Article Provided by Taylor Davis, MBA

We are More than Hospice.

Celebrating 40 years, Delaware Hospice is the leading licensed, nonprofit community-based healthcare organization serving the state of Delaware and Pennsylvania’s southern Chester and Delaware counties. Delaware Hospice provides exceptional care and support to patients of all ages, their families, and the greater community. Delaware Hospice offers a range of programs and services from hospice care to grief support, children’s programs, and more. Through these programs and services, Delaware Hospice helps people navigate one of life’s most challenging journeys. Programs and services include: Delaware Hospice Center, Delaware Palliative, Delaware Transitions, Katybug, New Hope, and Bereavement.

Delaware Palliative offers relief to seriously ill patients who are receiving active, curative treatment. Assistance is provided to identify goals of care and manage symptoms while dealing with the physical and psychosocial burdens of a serious illness. Delaware Transitions helps seriously ill individuals who are not ready for medical support, find help. Clients benefit from gaining information about community services, and receive advice on how to adjust to new challenges.

The Delaware Hospice Center located in Milford, Del., provides comprehensive, specialized, 24/7 care to patients in need of critical, short-term symptom management.

Katybug, our pediatric program, helps children facing a serious illness live well while improving their quality of life and helping their families cope with the challenges and feelings that are a natural part of their journey.
New Hope, our children and teen bereavement program, targets children struggling with an expected or unexpected loss. Camp New Hope offers campers the opportunity to meet others going through similar experiences to interact in traditional and bereavement activities.

Bereavement support is offered to all family members before and after a loved one passes and continues for thirteen months after loss through a variety of workshops and support groups. Along with these programs and services, Delaware Hospice founded Honoring Choices® Delaware, a non-profit organization focused on helping people make informed choices about end-of-life- care that reflects their values and honors their dignity. Advance Healthcare Planning can be a difficult topic to discuss but with the help of Honoring Choices® Delaware it doesn’t have to be.

With National Healthcare DecisionsDay on April 16, it is important to understand how you can document your healthcare wishes through Advance Healthcare Directives. Advance Healthcare Directives are written legal documents that can be a Living Will, a Healthcare Power of Attorney, or a combination of the two. Anyone 18 or older can and should consider putting an Advance Healthcare Directive in place. One of the greatest gifts yocan give your loved ones is to let them know your end-of-life wishes!

Delaware Hospice’s commitment to providing quality care to individuals, their families and the community does not stop at our programs and services. We are honored to be a part of NHPCO’s We Honor Veterans Program as a Level 3 community partner. In addition to hospice and palliative care, we are privileged to be able to perform a Veterans Bedside Ceremony for our patients and their families. This ceremony includes written passages of scripture, listening to music, presenting of a handmade blanket, and a Certificate of Appreciation. These bedside ceremonies provide healing for families and gives them the opportunity to center their loved one’s identity and create meaning, even in the midst of acute heartache as they face the end of life.

If you or someone you know may benefit from one of our programs or services, please call 800.838.9800 or visit www.delawarehospice.org

Read more articles from VOM Magazine here: https://www.veteransoutreachministries.org/vom-magazine/