NorthCare Hospice

This years Susan G. Koman Race for the Cure was Sunday, August 8 at Union Station in downtown Kansas City. 27,000+ participants raised a total of over $1 million toward finding a cure for breast cancer.

Participants either walked or ran in the race in support of breast cancer research, breast cancer survivors, or those who have died as a result of the disease. One participant in this years Race for the Cure was Arnetta Revels, a current employee at NorthCare Hospice.

Revels walked with a group of friends from her church, two of which were walking as survivors. Revels recounted hugging her two friends before the walk as an emotional embrace. “At that time we were all gathering and it was just a few of us but then others started to come.  It was not overwhelming but it was indeed joyful!”

“I could not help but feel proud of my city”, Revels said. “When I looked in front of me I saw a sea of people and when I turned around I saw that many and more.” Bands and groups of people on the sidelines cheered participants on and helped them make it through the toughest obstacles of the course.

Revels relishes in the sense of accomplishment she felt after completing the walk and says her fondest memory of the day was seeing everyone, young, old, survivors, and friends, pull together and support each other. “Walking with friends and then walking by myself and then being encouraged by strangers and of course finishing – what a great experience!”

Arneta Revels, Hospice Employee of 1 year

Happy Hospice Anniversary August 10, 2010!

Tags: Arnetta Revels, Kansas City, Race for the Cure, Susan G. Koman

6:15 a.m., abruptly wake up from a very strange dream, contemplate whether or not dream was real, and realize that my alarm is obnoxiously blasting in my ear the tune to my newly downloaded alarm tone; Here Comes the Sun. Don’t even hesitate hitting the snooze button, roll over and am fast asleep. 6:30 a.m., “Here comes the sun little darling…” ARRGGHH!! I must really get up.

 7:15 a.m., after a run and a little breakfast I am feeling better about the outlook of my day. On my second cup of coffee and frantically racing around to make it to work on time I ponder what the day will be like. I will write a Blog, possibly two, work on the newsletter for the month of September, and oh yeah… I get to sit in on the NorthCaring Hearts Singers practice!

 I had no idea what to expect. Camera in hand (see picture below) and a few minutes behind I made it to my car and was off. Thankfully on time I headed to the singers practice room to find an acoustic guitar player, Greg Parrett, a keyboard pianist, Elzene Gourley, and four other singers (all Hospice employees).

 I was immediately asked to grab a music book and to join them in their practice session. Upbeat, happy, and some obnoxious songs made my morning a little bit brighter and really gave me a jolt of energy on top of my already black coffee, especially since I was a bit embarrassed by singing in front of strangers.

 45 minutes later the session was over and I was free to go. I sat down to write my Blog for the day and was completely stumped…severe example of writer’s block, and the caffeine overdose was probably not the best thing for my brain on this particular day.

 I had visited with Elzene the week prior and was in love with the idea of writing a Blog about this group of volunteers. The NorthCaring Hearts Singers was initially created by accident. Singing Happy Birthdays, holiday songs, and old favorites brought joy to patients and their family members.

 After realizing this, singing volunteers decided that they had better create a group. Entirely comprised of NorthCare Hospice employees, singers meet the second Tuesday of every month to practice new tunes. In addition to singing for patients, singers also perform at church gatherings and other charitable and non-profit organizations whenever they have spare time to volunteer.

 Hospice patients enjoy the company of the singers and feel special when people who care about them and their well being show up to sing them a special song or two… or maybe four!

 One of my favorite stories told by Elzene involved a patient who had escaped from Cuba as a young man. His daughter requested that the singers learn Happy Birthday Spanish- style. Feliz Cumpleanos was the next song on the agenda! When the singers performed this particular song on a Birthday visit to the Cuban-American patient, he and his daughter where so moved that it brought tears to Elzene’s eyes as she attempted to recap the entire experience. 

 This is a great example that demonstrates just how much employees at NorthCare Hospice do. The amount of heart that this group has is easy to see and the joy they bring to patients and various community groups and homes is often overlooked.

Mother Teresa once said that “in this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love.” These employees strive to do just that and acknowledge that a small act of kindness goes a long way and brings joy to others and is good for the soul.

 More often than not, this medium-sized group of ten is whittled down to three or four depending on volunteers’ availability. What is more important than the size of this group is the fact that they continue to volunteer and give their time freely to patients. Their selflessness is admired and appreciated. Look for the NorthCaring Hearts Singers this September at a local Sheppard’s Center Event. More on this and other events to come!

