Reflections - Summer 2019

SUMMER 2019

Masonic Village Hospice

Animals Bring Joy & Comfort to Patients

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have a hard time interacting with people will seem to come alive when they interact with Nala.

“A lot of times, they’ll respond to pets more than they will to people.

I have patients who I can’t get a response out of if I ask their name, but if I take their hand and I reach them out to Nala, they actually wake up,” Bethann said. “It’s a different response there, definitely.”

NALA WALKED EXCITEDLY BESIDE HER OWNER, Bethann Lizzi, one of hospice’s RN case managers. Her tail was wagging, as she knew she was going to visit with patients. As she walked down the hall, she spotted an old friend, Frank Bubbenmoyer.

Frank immediately brightened up with a big smile as he bent over in his wheelchair to pet Nala. He talked to her, and even hand-fed her the treats Bethann gave to him. Bethann asked if he remembered Nala.

“Yes, yes, I remember her,” Frank said with a smile.

A few days a week, Nala can be seen following a nurse on the way to visit with patients like Frank, who are in need of something to brighten their day. Nala is a 15-month-old Golden Lab mix puppy with a special job. She serves different purposes for different patients, but most importantly, Nala brings joy and happiness to those she visits.

When Nala visits patients, accompanied by qualified medical personnel, they react positively and benefit from seeing, touching or talking to Nala. This is called animal-assisted therapy. Although

Nala is not a certified pet therapy dog yet, she is well on her way and already provides countless benefits to the patients she visits.

Some of the benefits that come with animal-assisted therapy are improvements in blood pressure, heart rate, stress and anxiety for patients, as animals have a calming effect. Pet visitation can also help patients who struggle with depression and loneliness and can improve their perceived quality of health. One large benefit animals can bring to patients is the release of the hormone oxytocin (the “happy” hormone) in the brain, which relieves pain.

Bethann has seen improvements in patients’ moods and outlook when they interact with Nala.

“It’s something different, outside of their normal day, that they get to do that kind of brings them back to as much of a normal life as possible,” Bethann said.

Bethann said she believes animalassisted therapy helps patients with dementia the most, as it can help them recall what their lives were like at a time when they owned their own pet.

There are patients who don’t always remember who Bethann is, but they’ll remember Nala and ask about her.

Some of the most heartwarming situations Bethann has seen between Nala and her patients are when Nala senses a person is not feeling well. She has seen Nala jump up on the bed to lay beside and comfort patients who are in pain or near the end of their lives.

“When people are hurting or something’s off, then [the visiting pets] go to that person more than any other person in the room, so the fact that Nala will jump up on the bed with my patients is pretty neat to see,” Bethann said.

Masonic Village Hospice plans to have Nala, and more animals in the future, continue to bring joy as well as memorable and calming experiences to patients and their families during an otherwise difficult time.

Bethann tries to bring Nala to visit only those who seem like they would respond well to her or have responded well to her in the past. Sometimes patients who 3

When Time Stands Still of Masonic Village Hospice, whom she knew from the exercise classes she attends at her local gym.

JILL STAUFFER’S LIFE WAS MOVING FAST. She and her husband were keeping up with their toddler son and had another on the way when time suddenly stopped. In November 2016, Jill’s grandmother, Bea, was diagnosed with cancer after suffering from respiratory issues that she thought were only temporary.

States with their teenage son and daughter for a better way of life.

Jill was deeply impacted by this news, as she had a special bond with her grandmother. “She was just humble and easy to be around,” Jill says. “She loved her family, and we loved her.”

Before her diagnosis, Jill’s mother was the main caregiver for both her parents, so Jill wanted to maintain that support.

Jill had always been inspired by her grandparents, who left everything they knew behind in England when they moved to the United

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Two years before Bea became ill, Jill’s mother was diagnosed with dementia – a shock for a woman in her 60s.

“Unfortunately, my mom couldn’t care for my grandmother like I know she really wanted to,” Jill recalls.

