Storming the Hill!!!

Whew!...we're tired!  And here is why...

Carolina East takes an active part in legislation regarding our patients and the services they receive.   It would actually be easier to just let things happen.  But it is our goal to make things happen.

Three weeks ago, Lynn Hardy, Executive Director and Brigitte Phillips, Compliance Director, went to the National Association for Home Care Conference in Washington, DC.  While there learning through the educational classes offered, there is a traditional "HILL DAY", where, as a united team, the group of several hundred, go to the Capitol and see the Congressmen in the Districts where you provide services.  We bring before them the current bill's that are present that are applicable and crucial to the services we provide and for the patients who receive them.

Last week, Tonya Stanton, Hospice Services Director and Sue Wells, Marketing and Development Director, attended the National Hospice and Palliative Care Conference in Washington, DC to do pretty much the same!  We discussed
S Bill #722 - Help Hospice and met with the different Representatives in the Counties we serve.

Yesterday, it was North Carolina's turn!  Lynn Hardy, Faye Hanchey, Joan Williams, Sue Wells and Lisa Whaley went to Raleigh.  We met with a hundred or so members of the NC Association for Home & Hospice Care and did the same there that we did in Washington!  We met with several Senators and House Representatives and challenged them to be mindful of budget cuts in regards to patients and the Home Care services they receive.

In our visits, we found compassionate ears and tender hearts for patients in need.  Is is proven by data that Home Care is far more economical than institutional care.  Therefore, they usually like us and what we do.  

Carolina East is a true advocate for patients in our care currently and prospectively.  We want to ensure they are cared for.  That their needs are met.  That they have a voice.  

We're proud of our stance.  

"Great Service Comes From The Heart" 

My Friend Died Today

A dear friend of mine died today. 

She was such a fun person to be around. 
She loved living. 
She loved life. 
She was thoughtful of others. 
She had opinions. 
She was talented. 
She was gifted.

She was a daughter, she was a wife, she was a mother, she was a sister, she was a friend.

She was one of those that included you in things, events, happenings.  She loved to laugh.

She will be missed.  She left her mark on this world with those she came in contact with.  Some would think she was ordinary.  She was much more than that.

She will be missed.

Wishes Do Come True



Elaine Richardson:  Ace Co-Worker

Eric Pate: Dir. of Operations-Waccamaw,

Sophia Whaley: Co-Workers' Wife,

Michael Mason: Dir. of Safety
Daisy Benjamin: Sister,

Craig Morehead: Dir. Sales &
 Business Development-Waccamaw,

Tony Whaley: Co-Worker Driver-Waccamaw

 February 5th was no ordinary day for Melvin Dobson. Just last week, during a visit from his former employer and co-workers, Melvin had some “wishes” that he let be known. Being that Melvin is a patient at the Milford & Reba Quinn Hospice Care Center in Kenansville, these wishes became a mission for his friends.



For several years, he drove a fuel truck for Waccamaw Transport located in Selma, NC. Last Saturday, Melvin said he wanted to see one of his Waccamaw Trucks “parked right out there”,(indicating his window view), just one more time. And, he wanted some Blueberry Pie that former co-worker’s wife, Sophia Whaley, was known to make. And that was all it took to get these wishes to become a reality under the instigation of former co-worker and driver, Tony Whaley. In fact, it was Melvin that recruited Tony to come follow him and work with Waccamaw after leaving Ace Transport.

  


Waccamaw Truck rolling in...

 



French Doors to his room opened
so he could see the truck...His Wish



 





  Just a little before 12 noon, a shiny, new, Waccamaw Transport Fuel truck rolled into the parking lot of Carolina East’s Quinn Hospice Care Center. The pouring rain did nothing to dampen the excitement of the friends who were on a mission. In they came carrying a huge basket loaded with Melvin’s favorite treats. Known to have a sweet-tooth, they had his favorites of years past: Blueberry pie, Pineapple Pudding, a peach concoction and Brownies…but that isn’t all. Along to finish off his specialties were some Collard Greens and fried Corn Bread! A feast!


They laughed, teased, brought back fond memories and shared anecdotes of Melvin. Melvin was known as the “Mail-man”, because he never failed to deliver his load whether it was to Spartanburg, SC or the Outer Banks of NC. And, he did it with a smile. Eric Pate, Director of Operations said,” No matter of what the encounter was that you had with Melvin, you always walked away with a “good feeling” because of him.” According to these gentlemen, drivers are unique and very opinionated…but no one ever met Melvin and didn’t like him. That made him truly unique. Even if he was carrying a load of “Sailboat Fuel”….air!



