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