Page 86 - Southern Oregon Magazine Winter 2018

feature | caring for body & soul

HOSPICE CREATES A SAFE SPACE FOR

BOTH PATIENTS AND LOVED ONES TO

ACCOMPLISH THESE GOALS, A PL ACE

WHERE THEY NEED NOT BE AFRAID.

continued from page 82
Hospice is structured to serve the person
and his or her needs. To support physical,
spiritual, familial, and emotional needs, to
encourage the best quality of life. People
are cared for on an individual-need basis,
not with a one-size-fits-all mentality. Often,
dying people cannot articulate their needs
verbally, so caretakers focus on the heart-
centric piece. “It’s intuitive in a way, also
very mindful and observant,” says Hearn.

At the end of life, many people feel a need
to forgive and to be forgiven. They seek
opportunity to share their feelings, their
love for others, their need to feel they aren’t
alone. Human touch is key and important.
A dying person has lost a good deal of con-
trol, yet still seeks a sense of ownership of
his destiny. Hospice creates a safe space for
both patients and loved ones to accomplish
these goals, a place where they need not be
afraid.

Hospice caretakers help their patients cre-
ate lasting memories. “We are our stories,
and after we die, we are remembered and
brought back to life by the stories we’ve
told,” says Hearn. Southern Oregon Friends
of Hospice endeavors to facilitate a well-
supported ending, to make the experience
as meaningful and positive as possible.

Southern Oregon Friends of Hospice
541-613-0543
info@SOFriendsOfHospice.org

84 www.southernoregonmagazine.com | winter 2018