NewsLine - April 2011 - (Page 31)

Some Very Young Volunteers Learn About Hospice Ninety-year old hospice patient, Jeffrey Smith, is sitting in his livingroom recliner with a handmade card. He smiles as he looks at the crooked, cut-out hearts on the front and the hand-scrawled message on the inside—”My teacher told me about hospice today and I want you to know that I love you.” “I HEART Hospice” is a Valentine Card Contest sponsored by the Stokes County office of the Hospice & Palliative CareCenter, based in Winston-Salem, NC. Amazingly, the school children in this small rural county made more than 2,000 cards for the 2010 holiday. And, while the child who made the best card in one of four age categories won a prize, the real prize is that conversations about hospice were sparked in every classroom across the county. We know barriers to hospice care include a lack of awareness and a feeling that hospice means giving up hope. The “I HEART Hospice” campaign is a collaborative effort that puts knowledge into the hands of the next generation. In fact, once the county school administration approved the campaign, the teachers—armed with information about hospice—began incorporating card-making into lesson plans. As Christine Jerrett, the guidance counselor at Mt. Olive Elementary shared, “I first asked the students what they knew about hospice and then we talked about it before the children made their cards.” Coordinating the campaign was relatively easy, with support from the hospice staff and volunteers. Completed cards were turned in to school offices. A team of hospice volunteers collected and sorted the cards, and a special panel of judges determined the winning cards. Hospice staff and volunteers then distributed the cards to patients, and the hospice staff awarded the prizes to the students and teachers. Because of the outpouring of love by the Stokes County school system and the tremendous efforts of volunteers, Hospice & Palliative CareCenter was able to share many of the cards with other members of the community. Cards were shared with senior centers, MealsOn-Wheels recipients, senior nutrition site participants, and residents in long-term care facilities. A few of the cards even found their way to the regional hospital’s palliative care unit. Now in its second year, the campaign is becoming a tradition. As Amy Musten, principal at Pine Hall Elementary noted, “We will certainly do this again next year…. This is a powerful project that shows how much we can all touch each other’s lives.” continued on next page NewsLine 31

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NewsLine - April 2011

NewsLine - April 2011
Hospice Profit Margins in the Next Decade
A Message From Don
Protecting Hospice Rates Timeline
Sharp’s ACP Program
Experience the ACHC Difference (display ad)
Delaware Hospice’s Transitions Program
Recruiting Problems? HMR (display ad)
Hospice Executive Scholarship Program (display ad)
Voice of NCHPP: Volunteer/Volunteer Management Section
Volunteer Section Monthly Chats
Hospice Volunteer Program Resource Manual (display ad)
New National STAR Report – with Staff Compensation Data
Young Volunteers Learn About Hospice
One Bike, One Cause – One Uplifting Journey
Nurse’s Week Gift Ideas from Marketplace (display ad)
Members in the News
Upcoming Educational Offerings
Cover 2
NHF Quarterly

NewsLine - April 2011