Family Hospice 2016 Spring Newsletter

The Honor of Writing an Obituary When a loved one dies, there are many decisions that must be made in a very short period of time. One of the tasks you may be asked to do is to prepare an obituary for your loved one. With little time to prepare and many emotions rising to the surface, it can often be challenging to recall all of the important things that you may want to convey about the person you have lost.

one’s family and friends. Did your loved one spend part of the year in another geographic location? If so, you may want to run the obituary there as well.

Family Hospice & Palliative Care 50 Moffett Street Pittsburgh, PA 15243

2016 SPRING/SUMMER NEWSLETTER

Think about how your loved one would like to be remembered. What was he or she most proud of? Did he or she have career accomplishments that you might mention? Was there civic or faith organization involvement and/or leadership? What about his or her special skills, talents, or hobbies?

Your funeral home director will generally help you write the obituary. He or she often has a template on the computer and will ask you the basic questions to elicit information that is most often included. The obituary is something that friends and family often keep as a remembrance. If your loved one would have appreciated humor, it is fine to include a quip in the obituary as it will remind others of your loved one’s sense of humor.

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Calling hours and memorial service information. As you make plans, consider those who might need to travel from out of town, and children and grandchildren who might be away at school or serving in the military. Who will likely come to calling hours? Are they older friends and family who may no longer drive at night and how might this affect your scheduling?

Here are some questions you may want to think about as you prepare your loved one’s obituary.

Are there charitable organizations you would like to include in the obituary to which donations may be made in lieu of flowers? If so, you may want to include the name and address of the organization.

Do you want to include a photograph? If so, a photo from your loved one’s younger years or something more recent? What family members do you want to list by name, both those who have pre-deceased your loved one and those who survive? Generally, children, grandchildren, and any great-grandchildren are mentioned. Other named relatives may include siblings and/or relatives who were especially close to the deceased. Sometimes close friends or caregivers are mentioned or thanked. In which newspaper(s) would you like the obituary to appear? You’ll want to consider the newspaper(s) most frequently read by your loved

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Your funeral director generally submits the obituary to the newspaper(s) and will add the cost to your final bill. The cost is dependent upon the length of the obituary, the number of days you would like it to appear, and the newspaper(s) you select.

Donations needed! Family Treasures Sale III October 8 & 9

A special thank you to our Gold Sponsors, UPMC and Westmoreland Medical Equipment, and Hole-In-One Contest Sponsors Bobby Rahal Automotive Group and USA Compression. Proceeds benefit our patients, their families, and the community through hospice care and bereavement services for grieving adults, children, and teens.

If you are downsizing or cleaning out a loved one's home and looking for a worthwhile organization to benefit from your donated items, Friends of Family Hospice is accepting gently-used, good quality jewelry, accessories (i.e. scarves and purses), china, silver, glassware, mirrors and lamps, linens, collectibles, artwork, and furniture. Contact Pat Lynn at thelynns2@verizon.net or 412-833-7315 to arrange furniture pickup. Items may be dropped off Monday – Friday at Family Hospice from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Questions about donations other than furniture may be directed to info@familyhospicepa.org.

Pictured at this year’s Golf Benefit (from left) are Dan Lapcevic, Dr. Mario Fatigati, Dr. Keith Lagnese, and Dr. Donald McFarland.

Last year’s sale raised more than $18,000 for patients and families!

In finalizing the obituary, take your time to review it carefully and ask others whose input you value to review it as well. Writing an obituary offers the privilege and honor of paying tribute to your loved one’s life and accomplishments.

The 29th Annual Family Hospice Golf Benefit raised more than $70,000 this May.

Family Hospice Hosts TLC’s Dr. Jennifer Arnold Mark your calendars and plan to “Think Big” at an evening with Dr. Jennifer Arnold on Thursday, November 10 at Temple Rodef Shalom in Oakland. New York Times bestselling author and co-star of “The Little Couple”, Dr. Arnold will share with us her guide for dreaming big, overcoming challenges, setting goals, and taking the steps you need to get there. Dr. Arnold is a preeminent neonatologist who completed her pediatric residency at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. She is currently a neonatologist at Baylor College of Medicine and Medical Director of the Simulation Center at Texas Children’s Hospital. In both her professional and personal life, she has faced prejudice and has dealt with the uncertainties of life with two adopted children from overseas, both born with skeletal dysplasias. Dr. Jennifer Arnold is a cancer survivor. She eagerly shares her wisdom and encouragement for everyone who is dealing with health setbacks. We look forward to welcoming her back to Pittsburgh. Dr. Arnold’s most recent book, Thinking BIG: Overcoming Obstacles with Optimism, will be available at the event, and the author will participate in a book signing following her presentation. For more information, please contact Christine Jamison, Special Events Coordinator, at 412-572-8812. Please plan to join us and help make this event a “BIG” success!

