CARING FOR OTHERS - ProCare Hospice RN JoAnn Gonzalez tends to a 96-year-old patient, Ruth McPherson at her Palmdale home. EVELYN KRISTO/Valley Press

Hospice seeks to ease patient pain

By LINDSAY HYMAS
Valley Press Staff Writer

The cards and letters filled with sweet words of thanks cover a bulletin board inside their office, reminding employees and volunteers that they are making a difference in people's lives.

"Next month I will have spent 30 years as a nurse. I've worked in convalescent homes, ICUs, coronary care units and in home care, and this is the most rewarding to me," said Karen Gregg, director of patient care services at ProCare.

The end-of-life care provider is committed to improving the quality of life for individuals experiencing a life-limiting illness. Services include pain control and symptom management, patient and family care, and bereavement and spiritual help.

Each December ProCare and Halley Olsen Murphy Funerals and Cremations offer a memorial service to honor all patients who passed away the previous year, said Gregg, who has spent three of her four years at ProCare as director.

"When patients come on hospice, usually they've received all the medication and treatment that they can and there's nothing else they can do," Gregg said.

"Hospice gives the patient the choice to die at home if they wish to. Our goal is to give them that choice and to make sure the patients are as pain-free as possible while maintaining quality of life."

Visiting terminally ill patients isn't an easy job.

When asked how she deals with the stress, Gregg replied, "I do stained glass," and she pointed to two of her projects; a window hanging and a book end displayed in her office. "You have to have something," she added.

Despite the high pressure atmosphere, the nurses and volunteers love what they do.

Kelly Rosenquist, a registered nurse, has worked at the Lancaster office for seven years.

"I absolutely love it because the United States tends to sweep end-of-life care under the carpet and it can be such a beautiful experience for the families and patients," Rosenquist said. "So I love swooping in and helping the patients' symptoms get under control, educating families on how to care for the patients, and preparing families for the disease process. I have found no other job as fulfilling as this one."

Patients can be admitted to ProCare in two ways; at the request of a doctor or a referral. In both cases, the office must contact the patient's doctor for medical information and conduct their own evaluation of the patient.

Case managers oversee each patient's care, and a staff of nurses, along with chaplains and social workers, work with the patients one-on-one to establish trust and support.

"The whole idea of hospice is that the patient decides they don't want any more aggressive treatment," Gregg said, and nurses are available around the clock, 365 days a year to make them as comfortable as possible.

ProCare maintains a staff of 15 registered and licensed vocational nurses, a nursing supervisor, four medical social workers, four chaplains, four office staff, 11 home health aids and 17 volunteers.

Each volunteer participates in a 16-hour training course, then donates his or her time to sit with patients, provide emotional support for families or assist in administrative duties. Volunteers also provide respite for caregivers, giving them the opportunity to rest or run errands.

The biggest challenge ProCare faces is finding enough time before the patient passes on, to help their family through the bereavement process.

Often, Gregg said, patients die within a week. Although death can be a somber and mournful experience, to Gregg, "it's a matter of attitude. I look at it as everybody dies. When a patient wants hospice, they want quality of life, and dignity that they can't get at a hospital."

"So yes, it's sad, but if you look at it like that, it's very rewarding because you've allowed patients and families the opportunity to carry out their wishes," Gregg said.

ProCare provides free, eight-week grief and bereavement support groups in their office for individuals facing the loss of a loved one.

Children ages 9 to 13 meet from 3:45 to 4:15 p.m. Mondays, Spanish-speaking adults meet 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, and another adult class meets 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday.

A start date for adolescents ages 14 to 18 meet is pending, and the class is scheduled to meet from 5 to 6 p.m. Another adult class meets from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Thursdays.

For more information on support groups or services, call (661) 951-1146. The ProCare office is at 42442 10th St. West, Ste. E.

lhymas@avpress.com