Continuum Care VI

From Our Founder

Life is a continuum. How do we address the important end of life issues that we all face with family and loved ones? Death, like birth, is a natural life process that needs to be held as personal and special. The solution is hospice: compassionate, specialized, personalized care for the dying and their loved ones.

The dying person has many concerns and fears: suffering, pain, regression, loss of body and self-control, loss of family and friends and, for some, abandonment. Frustration caused by the inability to complete the simple tasks of life is common. Commonly expressed are fears of "becoming a burden," and of feeling guilt over the impact on their loved one's lives, particularly those involved in day-to-day caregiving. There is also a fear that the caregiver will "burn out," thus deserting the patient at the time of greatest need. There are fears of the unknown. One of the greatest concerns, and greatly affected by all of the above, is the fear of losing one's identity - the terror of "ceasing to be."

As a registered nurse of more than thirty years, I have learned that I am able to practice both the art of nursing and the science of nursing. Hospice is both high tech and high touch. In many ways, providing hospice care has become a ministry for us at Continuum Care.

Over 2,500 patients and their families have entrusted their care to us at the most critical time of their lives. We pledge to be always worthy of that trust. In the pages that follow are the words from some of our families who have received our care and words from some of our care team that have been providing hospice care.

 ...