SUMMER 2022
Hospice Patient Marries High School Sweetheart Liana Craven did not know what the days and weeks ahead would hold for her as her cancer progressed, but she knew one thing for sure. She did not want to spend that time in the
As a newlywed, Liana was able to check-off other bucket list items. She took a joy ride with her dad in his sports car. And she enjoyed a massage at home thanks to Bluegrass Care Navigator’s Integrative Medicine program, which provides therapies to patients and families that complement their
hospital.
medical care.
Bluegrass Care Navigators made it possible to be where she
Most importantly, Liana enjoyed time with friends and family,
wanted to be. “I did not want to be stuck in the hospital with a limit on how many friends and family could visit me,” said Liana. “Without them, I don’t think I would be able to stay
especially her new husband and twin sister Melissa. “I just thought that going home with hospice meant you’d be gone in a few days. I got married March 30 and I just feel like, I can
home like I have.”
do this,” said Liana. “Hospice is not just the end of the line.
With her hospice team, she started to tackle her bucket list.
happen faster.”
At the top of the list? Finally getting to marry her high school sweetheart of 21 years, Richard. “He had already known before I was diagnosed that I wanted to be married. And he
Sometimes it’s making things you’ve been waiting 21 years for
Hospice care is a choice for patients who are no longer seeking curative treatment for an illness, and instead seek to focus on
made it happen,” she said.
quality of life and managing symptoms. Patients receive care
Liana’s family surprised her with a wedding ceremony on
physicians, nurses, certified nursing assistants, social workers,
wherever they call home from an interdisciplinary team of
March 30. A best friend purchased a new dress for Liana while
and chaplains. The hospice team helps the patient with pain
others arranged makeup and hairstyling, food and music at
and other discomforting symptoms, daily activities, emotional
the family’s Kentucky home.
and spiritual support, medication and equipment management,
“It was special. It was precious. It was meaningful,”
and support for caregivers.
said Liana’s stepfather, Dennis Dio Parker. “I have no doubt in terms of a bucket list this becomes her crown-topping moment.”
Read more about Liana’s story on our blog.
bgcarenav.org/lianas-story
Camp Hope Back In-Person After two years of hosting a virtual Camp Hope, we are excited to announce that this year’s camp will be back in-person! Camp Hope is a one-day children’s bereavement camp to help children and their caregivers who have experienced the death of a loved one in the last two years. Camp Hope provides an opportunity for participants to express their grief and develop effective coping strategies in a fun, safe and supportive environment. A combination of trained staff and volunteers facilitate the grief work necessary for healing, allowing participants the opportunity to
Camp Hope creates experiences that focus on: • Learning about the grief process. • Building trust and telling our stories. • Identifying and expressing feelings. • Learning effective coping strategies. • Building support. • Understanding how grief impacts the family. • Sharing memories and learning about the importance of remembrance.
connect with others who have had similar experiences, so they know they are not alone. With the support of counselors, they embark on a journey to learn about the process of grief through art, music, physical activity, and supportive sharing.
DATE: Saturday, September 24, 2022 PARTICIPANTS: Children ages 6-17 and their caregivers LOCATION: Kentucky Mountain Mission, Beattyville, KY COST: Free
We are grateful for the support of our 2022
Camp Hope from the Berea College Appalachian Fund, Partners for Youth, and the Lexington Division of Police.
Register by Friday, September 9, 2022
For more information: 855.492.0182. bgcarenav.org/camp-hope
Moving Mountains For A Family In Need: WHAS Donor Spotlight Since 2009, the WHAS Crusade for Children has donated over $96,000 to Bluegrass Care Navigators. As we approach $100,000 in support from the Crusade, we continue to be immensely grateful for their commitment to our youngest patients.
Funding from the Crusade has supported a range of Bluegrass Care Navigators pediatric services and enabled us to purchase specialized equipment and supplies over the years. In recent years, the Crusade has been a reliable supporter of the Bright Path Pediatric Palliative Care program, which relies heavily on philanthropic contributions to operate. Thanks to the support of WHAS Crusade for Children and our Caring Community, our compassionate clinicians can provide symptom management, care coordination, advanced care planning, anticipatory guidance, and resource planning for these children and their families. The primary goal of all these services is to help each child enjoy the highest quality of life possible. Working with a medically fragile, complex child living with a rare disorder is never an easy task. Often, these parents have been given a devastating blow of a rare diagnosis, their child is not hitting developmental milestones, and simply putting all the pieces together can be overwhelming. Recently, our Bright Path team began supporting a family with a young toddler that battles a rare genetic disorder. Residing at home with his mother and two siblings, this young patient’s case is one of the most complicated with which our team has been involved. However, with the help of donors like WHAS, we continue to move mountains for this family. Families like this one face a multitude of challenges that include new specialist appointments, primary care appointments, changes to daily care tasks, new equipment, new dietary needs, and numerous questions with few answers. It was evident from the start that this family could benefit from the full support provided through our Bright Path program. For instance, the patient’s older brother had never had a “real” bed of his own, their home lacked a clothes dryer to accommodate the abundance of laundry needed for three children, and the financial burden and stress of traveling to numerous medical appointments had begun to take its toll. Thanks to the support of generous donors to our Bright Path program, all these needs—along with a variety of others related to management of his medical care—have been alleviated, allowing this family to live more comfortably together and focus on the continued well-being and quality of life of this little boy and his entire family. We are truly grateful for the support from WHAS Crusade for Children and other generous donors, which helps us provide comfort and improve the quality of life for the patients and families served by our Bright Path program. THANK YOU for making a real difference to families like this one!
