What is Hospice Care?

Bark of the Blog: Making a 'Paws-itive' Difference as a Four Seasons Volunteer

What a day! I got to meet 38 new volunteers who just completed Four Seasons Volunteer Orientation. Boy, did I get lots of love and treats! Woof! These volunteers, like me, make an amazing difference for our patients and families. We get to do all sorts of fun stuff in helping our clinical staff have more time to spend with our patients and families. We get to go to Elizabeth House and help with pass out the lunch and dinner trays (my favorite part!) and put away laundry into the special closets right next to our patients’ rooms. We also get to visit people in their homes - whether it’s a nursing home, an assisted living facility (ALF) or a regular house.

When you volunteer at Four Seasons, there are many different areas where you can make a difference-it’s almost endless! You can work with patients and families, help with administrative duties in the office, plan special events, and soooo much more that I am just not able to write it all down! If you want to help, too, call us at 692-6178 and the nice people in the volunteer department will answer all your questions. That Donna is really nice - she keeps treats in her office for me, and boy, do I make sure to see her every time I come to the office! Volunteering at Four Seasons is very rewarding and I recommend that all my two- and four- legged friends (we do pet therapy) call in and find out how they can experience this fulfilling volunteer work. And guess what? You even get treats!

Always remember to run and play daily,

Wolfy

Caring for someone who is seriously ill?

We can help!


Check out our e-newsletter for families

Go to:
www.seriousillness.org/fourseasons

Zambia Partnership

Four Seasons has partnered with the Palliative Care Association of Zambia (PCAZ) through the Foundation for Hospices in Sub-Saharan Africa to provide compassionate end-of-life care.

For more information about Four Seasons' Zambia Partnership visit: www.fourseasonscfl.org/zambia.htm

Introducing: Wolfy, Our New Blog Correspondent!

WOLFY

Age: Puppy at heart

Interests: Traveling, visiting patients, going to meetings with Mark, spreading the Four Seasons message of compassion for life, making people smile, TREATS! (especially chicken or steak), having my belly rubbed

Journey to Four Seasons: The first time I visited Elizabeth House (EH), I was kind of scared. I think the people there were scared to see me too, but we all became fast friends. Stay tuned for the rest of my story…

What the people at EH didn’t know about me and what I would like to share with all of you is that I have special training to help people. Mark, my new best friend, tells me I’m a ‘pet therapy’ dog. I love people of all ages and think I’m pretty good at helping them feel warm and fuzzy, especially in stressful situations. I was so grateful for, and inspired by, the care I saw given at Elizabeth House that I have spent the past few years working for Four Seasons in any way that I can. Luckily, they hired me a few days ago to be a correspondent on their blog-howwwwl-lelujah! I can’t wait to share with you all the ways I see Four Seasons spreading compassion throughout Western North Carolina. Whenever you see a post called "Bark of the Blog", that's me!


Always remember to run and play daily,

Wolfy

Countdown begins to the Rob Cranford Classic!

Get excited, Four Seasons friends! The 12th annual golf tournament-The Rob Cranford Classic-is less than a month away...

When: August 6, 2010

Where: Cummings Cove Golf and Country Club

Schedule:

• 11:00 AM: Registration and lunch
• 12:00 noon: Shotgun start
• 5:30 PM: Dinner and awards

For more information, please visit the main Four Seasons website at http://www.fourseasonscfl.org/ or e-mail Stephanie Dylewski at sdylewski@fourseasonscfl.org!

Four Seasons joins Hospice of Rutherford County to form Livability, LLC

Contact Heidi Owen at 828-233-0348

Flat Rock and Forest City— Chris Comeaux, CEO of Four Seasons in Flat Rock, NC and Rita Burch, Executive Director of Hospice of Rutherford County in Forest City, NC announced a joint venture between their respective organizations to help people in Western North Carolina live in their own homes for as long as possible. The collaborative effort called Livability, LLC, is a consulting and retrofitting business that specializes in universal design concepts for home safety and accessibility.

“Four Seasons and Hospice of Rutherford County combine many years of experience in caring for chronically and terminally ill patients and their families,” Comeaux said. “Since the 1980's, both hospices have acquired a reputation of excellence in serving patients in the mountains and foothills, and Livability is an extension of their missions.”

Thousands of people are seeking an alternative to assisted living and skilled nursing facilities. Some require immediate changes in living arrangements due to disability, aging, or chronic conditions. Others simply wish to adapt their homes in preparation for the future. Livability aims to assist all of these individuals by remodeling their current residence, utilizing universal design principles to allow them to remain in the comfort and familiarity of their own home. The Livability team of experienced contrac-tors combine building and design experience with health care knowledge and compassion to create a safe and comfortable environment for those who need it most. Livability will serve homeowners of all ages from all walks of life throughout Henderson, Rutherford, Polk, Transylvania and Buncombe counties.

Heidi Owen, Director of Community Services for Hospice of Rutherford County for the past sixteen years, will serve as Executive Director of Livability. Owen, originally from Etowah and now a resident of Rutherford County, has a bachelors degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina and a masters degree in business administration with a health care concentration from Gardner-Webb University. She is a Certified Fund Raising Executive as well as a Certified Aging in Place Specialist. Owen has served as project manager over construction of all facilities at Hospice of Rutherford County.

“Heidi will ensure that Livability clients are cared for with the same professionalism and compassion that our hospice and palliative care patients expect,” Burch said. “People of all ages will be able to trust that they have received the best service possible.”

For more information about Livability or to request a home assessment, contact Heidi Owen at (828) 233-0348 or visit the Livability website at http://www.livabilityhome.org./