Reflections - Summer 2018

reflections SUMMER 2018

Your support grants patients’ final wishes!

Masonic Village Hospice 1

Recording Memories for Families This hospice volunteer is writing patients’ legacies as mementos.

As a funeral home director for the last 25 years, Dick Merritt was responsible for not only organizing respectful burials and services, but looking death in the eye and educating others on how to come to terms with grief.

While passing on from this life is not always an easy topic to discuss openly, volunteering at Masonic Village Hospice helped Dick realize it is critical to talk about death and the progression of life. Discussing these topics helps ensure family members are not left with unanswered questions, which can be much more painful than starting the conversation.

Dick’s daughter, a college instructor, followed a similar path in her career — teaching a course on human growth and development, from birth to death. Earlier this year, she invited Dick to teach a session on end of life, from his unique perspective.

While preparing for the class instruction, Dick referred to notes he had from previous speaking engagements.

However, in reviewing this material, he discovered much of it was outdated and would not effectively resonate with college-aged students.

Seeking insight and guidance on what young adults should know about death and dying, he reached out to Masonic Village Hospice staff. Dick knew Tim Nickel, hospice chaplain, from working together at Masonic Village at Elizabethtown’s Sell Chapel.

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“When I sat down in his chair, Tim said, ‘How are you?’ And I said ‘fine.’ Then he asked again, ‘How are you?’ And I said, ‘unfulfilled,’” Dick recalled.

Wanting to help his friend overcome his internal conflict, Tim asked him to take some time to analyze what was triggering those feelings. Dick replied, “You know, Tim, I’m the same person I was before I retired, but I’ve not been able to use those gifts that I’ve been given in my retirement.”

Dick told Tim he believed his selffulfillment lied in the realm of volunteer work with Masonic Village Hospice.

However, he was convinced that it would never work because he is known as the funeral home director, and people would not want to speak

with someone who is connected to a funeral home as they are approaching the end of their lives.

“At that point, I could see wheels turning in his head,” Dick said.

Tim wanted to make sure Dick would get the experience he was seeking in volunteering, so he came up with a unique solution, which would play to Dick’s strengths.

He proposed two ways Dick could assist hospice — helping with funerals and writing life reviews. Dick chose to do both, but at the time, he was especially intrigued by the idea of life reviews, and began almost immediately.

Since Dick was already volunteering at Masonic Village by delivering laundry to residents, he was familiar with the organization, its campus

and residents, and asked one of the residents with whom he had developed a bond to be his first subject.

“I went online, and I simply typed in ‘life review.’ I found a list of questions to ask about each stage of life, and then I found other things that were similarly arranged.

That’s how I have organized my interviews,” he said.

With these questions as a guide, Dick works chronologically through the course of the assigned patient’s life.

Toward the end of the sessions, he asks them more in-depth and affective questions that encourage the individual to reflect on the entirety of their lives, such as: Whom in your life would like to forgive? What legacy do you wish to pass down onto your children? What lessons do you hope your children have learned?

Upon the completion of the interview process, when Dick feels like he has a thorough overview and understanding of the individual’s life, he goes home to type his hand-written notes while they are still fresh in his mind. After reviewing the notes, he begins to piece the memories together into a coherent narrative.

Like most literary works, the first draft is not the final product that he will give the patient’s family during

their funeral. Dick has dedicated himself to producing a well-constructed life review that will be cherished for years to come. With this in mind, he shares the first copy with several editors before it is bound.

Dick only began his journey with this volunteer project in March and is currently tying up the loose ends of his second life review. However, he already has ideas for improvements going forward, which include more personal visuals to accompany the bound text and potentially the addition of audio files so families can listen back to the narratives in the voice of their loved one.

“I didn’t have any idea when I walked into his office that Tim would find a place for me, and it was a marvelous gift,” Dick said.

Dick no longer feels unfulfilled, because giving the patients’ stories a second life in writing has given him with a sense of passion and purpose.

