The nugget., October 05, 2016, Page 19, Image 19

Wednesday, October 5, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
In-home clinical care in Sisters
More and more people
within the Sisters community
are taking advantage of the
personalized, in-home clini-
cal care offered by Partners
In Care. Whether someone
is expected to make a full
recovery following a surgery
or recent hospitalization, or
a loved one is entering their
final stages of life, Partners
In Care provides professional
and personalized care within
the home setting—wher-
ever home may be. Patients
receive support that is essen-
tial to improving their quality
of life.
Partners In Care reports
that rural communities such
as Sisters, Black Butte Ranch
and Camp Sherman have
steadily increased in the use
of home-health and hospice
services over time. Outreach
Director Lisa Hurley reports
that more thna 50 people a
year are admitted to Partners
In Care in Sisters alone.
Healthcare needs vary for
each person depending on
their diagnosis and progno-
sis. When recovering from an
illness or surgery, the loss of
independence can be one of
the most difficult challenges
a person faces. Home-health
services can include home
safety and equipment evalu-
ations, wound-care, intrave-
nous antibiotic therapy, fall
intervention, treatment for
incontinence, patient and
caregiver education, and
medication management.
Clinical case managers meet
with patients and families,
and communicate with the
patient’s physician to create a
customized plan of care.
A patient’s perspective and
priorities often shift with a
chronic medical condition or
a terminal diagnosis. Partners
In Care offers transitions sup-
port and palliative care con-
sults to help navigate medical
decisions, weigh treatment
options, and make connec-
tions to appropriate commu-
nity resources. Because navi-
gating the healthcare system
during a stressful time can be
confusing and overwhelm-
ing, a team of highly quali-
fied healthcare profession-
als provides patient-centered
care honoring the dignity and
needs of both patients and
family caregivers.
Hospice care is available
to those who wish to forgo
further curative treatment
and pursue comfort care. The
interdisciplinary care team
focuses on symptom manage-
ment, spiritual care, and end-
of-life planning. This team is
dedicated to the personal care
of the whole patient—body,
spirit, soul, and mind. They
strive to support both the
patient and family through
a season of change and loss.
Partners In Care also offers
free bereavement services to
adults and children through-
out Central Oregon.
Partners In Care clinicians
are advocates for the patient
by supporting them through
their very personal and unique
journey. Highly qualified
physicians, nurses, physical,
occupational, and speech ther-
apists, medical social work-
ers, chaplains, volunteers,
and home-care aides form the
care teams providing support.
Patients on Home Health ser-
vices receive the care needed
to heal and recover, while
those within the Hospice ser-
vice can have their symptoms
managed and wide array of
end-of-life needs met.
Hurley concludes, “There
is no need to go through
this alone or without sup-
port. Help is just a phone call
away.”
Mentoring is
good for you
Social capital, an idea pre-
sented by Dr. Robert Putnam
in his book “Bowling Alone,”
is a term used to define how
connected one is to their
community.
Social capital, like eco-
nomic capital, is about how
many people you have in
your life — friends, fam-
ily, and familiar faces. The
greater one’s social capital
the more likely you are to be
happy and healthy.
In the Sisters commu-
nity social capital is as
essential for thriving as any
other aspect of one’s health.
Being connected to peo-
ple, and a sense of greater
purpose, contribute to the
health benefits of social
wellness.
This knowledge is one
of the founding philoso-
phies of the local non-
profit Circle of Friends.
Circle of Friends matches
local youth with an adult
volunteer mentor. Yes, men-
toring has huge short- and
long-term health benefits
for the youth. Yes, mentor-
ing creates a stronger net
in our community. And
yes, mentoring could be
good for your health,
too!
Connecting as a men-
tor with other volunteers, a
young person and their fam-
ily, and all of the commu-
nity supports will not only
increase your social capital
but you may get more out
of it then the child. Circle
of Friends has families
and couples who mentor
together and allow friends to
be co-mentors to one child.
Consider what is possible for
you and reach out to explore
the options. Your connec-
tion to a child will serve
you, them, and our greater
community.
Circle of Friends is cur-
rently accepting applications
for mentors.
Their new mentor train-
ing will be held on Saturday,
October 22 from 9 a.m. to
noon. Contact Kelly Davis
Martin, associate direc-
tor, for additional informa-
tion at 541-588-6445 or
K e l l y @ a c i r c l e o ff r i e n d s
oregon.com.
Partners In Care
Partners In Care is committed to bringing compas-
sionate care into the homes of hospice patients and
their families throughout Central Oregon—including
Sisters, Black Butte Ranch, Camp Sherman, Metolius,
and surrounding areas. Our hospice volunteers are an
important part of the patient care team.
Sisters resident Jennifer Boley is one such volunteer
— along with her therapy dog Griffyn. As HosPet vol-
unteers at Partners In Care, Jennifer and Griffyn visit
patients together.
“Taking Griffyn on visits with me is a simple thing
I can do, and yet his presence does so much for the
patients as well as their families,” said Jennifer. “I have
seen over the years how a therapy dog can bring a smile
and a bit of brightness into people’s lives, especially
people dealing with life-changing circumstances.”
To become a hospice volunteer in your area, contact
Partners In Care Volunteer Coordinator Jason Medina
at 541-382-5882 or visit PartnersBend.org.
COMFORT…FROM THE GROUND UP
S f & Nurturing
Safe
N t i
Massage & Spiritual Healing
NEW CLIENT SPECIAL
10% OFF
M Kenzie Lighty-Wilcox • 541-610-4665
c
19
In the Sisters Art Works Buildi ng
204 West Adams Ave. Suite 103-A
Ski • Bike • Hike • Run
Back-Pain
Foot-Pain & Bunions
541-636-0855
— Free Consultation —