Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (April 30, 2014)
I SIX - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, April 30,2014 County hospice helps patients through ‘life’s last way-station’ Deana Fountain enjoys some quality time with her granddaughter Joy Andermatt. -Contributedphoto Fam i ly is very i m portant to Deana Fountain. On the wall behind her are p ictu res o f w hat she calls, “my tribe,” which consists of her mother and father, three brothers, a son and daughter-in-law, a daughter and son-in-law, five grandchildren, and, of course, all the friends she has made over the years. Deana is currently a p a tie n t o f P io n eer Memorial Hospice and John Adair, PAC of the lrrigon Clinic. Through the hospice program, Deana is being provided support as she battles her terminal diagnosis of metastatic lung cancer; that support comes from the very same team that provided hospice and home health services to some of the people who resided in the foster home Deana operated for 12 years. “Deana provided a high-level quality of care to the people she cared for, and we at Pioneer Memorial Hospice will do same for her.” said Robanai Disque, Director of Home Health and Hospice. Deana's goal is to be as independent as possible as long as possible, and hospice staff members say she is doing a good job of it. Deana, they say, is definitely still in charge. “We used to tell Deana when she was caring for people who were battling terminal illness that we were the ‘pit crew,’” Disque remembered. “Now we are her ‘pit crew.’ It’s always a privilege to be part of this chapter in someone’s life. It's a true privilege to be able to give back to Deana, who has given so much of herself to others.” Deana is one of many terminal patients the local ho sp ice program has served over the years. The emphasis of hospice is on symptom control, as well as preparation for and support before and after death. The Pioneer Memorial Hospice staff says it emphasizes to patients and caregivers that the hospice staff's job is to help the patient live the best quality of life possible. The care of the whole family is considered during the time the patient is on hospice, and that extends through the bereavement process. “ Hospice is a team approach offering medical, emotional and spiritual care to the terminally-ill patients and their caregivers during this difficult time,” Disque said. “The hospice team walks side-by-side the patients during their battle with a terminal illness.” The Pioneer Memorial Hospice team includes home health aides and homemakers, registered nurses, physical therapists, medical social workers, volunteers, chaplains, physician and office staff. Hospice staff members are available 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. Pioneer Memorial Hospice serves all of Morrow County. “Most people want to die at home surrounded by the people and the things they love. Hospice provides care in the home,” said Disque. That said, home to some may be a family member’s residence, Long Term Care at Pioneer Memorial Hospital, or Willow Creek Assisted Living facility. Aside from hospice services to the patients and their families. Pioneer Memorial Hospice over the years has provided v o lu n te e r tra in in g in different communities to help educate people on how to care for their friends and families, even if they don’t become patients. Many people who have taken the training then became volunteers to serve the residents in Morrow County. B ecau se o f p ast s u c c e s s e s , P io n e e r Memorial Hospice staff says it will continue to provide this volunteer training. Volunteer training is usually a group session but volunteers have completed it on an individual basis, as well. The hospice program also provides bereavement support to families after th eir loved ones pass away. One aspect of this is memorial services that have been held in Boardman and Heppner to honor loved ones who have died. Pioneer Memorial Hospice hopes in the future to be able to provide a memorial service in each community in the county. “It is a long-range goal but one we are committed to achieve,” Disque said. P io n eer M em orial Hospice also has a resource library with literature, DVDs and movies for loan relating to a variety of issues when dealing with someone who is dying—topics range from how to be a caregiver, how to communicate with children, teenagers and adults about death, and grief education, including grief in the workplace. Hospice also has a variety of information that is free to the public whether they have a loved one on hospice or not. P io n e e r M em orial Hospice also has provided grief/bereavement groups in the past, including one cu rren tly provided in Heppner. Plus, Pioneer Memorial Hospice provides the schools with educational material for the teachers to use for students who have faced or are facing the death of a loved one. The whole idea o f hospice dates back to 11th- century Europe, and it has been evolving ever since. Now hospices can be found all over the world, in Australia, Japan, Africa, Canada, New Zealand. Israel, India, China and Russia, to name a few. H o s p i c e in th e United States started as a volunteer-led movement to improve care for people dying alone, isolated or in hospitals. Since the beginning of hospice in the United States in 1971, at the Connecticut Hospice, almost two million people have received services from hospice. Hospice has been providing services to people in Oregon for more than 35 years. Pioneer Memorial Hospice has served 250 patients and their caregivers since becoming Medicare certified in 2002. Hospice is derived from the Latin word “hospes,” which means both guest and host. Originally is was a medieval name for a way- station for pilgrims and travelers, where they could be replenished, refreshed and cared for; it also seems to be a fitting name as people go through life’s last way-station. "Experts agree that the time to learn about hospice is before a life-threatening illness occurs,” Disque shared. “ This g reatly reduces stress, should the time come when hospice services may be needed.” The earlier hospice is involved, she said, the more it can help make the patient’s final days, weeks and months be as comfortable and satisfying as possible. For questions about Pioneer Memorial Hospice or P io n eer M em orial Home Health and services provided contact Disque at 541-676-2946. Donated bike raffles on for a good cause . 