Row 1 (left to right): Sherry Woods, Elzene Gourley

Row 2 (left to right): Arnetta Revels, Jan Jester, Dr. Tim Link, Greg Parrett

Not pictured: Trisha Asbacher, Pat Watson, Heather Roscoe and Sara Schlueter Weidner

Opening the NorthCare Hospice House has been hectic. Putting on the finishing touches and hiring new employees to be on our team has been exciting but boy is everyone tired. Between the Garney Party, Open Houses, and the admittance of our first patients, I had the time to touch base with two new Hospice House employees and ask them a few questions about working for Hospice, in particular NorthCare Hospice House. Kimberly Stanley and Sharon Walker tell all below…

1. How different do you think it will be working in the Hospice House setting as opposed to working in the hospital? 

Sharon: I was all over the hospital everyday.  Working in the Hospice House will be a more confined area and more of a Team atmosphere. 

Kim: The environment in the Hospice House is a more comfortable setting and it feels that you are doing more than just a “job”.

2. How do you feel about being a new employee on a new project and what do you think lies ahead? 

Sharon: I think being a new employee on a new project is a very exciting adventure. It’s a whole new beginning with a lot of potential for caring and sharing with the community. 

Kim: Being brought in on a new project that has become an excitement to the Kansas City area is an awesome feeling.  The Hospice House has an excellent staff and the room for growth in this place is phenomenal. This is a huge stepping stone for NorthCare. I see an expanding future for the company as a whole.

3. What standards/beliefs upheld by hospice do you admire/ respect most? 

Sharon: Giving the patient and family the “at home” feeling with added care, dignity and respect from the staff that is so needed during the end of life. 

Kim: I admire that one of our goals is to make not only the patient but the families feel comfortable in such a tense and uncomfortable situation with the amenities and services offered by the Hospice House. Also that we follow up with the family after their loss.

4. What qualities do you bring to NorthCare Hospice and what do you hope to gain from this experience? 

Sharon: I hope to be able to assist the staff and bring comfort and care to those in need.

Kim: I bring big smiles and a positive attitude! I hope to gain a better understanding of how hospice works and what it offers.

5. What do you like to do for fun and how do you choose to RELAX at the end of a long day? 

Sharon: I enjoy being around people that I care about and going out to dinner and a movie

Kim: I’m a mother. So beating my kids in a game of Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders seems to be a blast now days. After a long day, a long bath and the nearest pillow or cushion causes all types of relaxation. = )

Lowell Swindler has been a Chaplain at NorthCare Hospice for three years. Initially a bartender in Westport, Swindler always enjoyed listening to people while working. He is also an ex-marine who served in Vietnam and was awarded a purple heart for his duty overseas. After seeing death in combat, Swindler recalls a lot of things in his life not making sense after the war and he even made the choice to no longer attend church services upon his return from Vietnam.

Swindler began attending church again after a close friend of his passed away. He was 50 when he became a minister. Most days, Swindler is a co-worker, friend, musician, minister, and therapist – a man who wears many hats who is human just like the rest of us. Swindler sticks to his word when he says that crying is a way of letting go. In a recent article from the Kansas City Star, he says that this has been a lesson that keeps coming back to him over the years and that he cries every time a patient of his dies.

Music, unlike spoken words, often has a way of reaching people on a much deeper level. Swindler knows very well what this means. Swindler’s first flute was carved from purple heart wood and was a gift from a fellow minister and friend in New Mexico. Today, he owns 13 flutes which he carries as he visits dying patients from Leavenworth to Kearney who are receiving hospice and palliative care. Always offering kind words, prayers and the beauty of his music, Swindler brings a calming presence to the lives of his 40+ patients and their families.

Swindler believes in always seeing life through his patient’s eyes. The fear, confusion, and anger that his patients experience guides him during his home visits. Some days patients want to pray while other days they want to listen to the soothing melody of his songs. Most patients believe that Swindler’s music is like silent praying as it offers them the most comfort on days when they aren’t feeling well.

Although Swindler is a chaplain, his talents far exceed those that are required of a spiritual care giver. NorthCare Hospice is so fortunate to have such a decorated and passionate person as a part of our staff. So to answer the question of what a Chaplain does? Well, just about anything if you are Lowell Swindler!

Tags: care, Chaplain, comfort, flute

 Imagine you are a young child, full of energy and completely fearless. You love to be active, play sports, and hang out with your friends every day. You are healthy, happy, and there is nothing that can hold you back from doing the things that you want to do. Now imagine that you are a child living with a serious intestinal disease that requires you to have an ostomy bag. People your age make fun of you and ask you embarrassing questions about why you are different from everyone else and why you have a bag attached to you 24/7.

 If you are anything like me, I had no idea what an ostomy even was. According to Webster’s dictionary, an ostomy is an “operation (as a colostomy, ileostomy, or urostomy) to create an artificial passage for bodily elimination.” If you asked any young child living with an ostomy what an ostomy was, they would give you a completely different definition. Having something that is visibly attached to your body that must be cleaned and emptied every day is a huge task for a kid. Ostomies do offer people a second a chance to do the things that they want to do without being held back by bowel and bladder disorders; however, the self consciousness, fear, and responsibility that are associated with having an ostomy are difficult things to accept for anyone.

