Palliative Care

November is National Hospice-Palliative Care Month, a time when professionals and volunteers work to raise awareness of this invaluable system of care. Hospice and palliative care puts a "face" on quality end-of-life care through the faces of nurses, doctors, social workers, spiritual caregivers, homecare aides and volunteers who provide services and support to families during one of life's most challenging times. Those who provide hospice and palliative care offer pain management and symptom control, dignity, psychosocial support and spiritual and emotional care for both dying persons and their loved ones when a cure is not possible.

National Volunteer Week is April 19 through 25 and Hospice of the Bluegrass is honoring its hospice and palliative care volunteers who bring hope, dignity, and love to those facing a life-limiting illness. "Having been a caregiver to several family members over the years, becoming a Hospice volunteer was a desire of mine once I had the freedom to do so, Sherry Haeffner, Hospice volunteer, said. "I also understand the commitment families make to care for loved ones in their home.

Dear Editor, Most of us remember someone who helped us during difficult times in our lives - a parent, grandparent, a special teacher, or perhaps a stranger that became a friend. The recollections of these "faces of caring" bring comfort and calm in the midst of crisis. Yet when recalling end-of-life situations of those we love, many of us have different recollections. These memories may include the hurt on the face of a loved one in pain; the sorrow on the face of a family member who did not get the opportunity to say good-bye to a dying relative; the agony of a parent holding a precious child whose life was cut so short; the stress on the faces of those making difficult decisions about end-of-life choices without guidance.

Goode in Frankfort  Main Street Perryville Executive Director Vicki Goode attended the 2012 Kentucky Main Street Conference in Frankfort last week, where Main Street Perryville and its EDP Partner the Heart of Danville were both named “designated” Main Street programs by the Kentucky Main Street Association and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. According to Goode, the conference covered how to best implement and reinforce the need for the 4-point approach to Main Street Programs.

William “Bill” Moore, 86, husband of Mary Elsie Adams Moore, passed away at 11:49 a.m. Friday, June 10, 2011 at the St. Joseph East Hospital. A native of Clark County, he was the son of the late Edward and Ella Berryman Moore. Bill was a retired Lexington Bluegrass Army Depot employee, a Marine veteran of World War II  and a retired farmer. Additional survivors include a daughter, Brenda (Allan) Baber of Winchester; a son, Marcus (Marsha) Moore of Winchester; four grandsons, Brian (Heather)

Helen Martyn Bartholomew, 80, widow of William Robert "Bob" Bartholomew of Lexington, died Saturday, July 28. She was a retired executive assistant at the University of Kentucky Medical Center. Born in Paintsville, Ky., she was daughter of the late Martin and Lelia Maye Stafford Wheeler. She was a member of Woodland Christian Church. Survivors include a daughter and her husband, Lelia "Lee" and Robert Ball of Lexington; a son and his wife, Michael and Kim Green Bartholomew of Boyton Beach, Fla.; a sister, Sara Kay Williams of Nicholasville; and six grandchildren, Emily Ballenger and her husband, Matthew, Kacey and Darby Ball and Logan, Hannah and Evan Bartholomew.

Dear Editor, As the holidays approach, many of us will gather with family and friends. More often than not, these gatherings will include reminiscences about loved ones, re-telling of treasured family stories, and the sharing of traditions honored year after year. This emphasis on remembrance, so welcomed during joyful times, also plays an important role in difficult times, especially at the end of life. Studies have shown that, when faced with a life-limiting illness, most people are more concerned about the impact it will have on their family, not themselves.

Dear Editor: November 11 is a day to honor all those Americans who have served our country in the armed forces. It's a day for us, as a nation, to reflect on the values, commitment, and sacrifices of our men and women in uniform. Many of us extend this tribute to remember those who are no longer with us. This is particularly important when the painful loss of our nation's brave military personnel is so keenly felt. Honoring those no longer with us can be an important part of Veteran's Day. However, there is an additional group of people who need to be remembered and cared for on this special day. Veteran's Day should be a time to reach out to the families and friends of those who have given their lives in service to our country.

November is National Hospice-Palliative Care Month, a time when professionals and volunteers work to raise awareness of this invaluable system of care. Hospice and palliative care puts a "face" on quality end-of-life care through the faces of nurses, doctors, social workers, spiritual caregivers, homecare aides and volunteers who provide services and support to families during one of life's most challenging times. Those who provide hospice and palliative care offer pain management and symptom control, dignity, psychosocial support and spiritual and emotional care for both dying persons and their loved ones when a cure is not possible.