4 . Above: Cody Fletcher, 9, of Lexington stands with the bike he donated to the Neighborhood Center of South Morrow County in February. The center decided to raffle off the bike to raise money for a new freezer; the April 17 drawing was won by Dwyla Yocom of Lexington. Yocom also has decided to re-donate the bike for another Neighborhood Center raffle. More raffle details will be published at a later date. -Photo by April Sykes lone students off to Tupper lone sixth graders took off for Tupper this week. Pictured are (from left back): Zoey Gilbert, Maddie Aldritt, Lizbeth Cambero, Annabelle McDaniel, Joselyn Nichols, Emma Rietmann, Junior Rogue, (middle row) Elaina Ehrmantraut, Mackenzie Heideman, Megan Doherty, Wyatt Aleska, Paul Taylor, Shaun Epperson, Jake Heideman and (front) Matt Orem. -Contributedphoto MARIJUANA BAN -Continuedfrom PAGE ONE up on it. There had been some discussion at an earlier joint meeting of the city co u n cils o f H eppner, lone and Lexington and Morrow County about how to regulate the dispensaries, but most of the discussion w as a b o u t w h e th e r individual entities such, as a city, can outright ban them, M arijuana is still a federal offense; however, the attorney general has indicated he will not enforce federal law. There are also four measures slated to be on the November ballot asking for outright legalization of the drug in the state of Oregon. If legalization is approved then the discussion could be a moot argument. Morrow County 4-H hosts Urban/Rural Exchange ANSON WH9GHT - CITTSFOR1H Come SiM { Ahb T U m A *o4tcr D m j ! W eb Sit»: w w w .in o r r o w r o u n ty p a r k s ^ r g E-Mail: airparks « c o .a M rm s .ir.n l Rf .cniriom : $41-989-8214 CALENDAR OF EVENTS 2014 A fri 13-13 - Youth Tinker Hum (OHV) M ir 4 3014 - Suafiald Outdoor School - Aquatici (Aaoao Wnght) M*v t. 2014 Patii Opto fot Sot.au ì A bmo Wnffct Confai*. OHV) Moy IO. »1 4 M o ri t u r i R r in M a Ina (OHV) May 34-2«. 2014 - H o m i Dar V » May 34.2014 • OHV Hand. ou orti» .(OHV) hm» 14.2014 9 * A m i Youth F ria g Dmby (C riteri) ham it-22. 2014 - T n C e r ir 4-fl Caop ( C M M ) haa 14-19. 2014 - Ctooon Dsoc f o u i r T n— f (OHV) cixpoooria» J udo 21.2014-OHV E M S M a s b a - H J N D W m (OHV) 3aly 4. 2014 - IrispndpocoD oy *°«r— July 12-13. 2014 North E r i Bow H r i n Aie*» Shoos (OHV) Aspo» 11,2014-Bicyd» K j « oo No Aopri 12, 3014 - Btcydo K r in Ni Aopri >0-31. » 1 4 L rio D o y W » Aop. >0 - Sops 2t. 2014 - ArcJhorr S t l r i S t o f (CUTWOKTH) t ^ li Î i 13-14. X 1 4 N M U C - -f l * i li f * r i » » - Ssprifcmn. 3014- M èo C r i p p r«f»r ih o H. 3014 pot— of Cri O r i* » 4-17. 2014 - lo Back loo. O d 23 - Moo. 7. 3014 • lo« Back li On 2 »-No« 12014-nSooooo Hwrio l ll'x t^ Y irik S ! Nl WÉ o 1 . ' w n t a l T . D ot Noto ri ■ 17.3014 - C r i b r i md I • fDBV) On A pril 3-8, the M orrow C o u n ty 4-H Program participated in the 4-H Urban/Rural Exchange Program. Four host families from Morrow County hosted participants and chaperones this year, including the A rb o g a st and W o lff families of Heppner and The Heideman and Orem families of lone. The weekend kicked o ff w ith a m eet-and- greet potluck for all of the participants to get to know one another. The rest of the weekend was spent attending and touring numerous activities and participating in ways of life across Morrow County. Urban p articip an ts toured the SAGE Center in Boardman, Shepherd Flat Wind Farm, Krebs Sheep Farm, went to local schools with their host siblings, learned about the rural way of life first-hand with their host families, and engaged in many more activities during this jam-packed weekend. In cooperation with the Multnomah, Grant, Wallowa, Harney, Wheeler, Malheur, Morrow, Union and Klamath County 4-H Extension Program, the 4 From left to right: Matt and Mason Orem, urban participants Wren and Marisol, and Madi and Morgan Orem toured the SAGE Center in Boardman during their weekend together. -Contributed photo 4-H Urban-Rural Natural Resources Exchange is designed to help middle- school students gain an u n d e rsta n d in g o f the issues of natural resource management from both an urban and rural Oregon perspective. The exchange is also designed to help students “develop a camaraderie and spirit o f friendship with families from rural Oregon who are involved in ra n c h in g , farm in g and natural resources management.” The program began in 2006 with 20 students from Sunnyside Environmental School and five teachers and volunteers. Today the program serves over 100 youth each year. “ This was the first year for Morrow County to p a rtic ip a te in the program and it turned out to be a fantastic learning opportunity for both the urban students and the rural host families,” says Ashley Jones, Morrow County OSU Extension Service agent. A n y o n e w ho has q u e stio n s or w ho is in terested in learning more about the local 4-H program, contact the local Extension office at 541- 676-9642, check the web at http://extension. oregonstate.edu/morrow/ welcome-morrow-county- 4-h or follow them on Facebook at “ M orrow County 4-H Oregon.” First Friday Friends of Jesus wraps up The final session of this year’s First Friday Friends of Jesus will be held this Friday, May 2, from 8 a.m. to noon at All Saints Episcopal Church. Children ages four to 12 are invited to a morning of fun, filled with Bible stories, skits, crafts and games, and concluding with a free lunch. Newcomers are always welcome, even for this final session, to get a preview of what lies ahead in the fall. More information is available by calling the Shared Ministry office at 541-676-9970. I