Though certainly not new to Pittsburgh or to hospice care, Dr. Keith Lagnese is new to Family Hospice. He joined the organization in November and brings a longstanding commitment to hospice. Over his decades of medical practice, he has seen firsthand the benefits for patients and their families. He leads a staff of five full-time physicians at Family Hospice, all of whom are board-certified in hospice and palliative care and are well respected in Southwestern Pennsylvania. As a primary care, internal medicine physician, Dr. Lagnese spent his early years in a medical practice that provided a significant proportion of its care to patients in nursing homes. “Rounding at Kane, Manor Care, and other area nursing homes provided me with a depth of experience in dealing with the elderly, many of whom were experiencing life-limiting illnesses,” he states. In the late 1990s when the concept of hospice care was beginning to become more widely accepted, Dr. Lagnese began referring his patients to hospice. He saw it as a form of care that enabled patients to remain in the comfort of their own homes while receiving the necessary medical and supportive services they required. Dr. Lagnese became the medical director of another area hospice, and later, along with a partner, started his own hospice company. According to Lagnese, “This was a significant learning experience for me, as I developed a greater understanding of the tremendous value of the interdisciplinary team – nurse, social worker, spiritual counselor, nursing assistant – all of whom discuss how to best care for our patients.”

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Family Hospice volunteers Donna Laughlin and Joan Gohh were recognized with the 2016 Heart of Hospice award at our recent South Hills volunteer luncheon.

Mission Statement The Mission of Family Hospice and Palliative Care is to provide compassionate, quality comfort care that enhances the lives of people with life-limiting illness and their families.

Board of Directors Robert E. Butter, Chair Bruce Austin, Secretary Paul Winkler, Immediate Past Chair Kathi R. Boyle Kimberly Ward Burns

Barbara Ivanko, President and CEO Barry C. Lembersky, MD Lisa Turbeville Markowski Sandra Tomlinson G. Alan Yeasted, MD

Community Advisory Committee Ruth Foltz, Chair Robert E. Butter Nanci Case Christine Crompton

Marthé Groves Jane D. Johnson Kevin P. Kearns, Ph.D. Lisa Turbeville Markowski

FamilyHospicePA.org

Dear Friends, In April, I had the privilege of representing Family Hospice and Palliative Care at the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s leadership conference in Washington, D.C. The theme this year, “Leading Through the Currents of Change,” reflected the profound impact of healthcare reform. Changes have brought new regulations and payment reform to what started as a volunteer hospice movement. The goal of these changes is to foster integration of hospice within the healthcare continuum, providing the right care at the right time. This philosophy is indeed consistent with the mission of Family Hospice. While in Washington, I was invited to speak at a U.S. Senate briefing to advocate for continued support of the Medicare Hospice Benefit, and to highlight the unique value of not-for-profit hospices. Three U.S. Senators spoke of their own profound experiences with hospice care for a loved one. Their personal accounts highlighted the burden placed on family caregivers by our current uncoordinated care system. This new era of end-of-life care compels us to meet the new demands of hospice care: patient-centered care, seamless continuity with other healthcare providers, and public accountability for quality outcomes. Our partnership with Home Nursing Agency and Presbyterian SeniorCare, and our incorporation into the UPMC continuum, assures Family Hospice access to technical resources and education that would otherwise not be available to us. It also creates a much larger family for our Family to work with, so that we may better identify patients who need our care. The small social movement of the early 1980s has become a mainstream healthcare specialty. The generosity and dedication of the people in our communities throughout Western Pennsylvania have taken us this far. I continue to be grateful for and inspired by all of you. One thing that will never change at Family Hospice is our feeling of extraordinary privilege and honor for the trust placed in us by every single patient and family for whom we have cared. Gratefully,

Welcome New CMO Continued from cover page

Dr. Lagnese was attracted to the opportunity at Family Hospice because of the organization’s links to the Palliative and Supportive Institute at UPMC, and the commitment Family Hospice has to train young physicians in hospice care. “My move to Family Hospice, the region’s largest non-profit provider of hospice care, is my dream job. We are training the next generation of hospice and palliative care leaders, and I am honored to be a part of that.” Lagnese wants to see Family Hospice become the resource for families and physicians in end-of-life care. Welcome aboard!

Coming Up This fall offers many opportunities to get involved in support of Family Hospice. Mark your calendar now for these upcoming events!