With her uncle living out of state, Jill took the lead on coordinating Bea’s care, which, as weeks passed, became more of a necessity. When the time came, Jill started considering hospice care. She decided to speak with Maureen Dolk-Metcalfe, director

“She gave me all kinds of advice,” Jill recalls. “It was difficult for my grandma because she was such an independent person, and she didn’t want people to have to care for her. She was convinced she would get better.”

When Jill brought up the thought of hospice to Bea, it went as expected.

“She was resistant to accept hospice at first,” Jill recalls. “She was always so healthy, so it was hard for her to give that up. I think, at first, hospice made her feel like she was giving in.”

After hearing from Jill, Maureen visited Bea to explain exactly what hospice is all about.

“I was a full-time teacher, and I was six months pregnant,” Jill said. “I was never going to turn down the extra support; it was just getting her on board. She met Maureen, and I said, ‘Nanna, this is my friend.’”

Bea agreed to start receiving care from hospice in December, but Jill is still positive it was only to appease her. However, immediately, both Bea and Jill started seeing the benefits of hospice care.

“It was a family approach, not a clinical approach,” Jill said. “It was just what we needed because she got sick right around the holidays, which are supposed to be a happy time.”

Jill calls herself a planner, which is a tendency she follows through with, even when it’s difficult.

Her personality made her a perfect fit with her grandmother’s hospice nurse, Bob Heim.

“I had a lot of hard conversations with Bob,” Jill recalls. “I asked him to tell me the truth – what was I going to see in this process? I knew she wanted to make it to see my second son. I asked Bob his thoughts, and he helped me manage my expectations in a kind and gentle way.”

In her career as a school counselor, Jill has to work hard to develop emotional boundries when dealing with the tough situations she sees day in and day out.

She was in awe of the way hospice staff handles the difficult situations they are part of on a regular basis.

“They see people die frequently, but they made us and our journey feel unique,” Jill said. “They treated my grandma like she was their grandma. I just know they worked past their shifts to care for her, but you’d think they work 24/7 because they didn’t make it known.”

In getting to know Bea, hospice staff found she was proud of her service in the British Royal Air Force and decided to conduct a special ceremony for her, featuring a patriotic hand-made blanket designed with the flag of England.

“When he said, ‘Your parents should come,’ I knew it was time. I stayed all night with her, pregnant and in a recliner, because I didn’t want her to die alone.”

Jill went home the next morning to catch a few hours of much-needed sleep, and while she was gone, Bea passed away at age 94 with her daughter and son-in-law by her side.

“My mom got the goodbye she needed,” Jill said.

What happened next still brings tears to her eyes.

“Hospice staff came in to say goodbye to her, because they cared for her so much,” Jill said.

One of Bea’s certified nursing assistants developed a special relationship with her. “She asked to have a moment alone with her to say goodbye,” Jill said. “She put lotion on her and cleaned her up. She wanted to make sure she looked okay and had that dignity even at the end.”

When Jill reflects on those nearly three months of her life, they felt like years. She also feels that she has known the hospice staff her whole life. It was the small things that hospice did that eased Jill’s mind – like bringing in snacks and coffee for her – but it was also the big things.

“Hospice knew how to deliver amazing, loving care to people who were feeling at a loss,” Jill said. “There is no way to repay them, but I hope they really do know how much they are appreciated. I needed them.”

Thanks to you, Jill found the support she needed with Masonic Village Hospice. Hospice staff ensured that Jill was educated and comfortable during her grandmother’s end of life care.

In January 2017, Bea’s health began rapidly declining.

Between working full-time and taking care of her family, Jill relied even more heavily on hospice to be her eyes and ears when she wasn’t able to be by Bea’s side. Luckily, by this time, Jill’s uncle had relocated to Pennsylvania and was able to be a bigger part of his mother’s care.

When Bea’s life journey was down to its final hours, Jill struggled to know when to have her mother come to say goodbye.

“I told Bob, ‘I know you’re not God, but you have to tell me when my parents should come,’” Jill said.

