At our Feb. 5 was Katie McDougall, the Clinical Liaison for Hospice of the Northwest. She has been with hospice for over a year but has over 10 years in the medical field including respiratory and durable medical equipment, home health, and now hospice. She has a personal connection to Rotary as she was selected to be an exchange student out of The Dalles Oregon and went to San Juan Argentina for her junior year of high school.
Hospice of the Northwest is Medicare-certified and Washington State-approved. They have been serving residents of Island, San Juan, Skagit, and North Snohomish counties since 1984. They provide care to 200+ patients a day and are a not-for-profit organization. They currently have 100+ employees and 60 volunteers, who live and work in the communities they serve.
Katie covered Aging in place with 3 parts: Assess, Plan, and Prepare in the areas of
community, financials, transportation, social connection, technology, health and wellness especially falls prevention.
What if I sign up for hospice and change my mind? You are free to leave hospice care at any time, for any reason, without penalty. You can re-enroll later. The hospice benefit is available to you anytime if you meet the medical eligibility requirement.
How do I get started? Get permission from the patient via the Referral Center. They are available 7 days a week from 8-5 pm. You provide basic information such as name, date of birth, insurance, and primary care physician. They determine eligibility and then schedule an informational visit.
To get started, a doctor must determine that the patient meets medical criteria during the intake process, and anyone can make a referral – Self-referral, family members, friends, physicians, other healthcare providers, social workers, counselors, and clergy. Things to consider when choosing a hospice provider would be:
Is the provider a for-profit company or a not-for-profit organization?
What extra services do they offer?
How do they handle urgent needs?
Will someone come to my home if there is a crisis in the middle of the night?
Is the provider Medicare-certified and approved to provide hospice services in Washington State?
Are they accredited by an objective third party? What’s the provider’s history and reputation in the community?
Is the provider a for-profit company or a not-for-profit organization?
What extra services do they offer?
How do they handle urgent needs?
Will someone come to my home if there is a crisis in the middle of the night?
Is the provider Medicare-certified and approved to provide hospice services in Washington State?
Are they accredited by an objective third party? What’s the provider’s history and reputation in the community?
Medicare provides hospice comparisons.
There is HOPE in hospice care. Hospice affirms life. It is not about how you want to die; it’s about how you want to live. Our team works with patients to create an individualized care plan and HOPE is a big part of that. We focus on your needs and goals, so you can live life to the fullest in comfort and dignity. Hospice care is about more than just pain and symptom management. It’s about maximizing your quality of life. Research shows that people on hospice live longer, and with a greater quality of life. Some patients experience improved health once they are in hospice. There are even patients who “graduate” from hospice.
Hospice is not a place; it is a model and philosophy of care. Services are provided wherever the patient calls home. Patient’s home, home of a loved one, nursing home, assisting living community, memory care community, and correctional facility, homeless shelters Wherever you are, transportation is provided to and from appointments as needed. To help you get your home ready for aging in place get the AARP HomeFit guide.
Very enlightening and educational program! Everyone was very engaged and had some great questions.
Other notes
Another Paul Harris award, this time for Doug Moore.
The inspiration was provided by Keith Stobie who shared the Rotarian Action Group For Peace. Their mission is to serve as a resource to Rotarians, Rotary clubs, and districts by supporting the peace work of Rotarians worldwide. What if…..we started thinking about ?Rotary as more than a collection of service clubs and started thinking of ourselves as a global peace building force? Just imagine, Rotarians building a world beyond war. Learn more about our organization and how you can join us to spread the message Peace Is Possible. Peace is not a spectator sport, it requires participation from all. It’s principles link directly back to our 4-Way Test. Integrity in the things we say and do. Peace is a cornerstone. Thank you Keith for such an inspiring message.
Sarah Davies, President Elect from Fidalgo Island Rotary shared their upcoming auction March 16th “Casino Royale” She would love for us to come and also (3) Volunteers to help at the Auction. They always support our auction, and we support their auction both in attendance and in volunteering. If you are interested let Sarah or Connie know. Tickets are $80 or VIP Tickets are $125 which gets you early access, wine at the table, and first in line for the dessert dash! They will have a very fun auction and will be honoring Justin Ford, the Anacortes Athletic Director. You can scan the QR code on their website or register at Fidalgo Island Rotary.org.
Danielle announced she is discovering interest in hosting an International Club from Hungary. They will be hosting 8 of our members and we would host 8 of their members. Aug 25-Sept 8 is the timing for our members to go to Hungary. If you are interested in hosting or attending the trip to Hungary, please reach out to Danielle.
History of hospice:
Dame Saunders was a nurse, social worker, and physician who opened St Christopher’s Hospice in the UK in 1967. Florence Wald was the Dean of Yale School of Nursing and took a sabbatical to work at St. Christopher’s and co-founded Connecticut Hospice in 1974 the first Hospice in the United States.
Dame Saunders was a nurse, social worker, and physician who opened St Christopher’s Hospice in the UK in 1967. Florence Wald was the Dean of Yale School of Nursing and took a sabbatical to work at St. Christopher’s and co-founded Connecticut Hospice in 1974 the first Hospice in the United States.