Read more about Bright Path. bgcarenav.org/bright-path
Adding Beneficiary Designations Can Make a Lasting Impact Not everyone wants to commit to making a gift in their wills or estates. Some prefer the increased flexibility that a beneficiary designation provides by using: • IRAs and retirement plans • Life insurance policies • Donor advised funds • Commercial annuities It is very simple to name Bluegrass
Care Navigators as a beneficiary.
Start by requesting a change-ofbeneficiary form from your policy administrator or download the form from your provider’s website. Make your desired changes and return the form to establish your gift.
An Example of How It Works Robert and Carol treasure the financial help they have been able to give their children and Bluegrass Care Navigators over the years. The couple recently updated their will to leave stocks and real estate to their kids. They left Bluegrass Care Navigators a $75,000 IRA to be transferred following their lifetime. Because Bluegrass Care Navigators is taxexempt, all $75,000 will help support our mission. If Robert and Carol had left the IRA to their children, approximately $18,000* would have gone to pay federal income taxes—leaving only $57,000 for their family’s use. Robert and Carol are happy knowing they are making the most of their hard-earned money thanks to their updated estate plan. *Based on an assumption of a 24% marginal income tax bracket.
To learn more about how you can leave a legacy gift to Bluegrass Care Navigators, visit our planned giving website or contact Laura Klumb, Vice President of Philanthropy, at 859.296.6865 or lklumb@bgcarenav.org.
Learn more:
plannedgiving. bgcarenav.org
President’s Volunteer Award Bluegrass Care Navigators was excited to announce our second annual Volunteer President’s Award winner and nominees during Volunteer Appreciation Week in April. This award recognizes the efforts of all those who work so hard to support patients and families in their communities. Congratulations to Danny Allnutt, our 2022 Volunteer President’s Award recipient!
Most of Danny’s hours devoted to BCN have served those directly affected by Covid-19. He assembled and mailed BCN’s Covid PPE kits for 50 weeks in 2021, creating 93 single Covid kits and 10 double and triple kits. His garage became like a PPE headquarters, which he inventoried and maintained. During the logistically difficult time of the pandemic, Danny exemplified the teamwork, creative thinking and organization that was required. Danny is also a dedicated weekly Care Caller. He has touched the lives of numerous patients and families by providing a compassionate voice on the line for almost 500 Care Calls in 2021. While care calls during the pandemic
Other volunteer President’s Award finalist include: Wilma Perkins (Cynthiana region)
Mary Ann Perraut (Cynthiana region) Eva Elam (Cynthiana region) Amy Cupp and daughters (Barbourville region)
created additional obstacles for volunteers, Danny remained
Martha Morrison (Frankfort region)
steadfast in supporting BCN’s mission. Through these
Cynthia Gooch (Hazard region)
many changes Danny proved to be flexible by showing up wherever and whenever he was needed, including making calls from home. For many, our homes became our refuge during the pandemic. Danny turned his home and time over to service. BCN has been fortunate to have Danny as a volunteer since
Judy Cornett (Hazard region) Joan Webb (Lexington region) Linda and Roger Boots (Lexington region) Julie Sorel (Northern Kentucky region) Claudia Vollmer (Northern Kentucky region)
December 2020.
Take Advantage of the Endow Kentucky Tax Credit on July 1, 2022 Gifts to our endowed charitable fund at Blue Grass Community Foundation are eligible for up to 20% in state tax credits. Unlike tax deductions, tax credits are subtracted from a donor’s tax bill, dollar for dollar. Depending on how you file, a gift of $5,000 could reduce what you owe in state taxes by $1,000; a gift of $50,000 could reduce your tax bill up to $10,000. These credits can be carried forward up to five years on your income tax return. And this is in addition to your federal and state charitable tax deduction.
BUT THESE CREDITS GO FAST!
The Kentucky Department of Revenue begins accepting applications for the $1 million pool of available Endow Kentucky Tax Credits on July 1. Contact Laura Klumb, Vice President of Philanthropy, at 859.296.6865 or lklumb@bgcarenav.org to discuss how you can take advantage of this opportunity!
THANK YOU!
We are so grateful for our community partner, CHI Saint Joseph Health, who generously supports our Medical Respite for Homeless Persons program in Lexington. Their commitment to help us care for this vulnerable population during the COVID-19 pandemic is a testament to their dedication to improving the health and well-being of our community. Thank you!
