Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare Creates Space for Supportive Care
Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare offers a variety of support services to assist during the grief journey. All grief supportive services are offered to hospice families as well as to individuals in the community who had no prior involvement with Ohio’s Hospice Lifecare.
“Our grief support includes support groups, school groups, individual counseling, workshops, a day camp for kids, memorial services, and community education, all of which are at no cost,” said Katherine Ritchie, Director of Development of Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare.
The population of Ohioans over age 65 is growing and with it the demand for services for those facing the end of life.
Forty years ago, Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare was founded by volunteers and to this day volunteers continue to play a vital role in the care of the patients and their families. More than 200 volunteers assist in every aspect of the work from direct patient care to building and grounds maintenance, from respite care in private homes to supportive presence at the bedside, and from bereavement care to computer data entry.
To better serve this demand for services, Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare recognized the need to create a dedicated space for three integral areas of their mission: bereavement, volunteers, and transportation.
The Marilyn B. And Mark E. Gustafson Center for Supportive Care, a $2.5 million dollar project, will provide individual and group counseling rooms, a larger gathering space for volunteer training and community seminars. It will also house the Mobile Care Unit and allow for expansion of transportation services.
Hospice patients often need transportation between settings to receive care. Transportation by ambulance is most required.
In 2019, with generous support from the community, Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare purchased a Mobile Care Unit. The new transportation hub will allow for growth of the Mobile Care Unit team and provide space for additional vehicles in the garages.
“Since 1982, Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare has had the honor and privilege to care for those in our community as they face the end of life,” said Kurt Holmes, Executive Director of Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare.
Two new events will take place this summer in celebration of Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare’s 40th anniversary. Celebrating Life’s Stories Butterfly Release on Sunday, June 26 at 2 pm and a golf outing which will take place in August. For more information, visit the website www.ohioshospicelifecare.org or email Katherine Ritchie at kritchie@lifecarehospice.org.
The Marilyn B. And Mark E. Gustafson Center for Supportive Care is set to open Summer 2022. For more information on how to support this initiative, visit www.ohioshospicelifecare.org.
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