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Family members, staff and local health care providers came together to celebrate life, love and memories at the annual GARDEN PARTY AND BENEFIT. A basket raffle raised more than $1,000 for hospice’s Special Moments Fund, which fulfills last wishes for patients and their families. A special thank you to all the local businesses and partners that donated items for the basket raffle in support of Masonic Village Hospice, as well as the family members who joined us to celebrate their loved ones!

Photos: Hospice staff (top); Jasmine Maloney, social worker, with family member Jennifer Berlet and her daughters (above); hospice family members (above, right); and partnering staff (right).

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Thank You Memorials

Memorials and honors received Feb. 1 - April 30, 2019

MEMORIAL

DONOR

Ronald L. Abel

Kathy Abel

Eleanor F. Baker

Align Wealth Strategies, LLC

Colleagues at IWCO Direct

IWCO Direct

William and Henrietta Keller

Gerry and Joanne Phillips

Arthur John Barto

Shirley and Lynn Redcay

George “Bud” E. Becker

Jack and Jerrie Coffin

Jeanne Geiger

Susan Harclerode

Nancy Blizzard Burkett

Myra Galinn

Patricia A. Clare

Betty Deibert

Julie Dinkel

Richard and Kathleen Amour

Harmon & Davies, P.C.

Robbie Miller

Delmar E. Dressler

William Witmer

M. Manon Duck

Richard Miller

Larry and Gloria Wurster

Herbert P. Eastman

Marilyn, Patty and Mark and Wayne and Linda

Ralph Rydland

Ruth G. Emberger

Robert Emberger

Richard R. Garberich

Ralph and Jane Davis

Robert P. Grogan

Greg and Cheryl Wilhelm

Elizabeth “Libby” H. Harper Patricia Heinbaugh Irene L. Jochen

Al Jochen

Jimmie D. Jones

Dontina Jackson

Myrtle M. Knight

Richard and Kathleen Amour

Richard M. Landis

Doris Longenecker

William R. Loew

Charles F. Snyder Funeral Home

William H. Magill

Ray and Pat Horn

Robert D. McRedmond

Golden Sabers of Harrisburg

Jackie Henry

Carla Hess

Peter Mancuso

Pat and Amy Marshall

Jay and Peggy Nye

Sunny Payne

Donna Van Wert

Sara M. Miller

Susan Hulshizer

Elaine Miller

Cindy Zimmerman

T. Larry Musser

Shirley Bravo

Peg Grimm

Jack and Brenda Herr

Ella Holtzman

John and Pat Musser and Family

Jacob and Nancy Olweiler

Kenneth Peifer

Karina Post

Thomas J. O’Donnell

John and Tammy Harper

Arthur M. Painter

Julia Linn

Ella M. Pannebecker

Loran Getz

Henry and Deb Hauptmann

Harry and Barbara Pannebecker

Gloria G. Pritsch

Roberta Ewing

Dolores F. Shott

Thomas Shott

Robert K. Sloan

Edna Sloan

Thelma J. Steffy

Joanne Balmer

Robert and Deborah Beaton

Helen H. Williamson

Raymond and Estelle Fry

Cathy Gonzalez

Joe and Nancy Hershey

Nick and Mary Ann Jacobs

Don and Shirley Miller

Richard and Rosann Miller

Ed and Carole Rockland

Theda Wagner

Honors HONOR

DONOR

Hospice Caregivers

Audrey Mann

Hospice Staff

Joseph and Barbara Murphy

and Crematory, Inc.

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MASONIC VILLAGE HOSPICE 98 Masonic Drive, Suite 101 • Elizabethtown, PA 17022 717-361-8449 • MasonicVillages.org/care-support/hospice

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.

Masonic Village Hospice cumple con las leyes federales de derechos civiles aplicables y no discrimina por motivos de raza, color, nacionalidad, edad, discapacidad o sexo.

Masonic Village Hospice iss willich, die Gsetze (federal civil rights) vun die Owwerichkeet zu folliche un duht alle Leit behandle in der seem Weg. Es macht nix aus, vun wellem Schtamm ebber beikummt, aus wellem Land die Voreldre kumme sinn, was fer en Elt ebber hot, eb ebber en Mann iss odder en Fraa, verkrippelt iss odder net.