717-299-1100Blakinger Thomas is proud to spotlight Hospice & Community Care for continuing to provide important medical and supportive resources to South Central Pennsylvania during the COVID-19 pandemic.
For 40 years, Hospice & Community Care has been and continues to provide medical, emotional and spiritual support for individuals and families who are coping with a life-limiting illness. Hospice’s mission is to provide personalized care and comfort to help patients and their families live better with serious illness through end of life.
Like all organizations, Hospice & Community Care has experienced some challenges due to the pandemic, from finding new ways to provide grief support to the community, to the inability to utilize their more than 1,100 volunteers during this time, in addition to declining financial support to employee recruitment.
Despite these challenges, Hospice & Community Care proudly continues to care for more than 550 patients each day at home, senior living facilities and in its Inpatient Center. With this high-volume of patients, it has been challenging to find Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) which is critical to maintain the safety of its staff and patients. However, Hospice has been fortunate to have the community’s support in donating and making PPE to ensure that the organization has a sufficient supply. Hospice & Community Care’s physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, aides, chaplains and bereavement counselors have been on the front lines helping to provide personalized care and comfort for their patients and families each day wherever their patients call home. When asked what it is most proud of during this time, Hospice gave credit to its staff. “Our staff’s safety is of the utmost importance to Hospice & Community Care and we are doing everything possible to protect them and keep them safe. Our staff’s dedication and selflessness is inspiring; they are unsung heroes.”
Many of the organization’s non-clinical staff has been able to work remotely to insure their safety, as well as that of co-workers, patients and families, and the community. These individuals continue to help the organization operate effectively and efficiently behind-the-scenes.
In addition, Hospice & Community Care’s Pathways Center for Grief & Loss, which specializes in helping people cope with serious illness or loss after death, remains available, albeit virtually, as a free resource for the entire community, regardless of whether a loved one is or was a Hospice patient.
If you would like to learn more about Hospice & Community Care, please visit their website at www.HospiceandCommunityCare.org.