PRESS RELEASE: November 2, 2007 For Immediate Release
MEDIA CONTACT:
Beverly Crowl, Public Relations Specialist
302-547-1816 bcrowl@delawarehospice.org
President Bush declares November “National Hospice Month” as Delaware Hospice celebrates its 25th anniversary.
Delaware Hospice celebrates its 25th anniversary as President Bush declares November 2007 “National Hospice Month.”
In a proclamation issued from the White House yesterday, hospice care professionals and volunteers were recognized for their strength and compassion “in answering a timeless call to love their neighbors as themselves.”
This is the 29th consecutive year in which November has been designated as a national month honoring hospice and it is the 25th year that Delaware Hospice has been answering that timeless call.
On October 18th, 1982, the first patient was admitted to Delaware Hospice. Thus, years of research, planning, community education, and fundraising by nurses, physicians, religious, community leaders and dedicated volunteers launched the first and still the only not-for-profit hospice organization in Delaware.
As stated in an early document, the goal of the organization was “to offer hospice care to New Castle County,” and its founding members wondered if they would be able to meet this goal. In fact, 25 years later, 30,000 patients and families have been served statewide and in adjacent counties of Pennsylvania. Special and unique programs have been established to meet needs above and beyond traditional hospice care, including New Hope, a bereavement program for children and teens, and Transitions, a non-medical support program for seriously ill individuals who do not quality for hospice admission.
Delaware Hospice’s President and C.E.O., Susan Lloyd, MSN, RN, credits the success of the organization to its Board, staff, and volunteers who “have made tremendous contributions over the years.”
Lloyd said, “Founding Board members and staff carried the banner for hospice care in a big way. They had to teach people what hospice care was and work with physicians to build a trust that they would be able to take care of their patients. Some were real pioneers in this field and their commitment was enormous.”
Lloyd believes that strict adherence to providing quality care, focusing on community outreach, embracing technology, and successful fundraising have all contributed to the success of Delaware Hospice.
She said, “Achieving accreditation by the Joint Commission served to legitimize hospice care through demonstrating our quality and proving that we were committed enough, even as a community-based organization, to pursue that high of a level of accreditation. Our community education focus helped make the public aware that hospice care is not reserved for cancer patients alone. Originally, 90% of our patients had cancer; now they’re less than 50% of total patients. We looked beyond care in the home and began providing care to patients in nursing homes and hospitals. And technology has absolutely improved the quality of care for patients and families because our staff has up-to-date information.
Delaware Hospice has proven to be a model of community need being met through community support, which will be demonstrated this 25th year of operation with the opening of the Delaware Hospice Center, funded with the support of the Community Campaign to Expand Delaware Hospice.
The Board of Trustees, staff members and volunteers of Delaware Hospice look forward to continuing to provide quality care, compassion and assistance to the community.
Contact Delaware Hospice for questions or more information about services, programs, fundraising events, the Community Campaign, or end-of-life issues by calling 800-838-9800 or visiting: www.delawarehospice.org
Delaware
Hospice is accredited by JCAHO.
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