1. family and parenting
2. eldercare

For Donations,
Public Speaking & Fundraising Events:
FRIENDS OF LEWIS COUNTY HOSPICE, INC.
P.O. Box 266
Lowville, NY 13367
www.friendsoflchospice.org
For Referrals, Patient Care
Volunteer & Bereavement Information:
LEWIS COUNTY HOSPICE OFFICE
7785 N State Street
Lowville, NY 13367
315-376-5308 • Fax 315-376-5435
Vol. XXIII No. 1
NEWSLETTER
Spring 2015
Friends of Lewis County Hospice Says “Thank You”
By Dorrie Boliver
Friends of Lewis County Hospice would like to
thank the Lewis County Community for its strong
support throughout 2014! By your generosity, we
were able to raise over
$20,000 with the Epicurean
Delight and over $5000 with
Light Up A Life, our major
fundraisers.
Volunteers
under the leadership of
Mary Ingersoll have also
maintained the Memorial
Garden located behind the
Lowville Post Office and
under the leadership of Jane
Clift over 70 Care Bags
were created for distribution to hospice patients.
The monies raised have been used to maintain
OnStar in the vehicles used by our hospice nurses,
supported training for the volunteers, financed
the beginning of an online training for volunteers,
provided education about Hospice throughout the
community, and aided hospice patients and their
families as needed. In addition, FOLCH has continued
to provide needed materials for the Comfort Care
Room located in Lewis County General Hospital.
This room, dedicated to
Jenny “Teal” Halko, was set
up “For families who need
to bond, reminisce and be
close to their loved ones.”
FOLCH has purchased
sheets and a quilt for family
members spending the
night, tablecloths, a TV, and
a portable TV stand. Other
projects are in the planning
stages.
Friends of Lewis County Hospice continues,
with your support, to fulfill our mission statement
of “providing additional services and/or items to
Hospice Patients and their families that are not
covered by government or insurance reimbursements
and that provide comfort to Hospice patients and
their families.” Thank you for your strong support!
Dorothy Monnat,(left) FOLCH Board Member,
presenting tablecloths, a TV, and a portable TV
stand to Gale Grunert, (Right) Nurse Manager of
the Med-Surgical Unit at Lewis County General
Hospital, for use in the Comfort Care Room.
Why Choose Hospice Care?
By Tammy Suiter, Patient Care Coordinator
Many families do not understand the importance of receiving hospice
care when a loved one has a terminal illness. The hospice team has talked with
many families and prior to our discussions they have a lot of misconceptions
of hospice. The following are some of the top misconceptions that we
continue to hear from folks in Lewis County.
“He or she is not ready for hospice.” An interpretation of this statement
by families is that they feel as soon as their loved one signs up for hospice
they will give up and immediately die. This is incorrect. Hospice provides
quality comfort care for people with a terminal illness measured in months.
The longer the patient receives hospice care the more time that the hospice
team has to prepare them for the final moment. The final outcome from
signing up for hospice does not always end in death. Some patients are
discharged from hospice services because their condition improves and
they no longer meet hospice criteria. Other patients may choose to revoke
from hospice because they want to seek aggressive care.
Patients and families occasionally have thought that when they come
on hospice and hospice starts administering morphine the patient will die.
Another myth, morphine causes death. This myth is far from the truth. Our
team of trained professional nurses administers morphine per physician’s
orders. We always start with a minute dose and increase the dose to ensure
comfort. Many hospice patients live a quality of life for many months.
Recently a hospice patient was on our services for over one year and this
patient self-administered morphine in large amounts every two hours to
maintain comfort and to decrease shortness of breath. Morphine brought
him comfort and allowed him to have quality of life.
The last myth is that hospice moves in and takes over. Hospice does
not move in and take over. We do offer a hospice interdisciplinary team of
professionals to support the patient and family during this difficult time.
We allow the patient and family to pick and choose most of the services
they want. The only services required is a hospice RN visiting every 15
days. Hospice also provides aides, LPN’s, social and emotional support,
bereavement services, spiritual support, volunteers, misc. therapies, the
hospice Medical Director and the attending physician. Again, receiving all
of the services will provide the best hospice experience, but we do allow
patients and families the choice of what services they desire.