 Jan Jester, RN, WOCN, CHPN, was one of the first two ostomy specialist nurses in the Kansas City Area and was also the first nurse hired at NorthCare Hospice. In 1978, Jester founded Youth Rally, a camp for kids who have bowel and bladder disorders, while she was a ground-breaking member of the United Ostomy Association. With her aim being to educate, empower, and challenge the social stigmas surrounding patients living with ostomies, Jester offered children a second chance at a life they never knew existed.

 What started with about 20 children and a few parents and counselors, has evolved into a week-long summer camp full of fun activities, support group and educational sessions, and opportunities for kids to make new friends who are living with similar diseases and disorders. 32 years later, the things campers living with ostomy bags and bladder and bowel disorders can do has completely evolved. Now, ostomy patients can discreetly and more easily hide and support their ostomy bags with stylish and fashionable clothing and underwear, play competitive sports, swim (even scuba dive!), and live almost effortlessly normal lifestyles.

 Tony Bell, recipient of this year’s Great Comebacks National Award and former pro bull rider from Harveyville, KS was born with a colon disorder. At the age of nine, he underwent a permanent ostomy surgery that resulted in him having to have an ostomy bag. Bell owes his development and confidence after his surgery to Jester and says that by introducing him to the Youth Rally camp she “helped him become the man he is today”

 Currently a camp counselor at Youth Rally, Bell has met multiple people who face the same challenges as him on a daily basis. With 50+ counselors from around the world and over 150 campers, Youth Rally has helped change the face of what living with an ostomy looks like while giving kids confidence and helping them overcome adversity.

 Jester was nominated by Bell for the WOC (Wound, Ostomy, and Continence) Nurse Award for her continued efforts in helping ostomy patients during their transition after surgery. Although we may not all be able to make such an enormous impact on the lives we touch, we should all look up to people like Jester and Bell as we try to make the lives of those we do touch a little bit better than they where prior to meeting us.

 In the Hospice setting, we are constantly trying to change and challenge the stigmas that surround disease, death, and dying. We are pleased to have staff, like Jester, on our team who raise the bar when it comes to providing quality care, support, and respect toward patients receiving pain management and end of life care. Congratulations on all you have achieved thus far Jan. We are proud of your accomplishments and the work you do for others!

In his speech Beyond Vietnam, Martin Luther King Jr.said, “let us rededicate ourselves to the long and bitter, but beautiful struggle for a new world.” Originally linked to the rebuilding of a new world after the 20-year long war in Vietnam, this idea of a beautiful struggle can be applied to our journey through life as well. When we think of memories, we more often than not think of found memories. Whether they are memories of our childhood, memories of our friends and family, or memories dealing with our hobbies and the things in life that we enjoy, we remember. We try to forget the upsets: the tears, the frustrations, and the unanswered questions. Why me? Why is this happening? Why does everything appear to be out of my control? No matter how hard we try to forget, these memories linger forever.

 Our life is a beautiful struggle. We learn to overcome setbacks, we embrace the challenges that are presented to us and we learn to learn from our mistakes. Rainbows follow storms as does laughter follow tears. We often forget when we are unhappy or going through a tough time that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Life is beautiful, but life is also a struggle. No one said it would be easy, they only promised it would be worth it. The tiffs and full blow-out fights, the screaming children and problems at work, the bad weather and bad hair days are all really laughable matters when you take a step back and re-evaluate your life. Our time is limited so we better learn to grin and bear it! Maybe if we focus more on the beauty and less on the struggle we can slowly begin to change the way we view our own lives. Here’s to a glass half full and a happy Friday! Now that is something to be happy about!

It is easy to get caught up in the ups and downs of everyday life, the stresses associated with working or school, and the constant things that worry us that aren’t of much importance at all.

 Every now and then, we are reminded of just how beautiful and limited our lives truly are. We focus on the things that make life special and forget about everything else. Within the last month, two members of our team, Andrea Davis and Ben Hayden, were each blessed with new additions to their families (Josephine Hope and Hannah). The joy of bringing a new life into the world is marked as a celebration. The gifts, the visitors, the showers…the list goes on and on. Stories, laughter, and new memories fill the hearts of family members and friends as they prepare a life for a new child. 

 Much in the same way that new life is celebrated, we also believe in celebrating the end of life. The other afternoon my friend told me about one of her younger cousins that is dying from a brain tumor. I spent at least an hour reading her story and browsing through the journal entries and pictures posted by her family members on her care pages website.