Yellin’ Helen Strike Out Cancer Bowl-a-Thon, Erlanger Hundreds of bowlers and their supporters came out to the Yellin’ Helen Strike Out Cancer Bowl-a-Thon on March 19th. This day of fun, food, and fellowship supports Bluegrass Care Navigators and the American Cancer Society, honoring the legacy of avid bowler Helen Wichmann. Helen died of cancer in 2007 and her family started the bowl-a-thon to celebrate her life and legacy. Since 2008, BCN has received more than $114,000 in support from this bowl-a-thon, and we are immensely grateful. Mark your calendar for March 18th, 2023!
Friends of Hospice Derby Day Brunch, Owen County It was off to the races in Owenton for the annual Friends of Hospice Derby Day Brunch
Sedona Taphouse Palomar, Lexington Special thanks to Sedona Taphouse in Palomar for donating proceeds from the December 2021 Dine in for Charity. Bluegrass Care Navigators was the featured nonprofit each Monday in December. Pete Palkovic with Sedona Taphouse Palomar presented BCN with the check this spring, and we are excited to be their charity of choice again for December 2022.
on Saturday, May 7th. After a two-year break, guests were able to show off their finest Derby hats and enjoy a day of conversation, entertainment, and fun at Long Ridge Baptist Church. The event featured a cake auction, live music, and door prizes all to benefit hospice care in Owen, Anderson, Franklin and Woodford counties. Last year, care teams in the Frankfort Region helped more than 760 hospice patients and their loved ones.
The Hope In Hospice Tom was admitted into one of our Hospice Care Centers, suffering from COPD and completely oxygen dependent. In addition to the seriousness of his illness, Tom had become homeless due to a string of unfortunate circumstances. His health was in such a decline that by the time he was admitted into hospice, his life-expectancy appeared very limited. After spending several days in our Hospice Care Center, receiving round the clock, expert care from the team of hospice physicians, nurses, counselors and aides, Tom’s symptoms improved, and he could be transferred home. However, because Tom didn’t have a home to go to, further arrangements had to be made for his housing. Thanks to the Care for All Fund, which covered expenses not paid for by insurance, we were able to continue caring for Tom during this time.
The Care for All Fund is an invaluable resource for patients, like Tom, who are uninsured or underinsured. Your continued support guarantees that no one is ever turned away from hospice care, no matter their circumstances. Thankfully, with the help of his care team, and generous friends like you, Tom was soon able to transfer into a home for displaced individuals, where he continued to receive our hospice care. Since Tom had no clothes, food, or personal items of his own, we provided him with various amenities through the Care for All Fund, bringing dignity and comfort to his life. Food and other essentials were also donated and delivered to Tom by our volunteers.
Without the dedication and care that BCN provided, made possible through the generosity of donors and the Care for All Fund, Tom would not have enjoyed the quality of life he gained. That is the hope in Hospice. Every day, our devoted care teams of physicians, nurses, social workers, chaplains, aides, counselors, and volunteers come together to help provide each patient with an individualized care plan that is centered around promoting quality of life.
And you are on this team with us. There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t recognize you as a team member, playing your role, bringing hope to those who at times feel hopeless. As a Chaplain, I treat the spiritual needs of people who are nearing the end of their life. I meet people where they are in their spiritual journey, in their emotions, and in their understanding of Beth Mosier, BCN Chaplain
their illness.
I get to see the hope in hospice while walking alongside someone in their journey as they may question circumstances or find the places of gratitude and blessing. Honoring that journey with kindness, joy, compassion, integrity, humor, and love truly brings comfort to those we serve. Your gifts mean so much to our patients and their families, and I am forever grateful to you for providing a beacon of hope to me, my colleagues, and most importantly the patients we serve.
Your donations directly impact the lives of other Kentuckians when they need it most. bgcarenav.org/newsletter
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Care That’s Right for You or Your Loved One. Bluegrass Extra Care Bluegrass Home Primary Care Bluegrass Adult Day Health Care Bluegrass Transitional Care Bluegrass Palliative Care Bluegrass Hospice Care Bluegrass Grief Care
Heartbeat Song Emma Powers, MT-BC
Heartbeat songs are a popular music therapy intervention in medical settings, and a fantastic legacy project that we are now able to offer our patients and their families in Southeastern Kentucky, thanks to a grant through the Berea College Appalachian Fund Folk Arts and Cultures Initiative. With help from the Mountain Arts Center, we were able to complete our first heartbeat song with a hospice patient this Spring. This patient had begun to decline rapidly in the days leading up to our visit and was no longer able to interact. His wife spoke about her husband’s love for music, and we knew that a Heartbeat Song would be a perfect legacy project for them. When we asked her to select a meaningful song, she chose the song that they had danced to at their wedding: “When You Say Nothing at All,” by Alison Krauss. Using a special stethoscope, we were able to record a clear heartbeat for our patient. We sent the heartbeat recording and their chosen song to the MAC, where it was recorded and woven together by their talented musicians and producers. The result was absolutely beautiful, and something that our patient’s wife and her family will hopefully cherish for a long time.
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