Editorial: Hospice provides compassion to families in the area
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, November 16, 2004
November is Hospice Month and we celebrate the staff and volunteers of Crossroads Hospice who help terminally ill patients and their families in Albert Lea and Freeborn County deal with life and death.
The philoposphy behind hospice is to provide support services which allow terminally ill people to stay at home where they are most comfortable.
To this end, volunteers seek ways to help families through this time &045; in the least restrictive way possible &045; ensuring delivery of medications and medical equipment to make the patient comfortable. But their compassion goes beyond providing for the physical needs of the patient.
They sit with spouses and listen to the memories, the hurt and anger, the uncertainty for the future. Years of experience with thousands of families give the volunteers the background to offer practical solutions and comfort to those living with a terminally ill family member.
Hospice care is personalized for each family because each family has different needs. A diverse group of professionals are trained to help families with a variety of needs: Registered nurses are available to coordinate care, pastors and counselors visit patients at home, social workers serve as advocates to the patient and family in making use of community resources, home care aides care for the personal needs of the patient, and homemakers may help with housekeeping or meal preparation. All these services &045; and more &045; are designed to offer as much comfort and assistance as possible to the entire family during a difficult time.
The caring people who volunteer through Crossroads Hospice are a godsend and we salute their dedication and love for helping others through this journey.