Memorial Boat Cruise on the Gateway Clipper Saturday, September 24

Family Treasures Sale III

Saturday, October 8 & Sunday, October 9

Comfort Food: Serving Up Care “To me, food is so important. It gives comfort and strength.” Donned in her chef coat and ballcap, Andrea Weyrauch can’t stop smiling as she moves around the kitchen at the Family Hospice Inpatient Center in Mt. Lebanon. Her passion for impacting the lives of patients and family members through the food she lovingly prepares is contagious. “I get requests all the time, and I honor all of them,” she says matter-of-factly. “If a patient wants filet mignon, which we don’t have here, I get in my car and buy it myself. I bring it back and cook it exactly how the patient wants it. It might be that person’s last meal. I want to be sure it’s a good one!” Her special attention extends beyond the patients to include the whole family. As she delivers breakfast trays each morning, she keeps an eye out for those weary family members who stayed overnight at the bedside of their loved ones so that she can give them a tray as well. “It’s so important that they have food to keep up their strength,” she points out. “I try to make sure the families are just as comfortable as the patient. It’s my job to help them be there for their loved ones.” With eight years of dedicated service (and no sick days), Andrea is also known to come in on her days off at Thanksgiving and Christmas to prepare festive meals for everyone in the center. Her efforts ensure family members can be with their loved ones on the holidays and have the nutrition they need to endure the difficult hospice journey.

Dr. Jennifer Arnold of TLC’s “The Little Couple”

Along with comforting grieving family members, Andrea uses food to celebrate – anything and everything – with special events that bring joy and smiles to patients and family members. Andrea glows as she recounts some of the special times, including a candlelit dinner she formally served for the 65th anniversary of a husband and his wife who was nearing the end of life, and a graduation party she put together after realizing a dying mother was not going to see her daughter graduate from high school.

Read more on the back about how to donate to this year’s sale.

Running for a Cause

“It’s just what I do,” she says humbly.

Your Name Your Street Address City, State, ZIP

Your Email Address

PAY BY CHECK: Make your $1,000 tax-deductible check to Family Hospice & Palliative Care.

Remember Family Hospice 171 on your United Way pledge

Celebration of Life Wall

PAY BY CREDIT CARD: ___ Visa ___ MasterCard ___ American Express ___ Discover Your Card No.

Pictured with the “new” truck are the Friends of Family Hospice: (from left) Jane Johnson, Sheryl Brady, Berenice Hooton, Carol Vockel, Viola Bikerman, Charlotte Simmons, Joan Trombetta, Patricia Lynn, and Carole Gilardi.

Mark your calendar for Saturday and Sunday, October 8 and 9, the dates of this year’s Family Treasures Sale. The Friends began meeting weekly in May to sort and price high quality items.

20 character maximum, including spaces. Please print CLEARLY.

Barbara Ivanko President

Family Hospice’s trusty, rusty van made its final road trip in August of last year. Since that time, the organization had been without a vehicle to pick up and transfer office supplies and equipment from one Family Hospice location to another across our nine-county service area. A vehicle was also needed to pick up donated furniture and to transport items for our fundraising events.

The Friends of Family Hospice was keenly aware of this need and chose to make their largest contribution ever to enable the organization to purchase a used 2013 Chevy truck. A special thank you is extended to Baierl Automotive Group as well for giving Family Hospice a great deal, and for providing a thorough detailing of what is a “new” vehicle for us.

Please engrave the following name into the Celebration of Life Wall:

Thursday, November 10 See back cover for more information.

This newsletter is published two times annually. Permission must be granted for reprinting of articles that appear here. Please direct questions, comments and/or requests to Lynn Helbling Sirinek at 412-572-8874 or lhsirinek@FamilyHospicePa.org Go Green! If you would prefer to receive your copy of our newsletter via e-mail, sign up from the home page of our website or contact Lynn Helbling Sirinek as indicated above.

The family members who say final goodbyes to their loved ones on these special days don’t leave Mt. Lebanon with empty hearts and empty hands. Andrea’s care and comfort is packaged in a holiday meal to go, a simple gesture that has resonated with many family members who are dazed by fresh loss.

Friends Drive Funding for New Truck

Expiration Date

3-Digit Security Code

Mail to: Family Hospice, Development Office, 50 Moffett Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15243

Finishing the 2016 Pittsburgh Marathon in 4 hours, 46 minutes, Tommy Farrington, a selfproclaimed “non-runner”, lovingly honored the memory of his dad, Tom “Burhead” Farrington, who passed away in the care of Family Hospice in 2014.

“My Dad always helped others fighting cancer by selling raffle tickets or holding 50/50 raffles, and I wanted to continue his vision and carry on his spirit,” Tommy says. When Tom’s battle with cancer neared its end, Family Hospice was honored to care for him.

“We finished!” Tommy celebrates. “$8,600 raised for Family Hospice… incredible! We had a wonderful postrace party in honor of my Dad, where a lot of good stories were told and memories shared. He would certainly be proud of our fundraising efforts.” The community’s tremendous support positioned Tommy as the 8th highest individual fundraiser who ran in the Pittsburgh Marathon.

Tommy’s efforts to raise money for Family Hospice will help other patients with life-limiting illnesses and their families to have the support they need to face difficult times. If you or your class, club, or organization may be interested in holding a fundraising event for Family Hospice, contact Christine Jamison, Special Events Coordinator, at 412-572-8812.