IN THIS ISSUE

November is National Hospice & Palliative Care Month

Congratulations to HSM Volunteer Sarah Liziewski

Welcome New Board Member!

Moya Elliot 

Buy a Bouquet to Support HSM

What's Coming Up?

Fall Appeal 2022

Don Campbell Band Benefit Concert

Holiday Grief Support Groups

Ask the Experts Webinars



QUICK LINKS

Upcoming Grief Support Groups

Tips for Grieving During the Holidays

Volunteer with HSM

Maine Health Care Advance Directive Form

November is National Hospice & Palliative Care Month

Welcome sweet November, the season of senses and my favorite month of all.

-Gregory F. Lenz

It's that time of year again! November is National Hospice Month. To celebrate, we are shedding light on how hospice makes a difference in people's lives, with a special focus on its unique ability to meet you where you are. In the literal sense, this refers to the fact that hospice is not a physical place but a philosophy of care that can be provided anywhere. Hospice care teams come to their patients wherever they call home, whether that's their house, assisted living facility, or even their car. 

Meeting you where you are also refers to the way hospice providers tailor their care to meet the unique physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of their patients. The hospice caregiver's job is to work with each patient and that patient's support system to ensure their priorities and goals are met. This might mean being able to attend their daughter's wedding like it did for Becky, or it could mean staying in their own home, pain-free, through end of life. Whatever a patient's wish may be, their care team is there to make it possible.

As we spread awareness about the benefits of hospice this month, please join us in celebrating the exceptional hearts and hands that make it all possible: our tireless employees and volunteers! Use the button below to send them a message of gratitude.

Congratulations to HSM Volunteer Sarah Liziewski

Pictured left to right: Barbara Price, Volunteer Coordinator; Sarah Liziewski; Kathy Leddy, Volunteer Services Manager; Andrea Krasker Gavin, Volunteer Administrative Assistant.

We recently recognized hospice volunteer Sarah Liziewski for her service to HSM by naming her the 2022 recipient of the Agnes Flaherty Distinguished Service Award. Sarah began volunteering with HSM in 2013 after her husband Dan died of pancreatic cancer. Dan received HSM's services and spent his final hours at Gosnell. For Sarah, volunteering is a way to honor her husband and to help others going through the same difficult experience her family did.

Sarah volunteers with HSM in many capacities, including at events and in the office, but she dedicates the majority of her time to our PawPrints program at Gosnell Memorial Hospice House.

Pictured above: Sarah (L) with pup Nell and a friend at Hike for Hospice.

Sarah and her two therapy dogs, Piper and Nell, visit Gosnell every week to be with patients and their loved ones. Through each interaction, Sarah witnesses the profound comfort that dogs can provide, and is awed by the gratitude of those they visit. In one instance, they visited the room of a patient who had had to surrender her dog to the shelter earlier that day. She was experiencing a lot of pain, but Nell's presence and gentle nature brought comfort and joy into the room. It is amazing the impact our volunteers can have!

Sarah says her work with Hospice of Southern Maine gives her life a beautiful sense of purpose and she knows Dan would be so proud of her. We wholeheartedly agree. We are so fortunate to have volunteers like Sarah whose kindness knows no bounds. Our care would not be the same without the invaluable contributions of our volunteer family.

Are you interested in becoming a hospice volunteer? 

Visit our website or email us at [email protected]

for more information and details about our next training.

Welcome New Board Member!

We're pleased to announce that Moya Elliot joined our Board of Directors in August. Moya is a Financial Advisor working with individuals in the southern Maine community. In addition to her professional background, Moya has a firsthand understanding of Hospice of Southern Maine's mission; both her husband, Chuck, and her mother, Rosemary, received HSM's services. She is dedicated to spreading hospice awareness so that other families can have the same, positive end-of-life experience that hers did. Welcome, Moya!

Buy a Bouquet to Support HSM

Flowers can make someone's day and spread smiles, and now they can also support hospice care for patients and their loved ones in southern Maine! HSM has been selected as the November recipient of Hannaford's Bloomin' 4 Good Program. For the whole month of November, the purchase of any Bloomin' 4 Good bouquet with the red circle sticker from the Scarborough Hannaford at 31 Hannaford Drive off Route One will result in a $1 donation to HSM.

Please help us spread the word and visit Hannaford in Scarborough to pick up a bouquet this month. We appreciate your support!

What's Coming Up?

Keep an Eye Out for Our Fall Appeal

This year's Fall Appeal is on its way to you! Inside you'll find a very special story about Becky, a HSM patient whose care team at Gosnell Memorial Hospice House was able to fulfill her dream of attending her daughter's wedding. We can't wait for you to read how your support helps create meaningful, one-of-a-kind experiences for those in our care.

Don Campbell Band's Holiday Concert for Hospice Caregivers

Join us on December 18th for the Don Campbell Band's holiday concert to benefit Hospice of Southern Maine! Don Campbell is a local musician whose mother recently received services from HSM. Don was so moved by the care that she and their family received that he has decided to put on a free community concert and collect donations for HSM! The show will be held at the Scarborough High School Auditorium at 2pm on December 18th. For more information and to donate, please visit Don's GoFundMe page.

Free Holiday Bereavement Support Groups Starting Soon

HSM is offering three free holiday grief support groups beginning in November and December. Two will be held virtually over Zoom and one will meet in person at our Hospice Center in Scarborough. The holiday season can be difficult for those coping with loss and many people benefit from extra support. Please contact our bereavement team or visit our website if you are interested in participating in a group.

Free Upcoming Webinar: The Many Faces of Grief 

Join us on Tuesday, November 29th at 11:30am for a live presentation from Bereavement Services Manager, Kelly Blanchette, on the many faces of grief. Kelly will discuss the different ways we are affected by grief, including anticipatory grief prior to a loss, and how we struggle to cope after a loss is experienced.

To register or to view past presentations, please visit the Ask the Experts website.

As we head into the season of giving, we hope you will keep HSM in mind when planning your year-end gifts. Any donation, no matter the size, makes a difference for the patients and families in our care. 

On behalf of all those we serve, we thank you for your support.

 Hospice of Southern Maine 390 US Route 1, Scarborough, ME 04074

Phone: (207) 289-3640 / Fax: (207) 883-1040 / Email: [email protected]

www.hospiceofsouthernmaine.org

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