“I’m a helper; I want to help people in difficult situations or through tough times, and that just comes very naturally to me,” Dick said. “I don’t have to really work at that — it’s who I am.”

Support Hospice by Transferring Cash or Securities to Masonic Village and Receive Income for Life!

Charitable Annuity Gift Rates Have INCREASED

For the first time in over a decade, charitable gift annuity rates have increased effective July 1, 2018. The minimum age for a single beneficiary is 65, and for a couple, ages 65 and 55. You can contribute anywhere from $5,000 (minimum) to over $1 million in cash or appreciated stocks for a fixed income for life. The remaining balance supports Masonic Village, including Hospice, in providing quality care. Receive an immediate income tax deduction for a portion of your gift; plus, a portion of your income stream may be tax-free!

For more information on rates and setting up an annuity, call 1-800-599-6454, or complete and return the enclosed envelope.

A Tattoo Worth a Thousand Words Your support made Bill’s wish come true!

One day, in 1994, as Bill Riggle’s restaurant was preparing to serve lunch, he fell to the ground, holding his arm over the pain in his chest. This was the first heart attack Bill experienced, and he was only 59 years old.

“I remember my staff laying me down in the grass outside,” Bill said. “When the paramedics showed up, they asked me if I smoked, and I said, ‘I used to.’ They asked me when I quit, and I said, ‘About five minutes ago.’”

That day, Bill learned life is short.

Although he continued working for the next 11 years, he began traveling the world with his wife and purchased a motorcycle trike. He started living life a little on the edge, and in 2012, decided to take a motorcycle ride across country, from Pennsylvania to California. He visited friends, stopped at national parks and took in the scenes. It was something he wanted to do before he became “too old,” and he had a feeling his heart condition would continue to worsen.

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Since that day in 1994, Bill has endured nine heart attacks, two open heart surgeries and the placement of 14 stents. Last year, the effects of his chronic heart disease qualified him to begin receiving care from Masonic Village Hospice. He was on services for six months before “graduating” from the program when his health stabilized. In March, Bill’s heart disease was once again rapidly progressing, and all of his curative options seemed to have been exhausted. He was again placed on hospice and welcomed his old friends back into his life.

“This staff is special,” Bill says. “They say when the time comes for me to go, they’re going to keep me comfortable, and I believe that. They’re the type of people who are easy to believe, because they’re like family to me.”

During one of hospice’s visits, Bill struck up a conversation with Kevin Jacoby, hospice social worker, about something they both love – football. Bill re-lived his cross-country motorcycle ride while telling Kevin about one of his favorite stops to the Green Bay Packer’s stadium in Wisconsin. He had been a fan of the team for decades, and watching their games had gotten him through some hard times.

“What’s special about this hospice is that they stop in and see me when they don’t have to,” Bill says, “and that just makes me feel good – like a million bucks.”

Hours after the conversation, a wild thought came to Bill’s head, and he decided to sleep on it.

While out with his daughter a few days later, Bill announced he wanted to get his first tattoo. He wanted the Green Bay Packer’s logo tattooed on his bicep. His daughter, who has some small tattoos herself,

responded in utter shock, but not because of Bill’s age or condition.

“She couldn’t believe what I wanted to do,” Bill said. “Mostly because every time she got a new tattoo, I would give her heck for it. I guess life changes your mind about things like that.”

Masonic Village Hospice staff heard word of the story and were inspired to grant Bill his wish. “They said they would take care of it,” Bill recalls. “Before I knew it, they were coming to pick me up and take me for my first tattoo.”

Hospice staff called Tim Fry, the owner of a local tattoo shop, whose in-laws received care from Masonic Village Hospice. The story inspired Tim, and he agreed to tattoo Bill with no hesitation.

That day, hospice staff gathered around Bill for two hours as Tim worked his magic. “It didn’t hurt one bit,” Bill said, “which was a surprise.” He received another surprise after the session, when Tim donated his service. It was the last tattoo Tim would give, as he received a promotion at his day job and would be soon closing the shop.