Hospice provides training to the family to be the caregiver for the
hospice patient to ensure they can support the patient’s needs when they
need 24/7 supervision. We may make daily visits if a patient needs them,
but we are only in the home for short periods of time. Hospice does have an
RN on-call 24/7 to handle problems via phone or to make a home visit any
time of the day or night.
If you have any questions regarding
hospice, please call 376-5308.
LEWIS COUNTY HOSPICE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PRESIDENT
Dorrie Boliver
VICE PRESIDENT
Tom Yousey
SECRETARY
Penny Demo
TREASURER
Tina Paczkowski
ASS’T TREASURER
Linda Noftsier
Mary Bellinger
Steve Brooks
Virginia Jones
Loretta Keys
Frank Kogut
Dorothy Monnat
Steve Monnat
Karen Stowell
Marcia Waligory
HOSPICE STAFF
HOSPITAL CEO, Eric Burch
DON, Jennifer Shaver
HOSPITAL BD. OF MANAGERS REP,
Kevin McArdle
Daniel Root
MEDICAL DIRECTOR, Dr.
PATIENT CARE COORDINATOR
Tammy Suiter
SUPERVISING SOCIAL WORKER
Sue Gydesen, MSW
VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR
Shannon Frappier-Farney
PASTORAL COORDINATOR, Rev. Evan Zehr
SPIRITUAL SUPPORT, Tom Yousey
PRIMARY NURSES
Penny Smallman, RN
Tisha Armstrong, RN
LPNS
Barb Herr, LPN
Gail Gordon. LPN
JoEllen Myers, LPN
Renee Kohler, LPN
PER DIEM
Berneda Zehr, LPN
Sandy Roes, LPN
Kim Gracey, LPN
Terri Schantz, RN
Roxanne Gerow, RN
CLERICAL
Angie Bauer
Bonnie Zehr
FOLCH Recognizes
Departing Board
Member
It is with deep regrets that
the FOLCH Board accepted
the resignation of Ron Ring at
our February meeting. Ron has
faithfully attended meetings
and worked with enthusiasm
as the Vice-President, the
Epicurean Delight Set-Up
Chair, and the Co-Chair of the
Golf Tournament. For the Golf
Tournament, he negotiated the
hole-in-one car sponsored by
the Northern Car Dealership
Association. Through his
efforts and foresight, FOLCH
was able to purchase two
vehicles
furnished
with
Onstar to be used by hospice
staff. Ron was a huge asset to
the board and will be greatly
missed. His position on the
FOLCH Board will be filled
by Tom Yousey, a former
board member.
FOLCH Board
Welcomes Back Tom Yousey
We welcome Tom Yousey back as a member of the Friends of Lewis
County Hospice Board of Directors. A vacancy opened recently and Tom
eagerly agreed to join again. Tom’s involvement with Hospice began in 1999
when he was asked to serve on the Friends of Lewis County Hospice Board
of Directors. After completing a six year term, serving as President for two
of those years, he assumed the position of Treasurer from 2005 until 2012.
In 2004, Tom and his wife, Linda, completed the Hospice Volunteer Training
course, an event that Tom states, “…impacted our lives from then on.” Tom
continues, “We both were honored to serve many families as they faced end-oflife challenges with a terminally ill loved one. Those many experiences have
strengthened my commitment to Hospice work. I look forward to continuing
that work as a member of the FOLCH Board.”
Tom’s home has always been in Lewis County, except for the 4 years he
attended college at SUNY Potsdam. After living 18 years in the Village of
Lowville and 12 years at Chase’s Lake, he now resides in a Maple Run Home
in the Town of Lowville. After retiring from SUNY Potsdam in 2004 where he
served as a Director of Teacher Education he became the Executive Director
of Pratt Northam Foundation. In 2012 he began serving as a Spiritual Adviser
for Lewis County Hospice. He continues to serve in both of those capacities.
In 2015 Tom will complete his fourth year of study in the Roman Catholic
Diocese of Ogdensburg Deaconite program and looks forward to his ordination
in October 2017. Tom is a wonderful example of someone who loves Lewis
County and wants to give back to the folks that live here. FOLCH has already
gained from his experience in the past and we look forward to working with
him in the years ahead.