 I was filled with sadness; however, I was also inspired by her tenacity and courage throughout the course of her illness. Checking off “to do’s” on her bucket list, and spending time with her family and friends, she has embraced her diagnosis and wants her family to be happy, rather than sad, about the fact that she is dying.

 We are constantly reminded of the interconnectedness between life and death. Beginning as a maternity ward and now an end of life care facility, the NorthCare Hospice House exists to remind us that dying is a part of what makes life come full circle. Life, Death, and what happens in between should always be celebrated. Today, don’t spend your time stressing over the small stuff. Count your blessings and tell those you love how much they mean to you.

 SPECIAL CONGRATULATIONS TO ANDREA AND BEN FROM YOUR FRIENDS AT NORTHCARE HOSPICE!

Tags: birth, cancer, celebration, death, end of life, hospice, life

Earlier this year I had the pleasure of hearing the colorful Dr. Patch Adams share his thoughts on both health care and being a human being.  I was familiar with Patch through the movie where he was portrayed by Robin Williams but had a whole new impression of him after hearing him in person.  Yes, he is on the extreme edge of extroversion and has created his own unique dress code.  Yes, he is not afraid to paint a radically different vision of health care delivery and does not hesitate to say “the emperor has no clothes”.  But what comes through most powerfully was his kindness, caring, and concern for the loneliness and lack of connection so many people experience.  He challenges us to think more deeply about what healing communities might look like, and that is a worth while challenge.

Tags: challenge, dignity, hope, Patch Adams

This July 11^thmarks NorthCare Hospice House open house! From 1 to 3p.m., community members can tour the Northland’s first hospice house.  It has 16 rooms, a family kitchen, spiritual center, library, and multiple children’s play areas.

Guests are sure to be awed by the calming décor, relaxing ambiance, practical layout and selection of amenities. Community members are encouraged to join us by taking part in the day’s festivities to gain a better understanding of NorthCare Hospice programs and the multiple services we provide.

The NorthCare Hospice House is located at 2800 Clay Edwards Drive on the east side of the North Kansas City Hospital campus. Guests will be greeted outside of the facility at the outside entrance across from the “#1” hospital entrance. Parking will be available in the parking lot across the street.

There will be a program at 1:15p.m.  Kim Logan, Executive Director, will briefly welcome guests and thank the community for their continuous support of NorthCare Hospice House. Guests can tour and learn more about NorthCare Hospice programs and opportunities. Refreshments will be served.

This has truly been a dream come true and is such an amazing thing for the Northland. After visiting our hospice house we know you will feel the same way. We look forward to sharing our stories and ideas with you. See you July 11^th!

Tags: celebration, community, hospice, hospice house, North Kansas City, open house, volunteers

 Barbed wire tattoos, leather chaps, metal chains, and Fox’s hit TV show characters from Sons of Anarchy may be a few things that come to mind when you think about bikers; however, if you attended our recent fundraising event you would have seen a side of bikers that would have blown all of these stereotypes down the open road along with their roaring posse of motorcycles!

 What started as Natasha Rake’s (NCH massage therapist) dream of hosting a charity ride for NorthCare Hospice House became a reality when she and Director of Development, Sue Svec, had a conversation with Worth Harley Davidson’s Employee Rider’s Association (ERA) in November, 2009.

 The process of planning the ride was not an easy one. Aside from leading her fundraising committee, Natasha was busy in the community trying to find charitable donations, volunteers and participants, as well as a local band, Outlaw Jim and the Whisky Benders   to support this event. 

 On May 8, after approximately seven months, everything finally came together. 110 bikers showed up the day of the ride along with their fellow riders despite the not so pleasant weather. Bikers began their ride at the Worth Harley Davidson in Tiffany Springs and ended at the Smithville Castaway Grill and Marina where they were greeted with the sounds of local bands, and food and beverages of course!   Special thanks to Natasha Rake, Sue Matthews, Brian McKee (ERA), Jeannine Becerra, and countless other volunteers and participants who made this event possible!

 Under their tough exteriors, these riders showed us their softer sides and helped raise $4,000 toward our NorthCare Hospice House project. The coming together of these surprisingly not-so-rebellious Northlanders reminds all of us of the importance of community, the importance of supporting and taking care of one another, and the importance of neighbors, near and far.  

 Because of community donations and volunteers, our hospice house will offer patients a home away from home. It is often said that a home is not simply a place, but rather it is the people who fill that place. We are so fortunate to be a part of such a supportive and growing community that is playing such an active role in the development of our “new home”.

 We are only as strong as our community members and volunteers! How do you think we could recruit more participants for next years ride and would you be interested in being a member on next years volunteer committee for this event? If you have any fundraising ideas we would love to hear them!

Tags: community, event, friends, fun, hospice house