“He felt like it was something he wanted to do for me, and that he couldn’t think of a better last tattoo,” Bill said. “It really meant a lot to this old guy.”

There is one special person Bill wishes could have seen one of his last “rebellious” acts: his wife, June, who also received care from hospice in 2014 after living with Alzheimer’s for several years.

Bill still recalls the day he knew something had gone terribly wrong with her health. “We were sitting in the living room, and I looked over at her and saw she was reading a magazine upside down,” Bill said. “I said, ‘Hun, your magazine is upside down.’ She just looked at me with these empty eyes and said, ‘What’s it matter?’” Bill immediately took her to see a doctor, and they were both horrified by the diagnosis.

“I didn’t want to believe, and she didn’t want to either,” Bill said.

Toward the end of June’s life, hospice informed Bill every step of the way.

When hospice knew June only had days left, a cot was set up next to her bed, and Bill spent each night with her.

“I was holding her hand when she went,” Bill said. “It was hard to watch her decline, but she never failed to remember me. I was happy that hospice was there for us, and they looked over her like mother hens.”

Masonic Village Hospice staff have a special place in Bill’s heart as they have guided him through the loss of his wife and throughout his own illness. As he looks down at his tattoo, he is reminded of his love of adventure and for the people who have cared for and about him.

Bill Riggle receiving his first tattoo, donated by artist Tim Fry.

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Bill is just one of the many lives you’ve touched with your support.

Complete and return the enclosed envelope with your gift to continue helping people facing terminal illnesses complete their lives joyfully.

“I don’t have any regrets in my life, and I don’t fear death,” Bill said. “I look at it as a reunion with my wife. Hospice has given me the chance to look at the end of life differently.”

“When I first saw June, it was definitely love at first sight,” Bill said. “She was beautiful, and it was disappointing to watch her go through what she went through.”

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Quality Care with Compassion MASONIC VILLAGE HOSPICE NURSES TAPE, HANG AND PIN PHOTOS OF TWO KINDS ON THEIR OFFICE WALLS - photos of family members and photos of special moments with patients.

“I get to help people through some of the most difficult days of their lives.”

Ashley Watts is among these nurses and has worked for several years supporting and educating hospice patients and their families. She works as a registered nurse and clinical liaison and is often the first medical professional to access and guide incoming patients and their families.

“I love my job because I get to know patients and families on a personal level,” Ashley says. “I get to help people through some of the most difficult days of their lives.”

Ever since she was a young girl, Ashley was inspired by the women in her family who had chosen nursing as a career, specifically her mother. They showed her nursing was more than learning anatomy, biology and bedside care. It is truly about the comfort of the person you are caring for.

Although nursing was a career that chose her, Ashley chose hospice.

“I watched my close friend’s father pass away on hospice, and I knew I wanted to participate in end of life care,” Ashley recalls. Throughout her career in hospice, she has realized how right her family members were. The care she provides centers around the comfort of her patients, which can be difficult at times, as patients aren’t always able to explain their needs.

“You have to think outside of the box to come up with new ways to communicate and provide care,” Ashley says. “These patients and families are often overwhelmed, so it’s important to do the best you can for them.”

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-ASHLEY WATTS, clinical liaison

Ashley works diligently to explain the hospice process from beginning to end, often sitting side-by-side with family members. “I want families to understand that hospice isn’t about giving up,” she says. “It’s about getting the support you need to make your loved one comfortable while getting support yourself.”

and many others after that, but then you pull it together because people are looking to you for comfort.”

Although she has years of hospice experience under her belt, Ashley still faces the tough feeling of losing patients she’s grown close to.

“My instinct is to care for and comfort people,” Ashley says, “whether it’s healthy people or dying people, whether it’s my patients or my family.”

To this day, Ashley remembers one of her first patients, a woman who made a large impact on her career without knowing it. “At the end of her life, she lost much of her independence,” Ashley recalls. “Her mind was active, so watching her lose her mobility was emotional.”

