reflections FALL 2017
Because of your support, Ron could continue caring for his wife p. 3
Masonic Village Hospice 1
“We both agreed we wanted to focus on living and the time we had left. God’s love for people comes through Masonic Village Hospice. I just knew I wasn’t alone.” - RON SWOPE
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LOVE in FULL COLOR Your support allowed a husband to continue caring for his wife after an overwhelming diagnosis. When Ron Swope thinks of his wife Karen, he thinks of
Karen’s medicine and other needs eventually became more
three things: her basket full of coloring books, all the angel
complicated, and staff visited more frequently. On her
figurines she placed around their home and her smile.
72nd birthday, hospice helped Karen and Ron celebrate by
The couple was married for 50 years, and Ron didn’t let a
bringing all the fixings for an ice cream sundae bar to their
cancer diagnosis change the vows he made to her. He would
home. “They brought Friendly’s ice cream,” he recalls. “They
always take care of her, no matter what life had in store.
must have known that was her favorite.” Ron remembers
In November 2016, Karen began experiencing strokelike symptoms and was sent for an MRI. The couple
all of them laughing when the hot fudge boiled over in the microwave. It was a beautiful thing to laugh at that time.
learned Karen did not have a stroke, and their world
Throughout her short radiation treatment and the
turned upside down when she was diagnosed with an
duration of her illness, Karen continued coloring, one of
aggressive form of brain cancer. With Ron by her side,
her favorite hobbies. “She just loved colors,” Ron recalls.
Karen underwent two weeks of radiation treatments
“She always dressed in color. When she’d go to work, she’d
to slow down the disease, which was incurable.
love it when someone would comment on her outfit.”
As Karen’s cancer progressed, Ron’s promise to himself
Although she lost some of her motor movement, Karen
and to her was becoming more difficult to keep. “I quit
completed one last special piece (left), which reads, “He
my full-time job in construction, and she became my
will cover you with his feathers, and under His wings
full-time job,” Ron said. “We both agreed we wanted
you will find refuge.” During one of Karen’s last days,
to focus on living and the time we had left.”
hospice staff worked with her to fill a scrapbook with
Ron was hoping the end of Karen’s life would be something
her favorite colorings, this final piece included.
he could handle alone, but he soon decided he needed
The book has become a treasure to Ron. “There’s more love
the help of Masonic Village Hospice. When staff became
than you can ever imagine in hospice,” Ron recalls. “It’s easy
aware of Ron’s wishes to take care of Karen at home,
to get to know them, and they become part of your family.
they did everything they could to make it happen.
The compassion they showed Karen, it was just incredible.”
“They ordered me a shower bench, a hospital bed and
Since Karen’s passing, Ron has gone back to work full-time
everything else I needed,” Ron said. “Together, we all
to keep his mind occupied. He attends bereavement classes
took one day at a time. Hospice filled Karen’s pill box
offered by Masonic Village Hospice, and staff provide him
and explained each medication to me and when to give
with individualized support. Ron remembers Karen each
them. It was important to me that I took care of her.”
day in his own way, which can include spending time with
Each day became a routine, and Ron appreciated that. He
their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
learned the small things he could do every day to continue
“God’s love for people comes through Masonic Village
caring for his wife. “They would help me get Karen up,
Hospice,” Ron says. “I just knew I wasn’t alone.”
bathed and teeth brushed,” he recalls. “The girls would help me pick her clothing out, then I would leave them to care for her. I could tell Karen liked the ‘girl talk,’ and I knew they were giving her so much love and support.” He remembers his wife singing and humming during her time with staff.
There are dozens of family members like Ron in our program now, and hundreds more will need your help in the future. Your donations give them hope.
