GREENFIELD, IN, September 22, 2020 — Suburban Hospice was recently surveyed by the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC), a nationally recognized organization providing accreditation and licensure surveys for health care organizations. They were thrilled to receive a deficiency –free rating. “This is such an excellent and unusual result,” said Executive Director Jeannie Crowe. “Typically, ACHC surveys flag areas where…
Greetings, everyone! It’s not “officially” fall yet, but have you noticed that there’s more yellow in the trees and the fields are looking golden? We’ve just finished preparing and mailed out our new fall bereavement newsletter. This issue includes a reflection on grief at the changing of the seasons, a book review of our favorite children’s book on grief, “The…
Last night one of our RNs on call went to visit a new patient who was suddenly experiencing pain. She drove to the patient’s home and quickly got a sense of what was needed, reassuring the family and calming the patient. She knew just which pain medications would help—in which doses, given at what times—and an hour or so later,…
Happy and heartfelt news from our Executive Director, Jeannie Crowe: For the second year in a row, we have earned an award for our outstanding patient experience scores. Out of 2,000 hospices across the nation, we score in the top 5% for making our patients and families happy with our care. These scores come from surveys that all hospices are…
In our grief group this morning, one of our long-time members mentioned that not long after she experienced a terrible loss, a family member sent her a copy of The Mourner’s Bill of Rights and it was very helpful to her. This clear set of ideas was originally developed by Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D., a leading researcher and presenter in…
Our chaplains at Suburban Hospice have started a new blog called “A Morning Grace,” sharing each weekday a reflection on living with faith. Also on this blog, we post daily “Shift Prayers” for all healthcare workers responding to the COVID-19 crisis. We invite you to follow our blog and add your inspiration and encouragement to our own!
Here at Suburban Hospice, we are closely monitoring and following all suggestions from the CDC, the Indiana State Department of Health, and Hancock Health, our parent organization. We feel fortunate to work in a county that has been focusing for some time on a healthy public health initiative, and we are confident that the “best practices” we have established will…
Many people know that hospice offers a much-needed level of expert and compassionate care for patients who are nearing the end of their lives. But often patients and families–and even medical professionals and staff–get confused as they try to determine when the right time for hospice care may be. The short answer to this question is that patients who are…
“Caregiver” is a big label that can encompass any number of things when you are caring for a loved one at home. According to the two-tiered study, Home Alone, and Home Alone Revisited, funded by the United Hospital Fund and the AARP, caregivers often feel as though they have taken on the labels of both “skilled nurse” and “home manager.”…
What a beautiful evening! Yesterday was our annual Circle of Life Luminary service, a special time when we gather with our hospice families to honor their loved ones during the holiday season. More than 100 people came to share refreshments, tell stories, and remember together. We enjoyed a brief service inside and then, at the culmination of the program, family…