Waccamaw Truck

From the love, honor and respect shown to Melvin on this day as his friends were gathered by his bedside, it made you think he had put in several decades with these folks, but not so. He had worked with some at Ace Trucking for a few years and the others at Waccamaw Transport since 2005. But the major impact he had made in their lives was evident and was shown by such an effort that was witnessed today.

 Melvin was born in Duplin County to Octavious Dobson, who passed away in 1992, and to Gertie Mae Dobson. He has five living siblings: three in the Bronx, NY, one in Albuquerque, New Mexico and one in Kansas City, Missouri. They each rotate time at the Quinn Hospice Care Center to be with Melvin; not wanting him to be without family daily. Daisy Benjamin, his sister from New York, is with him now and sister Sudie has just left for her home. How very special to see the loving close bond of family and friends.



Carolina East's
Milford & Reba Quinn Hospice Care Center

 On this date, February 5, 2009, Carolina East Home Care & Hospice, Inc. admitted their first patient to the then newly opened Quinn Hospice Care Center. How appropriate to celebrate this anniversary by celebrating the life of Melvin Dobson.

“Great Service Comes From The Heart!”

Carolina East Home Care & Hospice, Inc.









New Board Members!!!

Carolina East Home Care & Hospice Foundation Welcomes New Board Members!

L-R: 
Rev. Bill Taber, Kathy Creech, Jesse Smith

 Ann Jones, Kenny Barrett

 The Carolina East Foundation Board of Trustees recently invited five new members to their board of Trustees for recently vacated seats: From the governing Board of Directors, Rev. Bill Taber of Beulaville and Jesse Smith of the Beautancus Community are serving as a BOD representative to the Foundation Trustees. New community citizens asked to serve on the Board of Trustees are: Kathy Creech of Pink Hill with University Health Systems-Duplin General Hospital, Kenny Barrett of Warsaw with State Employees Credit Union and Ann Jones of Richlands with Lenoir Memorial Hospital.

As a member of the Board of Trustees for the Carolina East Foundation, these members will assist in decision making and guidance in leading the CE Foundation in fundraising efforts, funding responsibilities, and fiscally prudent decisions. The CE Foundation currently has 13 members and is under the direction of Julie Howard, CE Foundation Director.




Tree Of
Remembrance

 

The CE Foundation has four Annual Events established for fundraising: Golf Tournament at River Landing, Motorcycle “Ride for Relief” Poker Run, “Hospice 5K Walk & Run for Hope” and a “Tree of Remembrance” Tree Lighting Ceremony. Smaller events and opportunities are held throughout the year for education and promotion.

Julie Howard
CE Foundation Director



“Carolina East has always held to the idea that no patient should be turned away regardless of their ability to pay”, states Howard, “and the CE Foundation was created to assist in funding the care provided for those patients and to assist each patient with their needs”. Carolina East Home Care & Hospice serves patients in 7 counties and was established in Kenansville in 1984. The Milford & Reba Quinn Hospice Care Center, an in-patient Hospice care facility, was opened in 2009 and is located on the Kenansville By-Pass.





For further information on Carolina East Home Care & Hospice, Inc. or the Foundation, contact Sue Wells, Marketing & Development Director or Julie Howard at (910) 296-0819.

"Great Service

Comes From The Heart"

Does Hospice Care Really Make A Difference?

I was sitting at a local fast food place, enjoying my lunch time meal, and ironically making out my “TO BLOG” list when I overheard a conversation about Hospice. I really didn’t mean to be eavesdropping. The tables were so close I couldn’t help but hear…they might have even been able to hear my thoughts we were so close! But, nonetheless, I heard.

Carolina East Home Care & Hospice, Inc.

Probably the “trigger” that pulled me from my task at hand was the word “Hospice”. At first I thought maybe they were talking a little louder than necessary so I would hear. After all, I did have on my lab coat with our company logo embroidered on it and my company car was in the parking lot with our name which includes the word “Hospice” and such on it…so I thought it might be for my benefit. Immediately, when I heard “Hospice” my ears perked up…I fully expected that I would hear the usual accolades of the benefits of Hospice; how all the staff was so caring, how pleased they were with the care their loved one had gotten in their final hours…WRONG!  This person immediately started describing what little care Hospice was and about the “least bit of care for someone they had ever seen”…and on and on and on. My heart stood still. The couple they were discussing this with, tried very delicately to rebuttal the things said with layman’s logic and actually did pretty well. But the saddened couple was having nothing of it.

