Maine Coast Memorial Dedicates Hospice
Suite
Written by Jennifer Osborn
Courtesy
The Ellsworth American
ELLSWORTH — A
hospice suite designed to make a patient’s
last days more comfortable was dedicated
Friday at Maine Coast Memorial Hospital
before several dozen supporters and
employees.
Doug Jones, president and CEO of
Maine Coast Memorial Hospital
presents a gift to Barbara Clark for
her efforts toward creating a
hospice suite at the hospital.
The patient room in the new
Esther W. Bradley Family Care Suite
features a handmade quilt.
The living room is carpeted and
outfitted with a sofa, armoire and
cozy chairs. Family members can
sleep overnight in a room across the
hall.
Joe Murphy, President/CEO of Bar
Harbor Bank & Trust spoke at the
dedication of the The Family Care
Suite as the 2005 Bar Harbor Bank &
Trust Open Golf Tournament proudly
dedicated the proceeds to the
completion of the Suite. |
“We had a
dream, [Dr.] Charlie Alexander and I,” said
Barbara Clark, who marked her last day as
director of Hospice of Hancock County
Friday. “It was his idea.”
The idea began with hospice volunteers
serving in the hospital and continued
through to the Family Care Suite.
The suite has two adjoining rooms, one room
with a bed for the patient and a living room
attached for the family to gather.
The patient bed is covered with a handmade
quilt, donated by the Maine Quilter’s
Association. A wooden cabinet attached to a
wall behind the bed conceals medical
equipment.
The living room is carpeted and outfitted
with a sofa, armoire and cozy chairs.
Family members can sleep overnight in a room
across the hall.
Clark said she and Alexander shepherded the
idea through two administrations,
transitions and contracts between the
hospital and the hospice organization.
“It has endured through all the things we
had to do to make it practical,” Clark said.
“I think today we should celebrate the
endurance of a dream.”
Clark said her mother, for whom the suite is
named, died a beautiful death at the
hospital.
Esther W. Bradley died Feb. 14, 2005.
“The Esther W. Bradley Family Care Suite,
what an awesome resource for our community,”
said Doug Jones, Maine Coast Memorial
Hospital’s president and CEO.
Don Baril, director of development and
public relations, said the suite could be
used by hospice patients or palliative care
patients.
Hospice patients those who are near death. A
palliative care patient is a person with a
debilitating disease that is not going to
get better, said Baril. Perhaps the patient
needs to be stabilized before returning to a
long-term care facility.
Family can be with these patients in a homey
setting, yet have all the hospital’s
resources, Baril said.
“We also have the Merrill suite, which is
another place where people can spend the
night,” said Baril.
"Some of us this stuff we make up as we go
along, depending on what the needs are,”
Baril said.
“We can look at the needs of each of our
individual patients and family members and
try to address them,” said Baril. “That’s an
important luxury of being a community
hospital.” |
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