Harrisville Community Wide
Bottle and CAN Drive
Friends of Lewis County Hospice want to extend a deep appreciation to the
community members of Harrisville for their generous donation to Lewis County
Hospice every year. Last year they donated $1325.00!
One day each year, on the Saturday before the school’s April vacation, the citizens
of Harrisville get together and hold a community wide can and bottle drive. Their headquarters is at the
Harrisville School Bus Garage. Everyone in the community helps from the youngest to the oldest! Trucks go
out in the community and go house to house collecting bottles and cans. They then bring their treasures back
to the bus garage where they are counted and sorted. On the same day the Croghan Redemption Center goes
to Harrisville to pick up the cans and bottles and gives them a check which is then donated to Lewis County
Friends of Hospice. Dixie Dickinson, the former organizer of the event states, “The whole community comes
out and helps at this event. It is not just one person. Many people in our community have used Hospice for their
loved ones and we know how important it is.”
PROGRAMS AND EVENTS SPONSORED BY HOSPICE
Carolyn King
Honored as 2014
Hospice Volunteer
of the Year
Lewis County Hospice held its annual
Volunteer Recognition event in November
2014 at The Ridgeview Inn, Lowville,
NY. Volunteers, staff, board members
and guests helped to honor and celebrate
all that Hospice volunteers and the staff
have achieved in the past year. Heather and her staff at the Ridgeview Inn
provided a wonderful lunch and once again, the room was filled with chatter
among those attending.
Our Hospice volunteers always go above and beyond with the care and
services that they provide to both our families and our staff. From sitting
with patients and families, traveling to deliver supplies, providing fresh
baked goods or homemade soup to comfort a family, being a comforting
presence to all in need, to providing support in the office to both staff and
board members – the list goes on and on.
This luncheon was one way for us to acknowledge how grateful we
are to our volunteers for all that they have done. Thanks to the continued
support of our Friends of Hospice Board we are able to provide this thank
you to our volunteers.
We were pleased to announce that this year’s Hospice Volunteer of
the Year was CARRIE KING. Carrie is a very involved and dedicated
volunteer. She rarely turns down an assignment with a patient and seems
to always find a way to make a special connection with her patients. Her
most recent patient and the patient’s caregiver were hoping to attend the
event; however inclement weather prevented them from traveling. They
did call and asked me to share with Carrie and everyone else that they truly
appreciated Carrie and they considered her to be part of their family. They
said that “no one deserved the honor more than Carrie.”
Carrie is known to do things like make cookies for her patients, bring a
bouquet of flowers, send a card or even just call to check on how they are
doing. She’s flexible in accommodating the families and is very supportive
of their needs.
We congratulate Carrie and thank all of our hospice volunteers for
everything they do for our community. We are very fortunate to have a
great group of individuals to call on. For more information on hospice or
volunteering for the hospice program please call 376-5308.
Hospice
Bereavement
Activities
March 2015
Tear Soup
We will host a soup supper, watch
the video based on the book Tear
Soup: “A Universal and Timeless
Story About Grief” and discuss the
main topics of the story as a group.
May 2015
Our Annual Memorial
Service
It is a time to grieve the loss of loved
ones and come together to celebrate
memories.
September 2015
Caregiver Celebration
We will celebrate as well as provide
support and education for those who
have or do-selflessly care for others.
We will recognize and discuss
topics such as spiritual, physical,
emotional and social aspects of being
a caregiver.
December 2015
Blue Christmas
Not everyone is up and cheery for
the Christmas holidays. Dealing
with the death of a loved one puts
a question mark over the future and
makes parties and joviality painful
for many people. We will get
together and help support you on
the longest night of the year, winter
solstice-December 21st.
Interested in Becoming a
Lewis County HOSPICE VOLUNTEER?
Want to Become More Comfortable With the Dying Process?
Planning is currently underway for the spring
hospice course, Becoming More Comfortable with the
Dying Process. This 10 week course will be held at
Lewis County General Hospital on Tuesdays from 12-3
pm or on Wednesdays 6-9 pm and will start the end of
March. Some of the topics we cover are: the history of
hospice, spirituality at the end of life, legal issues, grief
and bereavement, comfort care, terminal illnesses, family
dynamics and much more. At the
end of this course those interested
may go on to become a hospice
volunteer but all walk away with a
better understanding of death and
are much more comfortable with the
dying process.