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BLESSED TO DIE at HOME Because of your support, Sam Nolt was able to spend his final weeks in his family farmhouse, where he was born in 1926. Like many farmers, Sam viewed his trade as more than just a hobby. To him, it was a way to build a better life for his family. “He was very giving and quick to help people in any way he could,” Kari recalls. “He was a man who spent many years as a provider and caretaker, always putting his family’s needs and desires before his own.” When Sam’s illness reached its final stages, hospice staff stepped in to give back to the man who had given so much for his family, including his late wife, Marie, whom he had cared for prior to her passing. Eventually, he was unable to farm at the intensity and duration he used to, so he put his energy and talent into making woodcrafts and spending time with his beloved canine, Tami. Masonic Village helped Sam to continue enjoying his hobbies. Sam at his grandson’s wedding
Reaching the end of life can be frightening, but
of people he could talk to and enjoy,” Kari said.
helping patients pass away at home surrounded by
Since Sam’s passing, Kari has chosen to focus on the memories
the people who care about them most can reduce
she has of her grandfather and is grateful for the part
fear and help loved ones feel comfortable.
Masonic Village Hospice played in her grieving journey.
For life-long farmer Sam Nolt, the decision to remain at
“My grandpa’s social worker could see I was in denial
home during the end of his battle with cancer was one that
about a lot of it. One night, she gently nudged me to
made all the difference for him and the ones he loved.
go talk to my grandpa and give him permission to die,”
“My grandpa was able to die in the same farmhouse he was born in. Masonic Village Hospice made that
Kari recalls. “I’m so happy I had that conversation, and it scares me to think of the regret I would have if I didn’t.”
possible and kept him comfortable in a familiar
Staff also assisted Sam with writing
setting,” Kari, Sam’s granddaughter, said. “We,
letters to his family members.
as a family, could visit and feel at home.” Since Sam’s family lived close by, the treasured stories they tell of him often feature his Lancaster County farmhouse and the land it sits on. “There is something every day that makes me think of him,” Kari said. “I think about how cool I felt when he would be waiting at the end of his lane on his four-wheeler to pick me up off the school bus. I see a groundhog and think of his war against them eating his crops. I’m really grateful I spent most of my life within two cornfields’ distance of him.”
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“Once hospice started, he had a whole new group
“Not only did it allow him to say what he needed to say, but these are letters we will treasure forever,” Kari said. Witnessing her grandfather’s experience has changed Kari’s perception of hospice, which was once very grim. “I think the idea of death is scary for some people, but the idea of death without hospice seems terrifying to me now,” Kari said. “It’s a shame people view receiving hospice services as giving up, when, in reality, choosing hospice is telling death, ‘hold on, I’m going to have a say in how this goes.’”
a NURSE’S HEART Registered nurse Robert Heim is a natural-born caregiver who often serves as a guiding hand, voice of reason and shoulder to lean on. Robert is said to leave a strong impact on the lives he touches, including fellow Masonic Village Hospice staff and, most importantly, patients and their families. Robert learned his trade in part from his mother, also a registered nurse, whom he looked up to while she cared for his grandmother, who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. As the youngest nurse in the family, he went on to care for his own mother for 10 years during her struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. He also cared for his father-in-law and his wife’s grandmother during their times of illness. He views the end of life as an opportunity to make memories that will last forever. “Most patients receive care long enough that we form very special relationships with them,” Robert said.
involved in enriching the patient’s quality of life. If
“Unfortunately, most patients pass away, and we’re
you wait too close to the end of life, it unfortunately
always in the process of losing good friends.”
becomes more about pain management.”
On a daily basis, Robert recommends care plans
Over the last three years, working in hospice care
for patients, administers medications and provides
has changed his perception on life. “It has shown
invaluable emotional support to families. He
me the impermanence of everything,” he says.
strongly advocates for the service each day.
“Nothing lasts forever, so you should value the present.”
