Additional Services

In addition to hospice care, we are proud to offer the following services.

Bereavement Services

Our chaplain also coordinates the various bereavement services that we offer to families of deceased patients and the community in general, including support groups, counseling, seasonal memorial services, grief events for children, and other special events.

For the Families of Hospice Patients:

Once a hospice patient has died, the family members receive an array of bereavement services. We follow each family for at least 13 months after a death. The following is a list of services we offer specifically to the families of hospice patients:

Bereavement Mailings:

Letters are mailed to bereaved families at specific months during the 13 month period. These letters acknowledge the grief the family may be feeling and offer support during their grief.

Bereavement Phone Calls:

Bereaved families are phoned by an assigned volunteer or hospice staff member on a regular basis to inquire how the family is doing and remind them of various services and special events that hospice offers. The caller also asks if a visit from the bereavement coordinator/chaplain would be welcome.

Memorial Bears:

These cuddly bears are made by hospice volunteers out of a piece of clothing from the deceased loved one. One bear is provided free of charge to each bereaved family; additional bears can be purchased for a small charge.

Garden Memorial Service:

This service is held each spring to honor our patients who have died in the previous 13 months. There is a short ceremony, and live butterflies are released by those in attendance in memory of their loved ones.

Angel Tree Memorial:

Due to space limitations at the hospice office, this annual holiday memorial event is limited to the families of hospice patients who have died in the previous 13 months. Holiday grief is addressed.

For the Families of Hospice Patients and the Community:

In some ways, Ohio’s Hospice of Morrow County serves as a community resource for bereavement services and grief support. All of our grief support services are offered free of charge (unless noted), regardless of whether or not the deceased person was a patient of hospice.

Lunch with Friends:

This is a monthly support group at a local restaurant. It is informal, and bereaved family members attend because they can relax and enjoy the time the group spends together. They often feel reassured that someone is available to talk to them about their loss.

Adult Grief Support Groups:

These are typically multi-week sessions offered at least once a year, facilitated by our bereavement coordinator and social workers. These sessions focus on the grieving process and ways to cope with all aspects of grief.

Children’s Grief Workshops:

These workshops are generally held several times a year for children ages 6-12 who have experienced grief or loss. This service is open to the community as well as to our bereaved families.

Memorial Bricks:

Bricks make up the border around our Memorial Garden located in front of the hospice office. Memorial bricks can be purchased and engraved with up to 3 lines of text in remembrance of any loved one. Order forms can be found online or are available from the office. A Memorial Brick Laying Service is held each spring to allow families to personally place their bricks in the garden border.

Memorial Brick Order Form

Volunteer Services

A social worker coordinates hospice volunteer services to provide families and caregivers any extra assistance or respite they may need.

Volunteers provide patient support which may include companionship, reminiscences, listening to music, reading and watching TV. They also can assist patients with phone calls, letter writing, and creating memoirs. They support caregivers by providing them down time (respite) and help with household and gardening chores. They visit as often or as little as you need and at your request.

Our hospice volunteers often serve patients and families at the bedside, sitting with patients who want company or may be dying and be without family, visiting with patients and families, and assisting with personal care. They can give haircuts and manicures. They will relieve caregivers who may need to shop, attend to family business, or take care of their own healthcare needs. Hospice volunteers also assist in the office, run errands, provide fundraising support, and more

SUPPLEMENTAL THERAPIES

Speech therapy to address communication and swallowing disorders

Physical therapy to help maintain functional abilities and assist in pain control

Occupational therapy to provide a sense of control over the patients themselves and their environment

Dietician services to address eating problems that cause loss of appetite, nausea, and weight loss

Massage therapy to help increase blood flow, relieve pain, and reduce stress.

SPECIAL SERVICES FOR VETERANS

Ohio’s Hospice of Morrow County is part of We Honor Veterans, a national project initiated in 2001 as part of the Hospice Veterans Partnership by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. We also work closely with the Morrow County Veterans Services Office; Veterans Administration offices in Columbus, Mansfield, Cleveland, and Dayton; and local chapters of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and American Legion to identify veterans under hospice care and honor their service.

Thanking and honoring our veterans with a special pin and a certificate during a ceremony is rewarding for us and the honored vet alike. Over 450 veterans in Morrow County have been “pinned” and thanked by our hospice for their service. There are over 3,000 Veterans in our area, and they each deserve special thanks for serving and protecting our country.

Sometimes a pinning will take place at a hospice patient’s bedside with family gathered around. Other times vets may be pinned at an event hosted by our hospice. Through the We Honor Veterans program, our nurses and other staff members understand the unique needs of our nation’s veterans and remain vigilant of factors which could trigger fear, anxiety, and/or painful memories. We strive for comfort when our veterans may be facing the end of their lives.

For more information about the We Honor Veterans partnership, please visit http://www.wehonorveterans.org.