temporarily or even graduate out of hospice care but this is when services become available. To initiate services with Hospice of San Juan what you need is a designated caregiver to be the point person coordinating care with the volunteers.

When my Mom was at the end of her life our family benefitted from both hospices. From Hospice of the Northwest we received oxygen without charge. We had been paying for it so this was greatly appreciated. We also had regular nurse visits even though my Mom was still seeing her regular Doctor. The hospice nurse made house calls. From Hospice of San Juan we borrowed equipment including a hospital bed (see the website for lists of equipment and services). I was my Mom’s primary caregiver and spent long days with her so was deeply appreciative when volunteers would stop by to take over for a half hour so I could go check my mail or run a few errands. Those shoulder rubs were great too! After my Mom passed, Hospice of San Juan even helped us find a boat and captain to take my Mom’s ashes out into the channel.

Hospice of San Juan: 360-472-0322 – www.sjhospice.com
Hospice of the Northwest: 360-814-5550 – www.hospicenw.org

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