There are many different ways
a volunteer can help hospice. Some
of our volunteers work directly
with our terminally ill patients.
A few examples of how they can
help our patients and families are: running errands for
them, bringing them meals and staying with the patient
so the caregiver can get away for a break. Not all of our
volunteers feel comfortable working with our patients.
Other ways to help are volunteering in our office and
helping with filing, making phone calls, making copies,
answering phones, etc.
We have many volunteers that help with our
bereavement program. Hospice follows and supports
families and loved ones for 13 months after a patient
passes away. Our volunteers help plan and organize
our bereavement events throughout the year, facilitate
support groups, maintain our bereavement files and offer
assistance with mailings and phone calls. Some of our
volunteers also help with fund raising for hospice. These
are the individuals you see collecting money for Light
Up A Life and helping out at the
Epicurean Delight. Did you know
all money raised and all donations
to hospice stay right here in Lewis
County? All money is managed
by our board of directors, Lewis
County Friends of Hospice. This
money is used to offset costs for
hospice services that are not covered
by insurance. It can also be used to
purchase things for patients that they
cannot afford and that is not covered
by their insurance.
Volunteers are an essential part of the hospice
philosophy of care which recognizes that dying is not
just a medical event but a personal one as well. These
volunteers are important members of an interdisciplinary
team, working to “deinstitutionalize” the dying
experience and provide a more humane system of care for
the dying and their families. In fact, federal law requires
that at least 5% of our patient care hours be provided by
volunteers because we accept Medicare and Medicaid
reimbursement.
To sign up for the Lewis County Hospice volunteer
training class or if you are interested in just attending to
learn more about death and dying, please call Shannon
Frappier-Farney in our hospice office at 376-5308 or
email [email protected]. Classes start soon!
Clare Waligory, Bereavement Volunteer,
has been working diligently to systematize the
Hospice Library. She is posed with the last book
entered into her database.
Epicurean Delight
Raffle & Silent Auction
Picture above is Sue Jackson with the
furnished doll-house she has constructed.
She will be donating it as a raffle item
for the Epicurean Delight in memory of
her husband, John Jackson. Sue has been
constructing doll-houses from kits for
30 years, starting with one for her stepgranddaughter. Each one takes her 6-9
months to complete. Besides furnishings,
each house has wallpaper, carpets, and
window treatments.
LCGH Foundation
Golf Tournament
Partners with
Friends of
Lewis County Hospice
On June 27, 2014, FOLCH and
Lewis County General Hospital
Foundation joined forces in their first
annual charitable golf tournament
held at Brantingham Golf Course. It
was a huge success as over $20,000
was raised from the tournament.
This year FOLCH and the LCGH
Foundation will partner again for
this worthy cause. The tournament
will be held on Friday, June 26, at
Brantingham Golf Course. Watch
for more information in the local
newspapers as the date approaches.
Once again the generous residents and businesses of Lewis County
are supporting Friends of Hospice in its major fundraiser, the 21st
Epicurean Delight. Items for both the raffle and the silent auction
can be viewed in the window of Mike’s Appliances located on the
four corners, across the street from Community Bank in Lowville. A
handcrafted quilt donated by Claire Waligory, a doll house donated by
Sue Jackson, and a huge basket filled
with local artisans’ contributions are
just 3 of the spectacular items to be
raffled. The cost for raffle tickets are
1 for $2; 3 for $5; a book of 6 for
$10, and may be purchased at Kinney
Drugs prior to the event or from any
board member. The Silent Auction
will start at 4:15 PM on Sunday, May
3rd at the Epicurean Delight held at
the Wax House in Turin. Bids may be
submitted until 6:15 PM. Come join
us for music, epicurean delights, and
great shopping!
Light Up a Life 2014
Friends of Lewis County Hospice once again conducted Light Up
A Life from Monday, December 1st through Friday, December 12th.