“Identifying when hospice services are needed early is important,” he said. “If it’s early enough, we can become
LETTERS of LOVE
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Everyone who was involved in providing care for my wife was outstanding. All were so gracious and helpful in answering my questions, offering assistance and guiding us through my
We would like to thank the hospice staff for our dad’s care and their support during his decline. The team’s caring, compassion, support, knowledge and professionalism in guiding us through the dying process were above and beyond our expectation. Dad enjoyed his time spent with each and every one of them. They were his family when family could not be there.” -THE FAMILY OF ART KAUFFMAN
wife’s gradual dying. She received the best care imaginable. Staff interacted so well with my wife, always speaking to her as though she had no impaired ability to communicate. They kept her looking beautiful up to the very end and cared for me and our family by preparing us for what would happen the last couple days and hours of her life. I was put at ease about caring for her so I could focus on just being with her.” - MARK CHAVEZ
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ADVOCATING for THOSE WITH LIFELIMITING ILLNESSES In July, two Masonic Village Hospice staff advocated for policies in Washington, D.C., that ensure compassionate, high-quality care for all Americans facing a life-limiting illness. The following pieces of legislation were up for discussion during a meeting with legislators. The Rural Access to Hospice Act If passed, this bill would allow doctors from Rural Health Clinics or Federally Qualified Health Centers to serve as attending physicians to patients with life-limiting illnesses, making hospice care more accessible to patients from rural areas. Currently, these patients must switch
The Patient Choice and Quality Care Act If passed, this bill will create more opportunities for faceto-face communication between patients and their families and clinicians by promoting advanced care planning and allowing advance directives to be passed between states. This will give patients more control over their care.
doctors when they begin receiving hospice services.
To learn more and help advocate for these
This makes many opt out of receiving hospice care.
bills, visit HospiceActionNetwork.org.
Upcoming EVENTS Bereavement Support Bereavement Support Group meetings are offered at Masonic Village in Elizabethtown, Moravian Manor in Lititz and Signature Senior Living in Lancaster. The groups are open to both residents and community members. For more information, call 717-367-1121, ext. 33576. The Masonic Village Hospice Experience Reflect on the past and learn to live in the present with
Your Support is Still Needed!
Help People Facing Terminal Illness and Grief
Masonic Village Hospice through music, poetry and stories
Your donation will provide the best possible
on Wednesday, Nov. 1, from 10 – 11:30 p.m., in Masonic
care to patients and their families when
Village’s Brossman Ballroom, Salon I. The same program will be held on Friday, Nov. 3, from 10 – 11:30 p.m., in Masonic Village’s Keystone Room. Light refreshments will be served.
it’s needed most. Please make your gift today by using the enclosed envelope. “Hospice showed me I didn’t have to do it alone, and that I wasn’t superman. They are my angels.” - FAY MARVEL, family member
THANKS to OUR GENEROUS DONORS Memorials May 1 through July 31 MEMORIAL
Arthur F. (Art) Benjamin Sara Jean Cacciola Doris Mae Clark Clair R. and Phyllis A. Cochran Elsie R. Corlett Phyllis L. Dayton Anna K. Deik Marie W. Diacont Richard R. (Dick) Filling Charles E. (Ed) Firth Ruth D. Geenen Jack L. Gilmore Robert M. Hess Joseph S. Hickernell
DONOR
