The value of a hospice volunteer cannot be overstated. Giving their time and compassion to patients and families living with end-of-life care needs, hospice volunteers assist professional staff and physicians in delivering exceptional comfort care to terminally ill patients and their families.

Considered the model for quality compassionate care, hospice provides expert medical care, pain management, and emotional and spiritual support with each patient’s needs and wishes in mind. Many times, hospice volunteers are the key to meeting unique patient and family needs.

Hot Springs Village is home to the Happy Hookers crochet group. Recently, the Hot Springs Branch Office of Hospice Home Care has been the proud recipient of stacks and stacks of “Twiddle Muffs”. These are special crochet items for hospice patients living with Alzheimer’s and Dementia.

Among 50 states, only Arkansas and North Carolina saw a decrease in hospice utilization last year. “Hospice is not about death, it is about living the last phase of life’s journey to the fullest,” states Cathy Newhouse, CEO of Hospice Home Care. “Our bodies have a 100% mortality rate. Making end of life choices benefits all adults and has proven to lower healthcare costs.”

By: Dowling Stough IV, M.D.

As a physician, I believed that I was quite familiar with hospice. I knew they did a wonderful job of taking care of terminally ill patients. I knew that hospice lifted the burden off the shoulders of the family and allowed time for loved ones to focus on each other. However, not having a direct connection with hospice, I had a limited amount of knowledge on the policies, procedures, and interworking of hospice as an organization.

My involvement with hospice began in 2015 when my girlfriend, Robin’s long fight with terminal cancer was nearing the end. For three years, she had battled cancer valiantly with the help of caring physicians, nurses, and staff. Despite all the treatments, the family sadly realized it was time to call in hospice.