We use the holiday season to remember the loved ones we have lost
and to honor those still fighting illness or functioning as caregivers. The
response was overwhelming as close to 600 people were honored and
remembered by loved ones for their fighting spirit or their care of the
sick. Friends of Lewis County Hospice raised over $7000 through this
fundraiser; money to be used for the compassionate care of local patients
and in support of their families. Lewis County residents truly value their
families and friends.
Friends of Lewis County Hospice wishes to thank the Lewis County
community for its generous support of our annual Light Up A Life event.
We also wish to acknowledge the many businesses and schools which
were sites for our Light Up A Life trees: Lowville Kinney’s, Croghan
Key Bank, Harrisville Central School, Lewis County General Hospital,
Hair Haven, Hair Vogue and the VFW Ladies Auxiliary. Many thanks to
the volunteers who gave their time to sit at the businesses for hours; we
couldn’t do it without you!!!
Names of those remembered can be found at
www.friendsoflchospice.org
21st Annual
Epicurean Delight ...
will be held on May 3, 2015 from 4:15-7:00 p.m.
at the Wax House, Snow Ridge, Turin, NY.
Tickets for the event and raffle tickets will be sold at Kinney Drugs in Lowville from April 20 -May 1. Tickets will
also be available at the Hospice Office at the hospital, from any Friends of Lewis County Hospice Board member, and
at the door on the day of the event. Once again we have held the price to only $22.00 per dinner ticket. In addition,
raffle tickets may be obtained for the price of 6 for $10.00; 3 for $5.00; or $2.00 each. A beautiful quilt donated by
Claire Waligory, a doll house donated by Sue Jackson, and a huge basket filled with local artisans’ contributions are
just some of the spectacular items to be raffled.
This annual event features more than a dozen restaurants and eateries from around Lewis County that donate specially
prepared food for your ‘epicurean’ taste. From entrees to ice cream, all are well prepared and presented just for you!
The silent auction will be held from 4:15 to 6:15 pm. In the past,
many of the auction items have included examples of arts, crafts or
other talents of local crafters and artisans – all generously donated
for the benefit of hospice. We encourage you to do a little winetasting, have a beverage and socialize before the main event begins.
Enjoy the music and MC talent of the band Capo 3, featuring Steve
Kennison, Frank Corbett, and Angela Bartolette.
This year Franciscan Companies is the major sponsor for the
Epicurean, providing the funds needed for printing and other costs.
We are grateful for this generous support. Many businesses that
Tim Scanlon, Vice-President of Franciscan Companies,
serve Lewis County have offered generous sponsorship ads located
presents the corporate sponsor check for Epicurean
in the Epicurean Delight booklet, and individuals also provide
Delight to Dorrie Boliver, FOLCH Board member and
patron donations that help to make this event Friends of Hospice’s
Tammy Suiter, Hospice Patient Care Coordinator.
most successful fund raiser.
You can be part of the May 3rd Epicurean Event
…if you are able to sell Epicurean tickets at Kinney’s Drugs; or
…if you have a raffle item of any sort to donate; or
…if you would like to help at the actual event; or
…if you know of a youth group that could help with set up.
Please contact Karen Stowell at 376-6283
or Dorrie Boliver at 778-6460.
Your help is most welcome!
News from LEWIS COUNTY FRIENDS OF HOSPICE
The Lewis County Friends of Hospice, Inc. is a separate, not for profit organization whose mission is to raise money for the benefit of Lewis
County Hospice. All proceeds go directly to the Lewis County program to help pay for direct patient care services, medications relating to the
terminal illness and medical equipment. Often, reimbursement does not fully cover the cost of Hospice services, so the work of Lewis County
Friends of Hospice enables Hospice to continue to provide high quality comfort care to the residents of Lewis County.
Twenty-first Annual Epicurean Delight
Come and
Join the Fun ...
Sunday, May 3, 2015!
J
oin us May 3rd at the Wax House at
Snow Ridge for great prizes and good food.
Tickets cost $22 and are available at
Kinney Drugs from April 20—May 1, from
the Hospice Office or from any FOLCH
Board Member.
Remember, the Silent Auction will begin
at 4:15 p.m., so come early!
Lowville, NY 13367
Permit No. 20
P.O. Box 266
Lowville, New York 13367
Friends of Lewis County Hospice
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