Lori, volunteer coordinator at ProMedica Hospice Serving Greater Reading, tells about a recent donation the hospice team received for their patients from the Garden Club of Reading:

“The Garden Club of Reading held a special meeting this month to create and donate more than 50 silk flower arrangements for ProMedica Hospice patients. The club’s new president first reached out to me in March. She had heard about our request for holiday decorations last December and was looking for a service project for her group. Another club member took the lead in organizing and kept in-touch with us regularly to fine-tune the project. 

No new materials were purchased for these arrangements. The Garden Club members donated their left-over supplies from previous projects and decorated soup cans and other containers as the bases. They also made sure that all arrangements were sturdy and non-breakable. They created and attached tags to each arrangement stating: A gift from ProMedica Hospice and The Garden Club of Reading.”

Click here to read the original article from the Reading Eagle.

 

Sue Morey, Senior Vice President, ProMedica Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation, thanks the Heartland Hospice serving Greater Reading care team for the great care and support provided not only to her mom but also to her and the family during such a difficult time.

“Heartland Hospice was very attentive to my mother throughout the end of her life. Although this was a very tough time, the entire experience was positive, and your folks were just amazing.

Although I didn’t get to meet them all, there were some outstanding folks caring for Mom. She just adored Lori, her hospice aide. Lori went out of her way to make sure she attended to Mom’s needs, knowing how particular she was with her personal appearance and the neatness of her home. Nurses Zulmarie and Amanda were excellent in their communication throughout my mom’s care. I can’t say enough great things about both ladies!

On the last day, I asked Amanda to turn around and come back 10 minutes after she left because I noticed a change in Mom. As I panicked, Amanda was there to help me, calmed me down and made the medications easy to understand. She explained why Mom was receiving the medications and noted exactly what times to administer. By this time, I was in full daughter mode. Amanda calmly talked with me and made sure I was prepared for what was going to happen.

Dealing with the hospice team overall was a very pleasant experience. They went above and beyond to assist our family. I would recommend Heartland Hospice for anyone needing hospice, as Mom received wonderful care and I received excellent customer service.

Thank you to the Heartland Hospice serving Greater Reading team!”

Community crafters have gone above and beyond for Heartland Hospice serving Greater Reading patients. Artists, members of the business community, retirees, Boy Scouts and many others channeled their creativity and made nearly 300 decorations for our hospice patients who live in skilled nursing facilities. Lori Gourama, volunteer coordinator, details the support Heartland received from the Greater Reading community:

“Our goal was to deliver holiday decorations to each of our patients who live in skilled nursing facilities. Volunteers were recruited by adding a request in the United Way’s Volunteer 2020 Holiday Guide. Almost immediately, people started responding. Over and over again we heard that people are feeling helpless during this pandemic, so we were excited to find a way to reach out and help those who are being greatly impacted by the isolation of COVID-19. Most people are aware that residents of nursing facilities have been prevented from having visitors. Family, friends and volunteers have not been allowed into assisted and skilled nursing facilities. In many cases, the residents have been confined to their rooms and unable to participate in normal social activities. Creating holiday crafts was one way our team and the community could reach out and let the residents know that they are in the hearts and minds of our community. One volunteer crafter even motivated her Cub Scout troop to make decorations so they could learn the importance of helping others.

Hospice programs throughout the country rely on highly trained volunteers to offer support and companionship to patients at the end-of-life and respite to the patients’ families. However, during the pandemic, volunteers have needed to reach out virtually. Heartland’s volunteers having been busy making phone calls when possible and writing notes and letters to patients for the past several months. “This craft project allowed us to open our program to additional volunteers and provide some holiday cheer to our patients and other residents of local facilities. The creativity and generosity of these crafters also lifted the spirits of our staff. This was a beautiful way to spread cheer this pandemic holiday season. We greatly appreciate the help from our volunteers and the community!”

 

Honoring veterans – past and present– who have sacrificed their lives to serve and protect our country can be done in a number of ways. A small celebration to honor the veteran(s), volunteering with a veteran organization or even a simple “thank you” can all go a long way. One way to honor that might easily be forgotten, is to ask a veteran about their experience and really listen to their answer. Heartland Hospice patient, Edward Mull, details his life and discusses entering the military, his experience at war, the memories and incidents during war that he will never forget and life after war. To read Edward’s vivid description about this experience, click here to read the article from the Reading Eagle.