Regardless of the difficulty, Ashley deems this one of the most rewarding experiences in her career. “In hospice, they say you hit a point in your career where you break down,” Ashley says.

“I had that moment with that patient

When Ashley’s grandmother fell ill a few years ago, she was able to counsel and educate her family on what her grandmother’s last few days and hours would be like.

Ashley’s hospice experience has encouraged her to spend even more quality time with her husband, who is also a nurse, and their children, whose photos are among those that hang proudly in her office. “My 5-year-old daughter tells us she wants to become a ‘nurse doctor’ one day,” Ashley says. “I think what my husband and I do has had an impact on her, and that’s okay with me.”

Thanks to Our Generous Donors Memorials

Memorials and honors received Feb. 1 - April 30 MEMORIAL Mary Michele Baumbach

James M. Bell

Edward C. (Ed) Carty

Gladys Mary Cifani Mary Susan Myers Frey Stephen R. Griffiths

Conrad Hess Haagen

Joan H. Hall Robert Simon Hinkle

Max Hoffman

Doris L. Jenkins

Jimmie D. Jones George Kerschner

DONOR Julie Baumbach Mark and Rick Baumbach Jen Gamber Jeff and Yolanda Leer Horace and Prudy Mann John and Beatrice Phillips Barbara Rathbone Angela Ricigliano Michael and Arline Rochkind Robert and Jennifer Dye Jean Ferguson Richard Snodgrass Patricia Younger Gil and Judy Creutzer Dick and Loris Cunningham Alan LeBlanc Jim and Kay Nolt Mary Rayn Gerald and Carmen Richards Jeff and Lori Page Barbara Cooper James and Beth Brown Elizabethtown College William and Claire Giblin Virginia Musser Verna Swartz William Hall Andy and Julia Laird Raymond and Audrey Stouffer Former Neighbors in Lititz Tim Sharpe Janis Snavely Glenn Deiter Grand Officers O.E.S. 2005-2006 Cy and Carol Hoover Stan and Elaine Lefever Ken and Marge Pineda Judy Raugh Jim and Saralee Tollinger Becky Way West Willow United Methodist Church Walt and Erma Zimmerman Dontina Jackson Betty Deibert

Arthur M. Korte

William R. Loew

Harry K. Longenecker

Carla Jean Menchey

Carol A. Meridionale Anita L. Pence

Cora E. Rostad John M. Shaud, Jr. Marion L. Shultz Ray Amos Shutt

Robert K. Sloan Joan E. Stein

Nancy B. Tondora Joan Ruth Witmer

Richard D. Yeagley

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George and Linda Guerrero Diane Kilmer Leonard and Catherine Kilmer Mary Kinmond David and Barbara West Carrie Ede John Fitzkee and Mary Stehman William and Dawn Loew Frank and Gretchen Ottaly Elizabeth J. Diamond Ann Heisey James and Mary McGall Mildred Merrell John Meridionale George Pence Michael and Sarah Pence Ella Evrard Mary Shaud Larry Shultz Elaine Buffington Rodney and Carol Rhoades Edna Sloan Cappella Family Charles and Geralyn Davis Sylvia Davis Bryan and Eileen Hill Eric and Wilma Ricci Lisa and Sekhar Ramaswamy Edward and Barbara Baughman Robert and Rosemarie Carthew Michael and Joan Kuhn David and Cynthia Frederick Ken and Pat Wise

THANKS TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN AND HAVE DONATED TOWARD OUR MISSION, Masonic Villages provided charitable care and services worth $48.9 million in 2017. Between awarding scholarships to teen volunteers, donating to local emergency service providers, hosting interns and other efforts, Masonic Villages also gave back more than $778,800 in support to Dallas, Elizabethtown, Lafayette Hill, Sewickley and Warminster communities, where our Masonic Villages are located. Read more in our Community Report: MasonicVillages.org/about/Community-Report.

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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.