I couldn’t eat another bite of my meal. The restaurant was full. Almost to capacity. These people, even though not talking too loudly, had others looking toward them. The lady was obviously upset, angered and misinformed...and sad.   After all, her brother had died yesterday.

My Mother in Law at
her Great-Granddaughters
Baptism a couple of  months
before her passing...

My heart sank…I was getting anxious. I thought I would burst wide open. I had to do something for the sake of patients and families everywhere.  Even though the patient had not been a patient of ours, I had to speak up. Hospice programs are vital. I know the benefits of Hospice as a daughter, as a nurse. I’ve seen deaths with Hospice and death without and experienced them as well. So I had to reveal that I could hear their conversation.

“Excuse me, I’m so sorry, but I couldn’t help but overhear some of your conversation…may I share some thing’s about Hospice with you? The friendly couple said by all means….and so I did. The grieving couple listened, made rebuttals to my comments, still angered…but I understood. I at first shared my personal experience; forgetting for a time, the Nurse-in-Me parts and focused on the family factor. I told about my Father dying with Hospice. My Mother dying with Hospice. My Mother-in-Law dying with hospice in my home. I shared the difference of not having Hospice and explained why the patient doesn’t eat and why they are not attempted to be fed in their last days. I shared the science behind the dying process. I shared all I could, in that environment, in that limited time. I hope it made a difference for them.

I understand grief.

I understand misdirected anger.

I understand the helplessness that surrounds family in those last days.

I know the loss that is felt when someone you love dies.

I understand.

My precious little Mother & Me just a
few months before she died....

Hospice is about living until you die. It helps the patient and the family cope with the inevitable. It relieves fear of the unknown. It brings a good closing for those who allow it to.

I pray this lady finds peace with her brother’s death. Death is rarely a pleasant experience. Hospice to me makes it bearable. Respectable. Positive.

Hospice is a good thing.

Employee Appreciation Day: July 5th, 2010

 

Holidays are such fun events.  However, being a home health & hospice care provider...we seldom get holidays as the rest of the working-folks do.  We do close our office for Thanksgiving Day & Christmas Day for  Staff....but often times, we have staff members that continue to work on those days.  We always have patients that need services on those holidays just like they do the rest of the year.  Whether they are at their home, or in our Hospice In-Patient Center.  Plus...we always have a nurse on call.  It is our responsibility:  it's what we do.

So, over the past  years, we have begun having a special cookout on the July 4th Holiday.  This year, that was Monday, July 5th.  We have an employee motivational team known as the FISH! Committee.  (There is a book...actually several on this...great tool!)  We plan it, put it together, set it up, tear it down, the works...and it is just that!  WORK!  But well worth it.

Hamburgers with all the trimmings and ending with Watermelon!  YUM!  We grill them right here on site and have pop-up tents on the front lawn...very cozy!  Each year, random folks stop by to see if we are selling something and one lady came thinking we were having a yard sale!  Too funny!

This year, we included children and spouses as invited guest.  Daycare Center's are closed in our area for the holiday, so that creates issues for employees with children.  So we deemed it "Bring your child to work day" as well!  All of our staff are well versed in the HIPPA regulations, so they know what and what isn't allowed...so it works out well.

All in all, it was a great successful event.  We ate, joked and laughed.  Fun times for a serious business.  Celebrating Independence...Carolina East style!  ......and employees...and their families.

Happy Indepence Day!

Independence Day!  Always an exciting event whether or not you are "celebrating" in some fashion or not.  Thinking about our freedoms that we enjoy on a daily basis is a good idea for any of us.

But this also brings to mind a different kind of "independence" that we have.  Being a home care & hospice provider, I can't help but to think "clinically".  Whether it is living independently...walking independently...even the basic needs of bathing and feeding ourselves independently.  For most of us, these task or conditions don't ever cross our minds.  But for many stricken with diseases, illnesses, injuries, or aging....these "freedoms" are of extreme importance.

If you have a family member, friend, or loved one that has experienced the loss of independence, then you know how the situation affects them...and you.  Often times, impairment of a person's health is of no fault of their own.  Genetics and situations beyond their control may be the source.  But for others, we can have a positive impact on our own health by the "healthy" choices that we make in our lives.  Following a good diet, exercise and monitor our habits make for a good outcome in most cases.

So on this 4th of July...Celebrate Independence!....of all kinds.   Set a new goal, change a negative habit into a good one and celebrate the FREEDOM that choice brings!  ENJOY!!!