Janette Trecek Robert Wildasin George and Gail Ballard Jeanne Brooks Charles F. Snyder Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc. Carol Howard Craig Dayton Marianne Anderson Rob and Mary Lee Carrolus Dick and Cindy Deik Robert and Mary Anne Deik Joe and Cheryl Flamm Phil and Jeanette Fogarty Rod and Bev Freshman Eric and Pam Frishkorn Sam and Carol Furjanic Jessika, Nathan, Jonathan and Joshua Graham Joan Gulden Mary Heller Kathy James and Matthew Dunn Anna Kline Michael and Elizabeth Maugans Wayne and Sue Miller Anne Sunday Gary and Deborah Thomas Arthur and Linda Upright JoEllen Bartolacci Clarence and Joelan Kegel Milton Matthews Charles and Wendy Stehly Robert and Donna Doyle Dennis Remley Kay Straley Jane Boltz Tom Chermol Ralph and Elizabeth Davis Robert and Karen Fithian Jim and Dolores Ford Paula Gavin Douglas and Michele Guerrieri Terry and Jan Hill Kenneth and Carolyn Kammeier William and Nancy Jo Marsden Sandra Monoghan Audrey Novotny Elvin Silvius Peggy Williams-Roy Frank and Jackie Wood J. D. and Katherine Geiser and Family Barry and Elizabeth Gilbert and Family Phillip Joyce and Family Stephen Joyce and Family Robert and Patricia Naylor and Family Nina Orsini and Family Harry and Doris Longenecker Mary Lou Balmer Merle and Sherry Dissinger Doris Frey Dolores Henry Wilson’s - Charles and Kim, Shaun and Stephanie, Cody and Kris and the late Beryl Musser Ralph and Elizabeth Davis
Marie E. Kauffman Francis E. and Thelma M. Kinter Janet M. Kotay Gladys M. Krieger Michael W. (Mike) Lenker Ralph E. Lentz Robert J. Matthews Marjorie E. Parks Anita L. Pence Thelma A. Radcliffe Ruth H. Sherrard Betty C. Simms Lloyd R. Swarr Charles H. Swisher, Sr. Karen L. Swope Stuart B. Wells
Altrusa International of South Central PA, Inc. Roger and Stephanie Traub Jay and Charlotte Barden John and Victoria Barden Earl and Alice Graby Hershey Chapter No. 509, O.E.S. Faye Nye Barry and Jean Stuck Charles F. Snyder Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc. Sam and Connie Armbruster Scott and Thelma Carr Susan Carr Doyle Larry and Ruth Defuge Donald and Rose Frebertshauser James and Cynthia Hossman Jerry and Cindy Kopenhaver Terry and Barbara Lenker Joseph and Rebecca Major Bruce and Jaana McRae Henry and Margaret Haitz Audrey Stroup Empire Advisors, Inc. Dolores Matthews Angela and Evie Gulick Janice Wolfinger Michael and Sarah Pence Lavoie CPA PLLC Family of Thelma A. Radcliffe Thomas and Linda Reidenbaugh Pamela Rosenberger Joseph Dreiss and Susan Kelly-Dreiss Warren and Helen Heidelbaugh Urs and Paula Leuenberger Donna Testa Teamsters Horsemen Chapter 53 Buck, Sandra and Charles Dewling Janice Kohler Lucille Percival Carol Atherholt and Dennis Shafnisky Anthony and Margaret Bolen Judy Dworchak Paul and Elizabeth Kontul Jerry and Pat Longwell Murrey Securus Steven and Dianne Sholly Betsy Stevick Brad, Bronwyn and Pia Swope Carl and Bev Swope Jerry and Kathy Swope Michael and Karen Swope Ginny Yuninger Ralph and Elizabeth David
William H. White, Jr.
Paul and Barbara Trumbetas
Honors
May 1 through July 31 HONOREE DONOR Robert Heim Brenda K. Kelchner Kelly Jo Singleton Hospice Care Nurses and Staff Kristin Thomas Heidi M. Young
Craig Dayton Craig Dayton Craig Dayton Kay Straley Craig Dayton Craig Dayton
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Masonic Village Hospice One Masonic Drive • Elizabethtown, PA 17022-2219 717-367-1121, ext. 18449 • MasonicVillageHospice.org
Who We Are Since 2009, Masonic Village’s trained, compassionate hospice staff have cared for thousands of patients and their families, focusing on the physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs of patients so they may complete their lives joyfully. Our hospice staff promote comfort and self-determination, enabling patients to participate in making decisions about their care. Based in Elizabethtown, Masonic Village Hospice is pleased to offer services to patients in the comfort of their homes throughout Lancaster, Dauphin, Lebanon and Eastern York counties.
Open for Everyone. Masonic Village Hospice does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, religion, disability, ancestry, national origin, familial status, age, sex, limited English proficiency (LEP) or any other protected status in admission, treatment or participation in its programs, services and activities, or in employment.