Sharing a common bond in love and loss is part of the responsibility of
North Oaks Hospice, patients’ family members and friends were told during a Memorial
Service Saturday to honor those who have passed away this year.
The Memorial Service is a component of the North Oaks Bereavement Program,
which provides support to family members and caregivers for one year following
the patient’s passing.
“Grief is an inevitable price of love,” Hospice Director Dexter
Fields conveyed to the group of about 50 in attendance at the E. Brent
Dufreche Conference Center. “It is a privilege to share this part
of your journey with you.”
More than 200 patients were remembered during the ceremony, which included
photos, a video and songs by soloist Derick Selders. The name of each
patient was called as loved ones were presented with a keepsake memory
tile. Fellowship and refreshments followed the program.
Hospice is a special kind of care given in the home that provides support
in a sensitive manner for patients with life-limiting illnesses. The North
Oaks Hospice team of professionals focuses on the emotional, physical
and spiritual needs of the patient and emphasizes the importance of the
patient’s quality of life.
Warene Sheridan, a North Oaks Hospice nurse for more than 10 years, attended
the event in honor of her father, Warren Garmeson. He was a Hospice patient,
as well as a North Oaks volunteer, before passing away in March.
“Hospice allowed me to be family instead of caregiver,” she
shared. “I relinquished the nursing role and received the support
I needed at an overwhelming time.”
Rosa Dunn lost her father, Thomas Mansur, in January. She agreed with Sheridan
and commented that Hospice “took the burden off the family”
and praised the support she received from the Hospice team during such
a disconcerting time.
North Oaks Hospice has ranked in the top 1 percent of providers in the
nation for patient and family satisfaction for six consecutive years,
according to Press Ganey independent surveys.
If you know someone coping with a terminal illness that may benefit from
Hospice care, call the North Oaks Hospice office at (985) 230-7620 for
a complimentary consultation with no obligation.