Wednesday, April 8, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
15
Hospice continues mission in face of pandemic
By Jim Cornelius
Editor in Chief
In the midst of the COVID-
19 pandemic, people are still
approaching the end of their
lives for unrelated reasons 4
and Hospice of Redmond is
still at work serving them.
The organization, which
serves Sisters Country as
well as Redmond, is con-
tinuing its mission, adapting
to ever-evolving conditions.
Hospice announced last week
that it is cancelling its annual
grief support program, Camp
Sunrise, held at Suttle Lake
west of Sisters in June.
Maureen Krebs, commu-
nications director and veter-
ans outreach coordinator for
Hospice of Redmond, told
The Nugget that the organi-
zation is following national
Hospice guidelines to provide
care for its clients.
There are several aspects
to Hospice support. The phys-
ical aspect of Hospice care
focuses on palliative measures
to ensure comfort during the
last days or months. Social
workers and a bereavement
coordinator provide emotional
support for the entire family
4 and for an extended period
of time after bereavement.
The physical care contin-
ues to be provided by nurses,
who go into senior care facili-
ties or the patient9s home to
provide services. The other
aspects of care are more chal-
lenging due to the health and
safety requirements of the
effort to prevent the spread
of COVID-19. The work is
always vital, and becomes
more so in a situation where
many people are distanced
from families.
<Taking care of these
people at this time when they
may not be able to see their
families 4 it9s critical that
we continue caring for them,
that we continue that relation-
ship,= Krebs said.
In some cases, social work-
ers and a chaplain can con-
nect with Hospice patients by
phone and Facetime to main-
tain contact and connection.
Other outreach pro-
grams have been forced into
abeyance.
The Transitions Program is
a pre-hospice program.
<It9s for anyone who has
a life-limiting illness,= Krebs
told The Nugget last year. <It9s
a non-medical program, so it9s
really about resources.=
Transitions Program par-
ticipants, who are not charged
for services, also receive emo-
tional and spiritual support as
desired, as staff helps connect
them with resources that can
make their life coping with
their condition easier and
more satisfying. The program
can also connect families with
respite care.
That work has been put on
hold.
<Because it9s a non-med-
ical program, we can no lon-
ger see those people face-to-
face,= Krebs explained.
She is working on ways
to stay in contact with
Transitions clients, because
isolation is a problem that
they were already facing and
the current situation threat-
ens to exacerbate the condi-
tion, creating what Krebs
characterized as <a spiral of
isolation.=
<It affects them,= she said.
<That9s something I9m work-
ing with our team on. We9re
coming up with creative ways
to serve if we can9t see them
face-to-face.=
One of Krebs9 most
beloved duties is reaching out
to the veteran community in
Central Oregon.
<I typically see our veteran
patients and veterans in the
community,= said Krebs, her-
self a Marine veteran. <That
has completely stopped.=
The disruption of the
Hospice program is tough on
patients who may not have
family in the community
and rely on the connection
with Hospice staff and vol-
unteers. It9s also hard on the
volunteers. Krebs recalled
talking with volunteer coordi-
nator Jill Wolfe.
<She9s seeing some of
our volunteers struggle 4
because they love what they
do,= Krebs said.
If the community would
like to support Hospice of
Redmond, follow them on
Facebook (facebook.com/hos-
piceofredmond) or Instagram
(@HospiceofRedmond) and
comment on posts with posi-
tive messages for nurses and
staff serving the community.
Send cards for Hospice of
Redmond nurses to 732 SW
23rd St., Redmond, OR 97756.
And the staff continues to
adapt and work as effectively
as possible to serve their vul-
nerable community.
As Krebs said, <We9re
doing everything in our power
to support these individuals in
any way that we can.=
For more information visit
www.hospiceofredmond.org
or call 541-548-7483.
Camp Sunrise canceled for June 2020
In an effort to protect the safety of
patients, volunteers and staff, and members
of the community, Hospice of Redmond has
made the difficult decision to cancel its chil-
dren9s grief support camp, Camp Sunrise,
which is held annually the third weekend of
each June.
For 20 years Camp Sunrise has been
recognized and honored as a valuable and
effective resource in helping children navi-
gate their way through the strange and often
frightening feelings of grief after the death of
a loved one. The success of Camp Sunrise is
due to the capable and extraordinary people
who volunteer their time each year to help
the children through this amazing experience.
<The past few weeks have presented daily
challenges as we at Hospice of Redmond
adapt to the current health environment
and the determine the best precautions for
our volunteers, our staff, our patients, and
our community,= said Diane Kellstrom,
Bereavement Coordinator and Director of
Camp Sunrise. <Unfortunately, we had to
make the difficult decision to cancel Camp
Sunrise 2020. School closures have ended
our access to referrals, staff trainings cannot
be held as scheduled and we cannot go into
homes to complete the in-home interviews
with our campers/families. We appreciate the
outpouring of community support for Camp
Sunrise 2020 and any donations made this
year will be honored during Camp Sunrise
2021.=
Hospice of Redmond notes that the orga-
nization appreciates the support each year of
Family Access Network, school counselors,
therapists and the many community members
who refer children to Camp Sunrise. Families
of children in need of assistance following
the death of a loved one should still reach out
to Hospice of Redmond for virtual bereave-
ment support.
Hospice of Redmond urges the public
to call its 24/7 line at 541-548-7483 if they
are in a crisis and need someone to talk to
regarding bereavement support and end-of-
life care.
Sisters Community
Church
Easter Morning at 10 a.m.
Join Sisters Community Church online or on Facebook for
Luxury Senior Assisted
& Independent Living
Hope In Troubling Times
541-549-5634
with Pastor Steve Stratos
www.sisterschurch.com
411 E. Carpenter Ln., Sisters
www.Th eLodgeInSisters.com
“Sisters Businesses are Here to Serve” page to find curbside pick up, delivery, and more.