You Make A Difference: One Volunteer & A Comfort Buddy Make Impact in Patient's Life

​This is a photo of Jack, a Cuyahoga County Western Reserve Navigator palliative care services patient and our volunteer, Bruce, clearly enjoying lunch at a local restaurant.

This trip gave Jack an emotional lift, and also provided his wife a much appreciated break from caregiving. Bruce is a valued member of the Western Reserve Navigator team; his time and talent are greatly appreciated. Our Navigator program specializes in Palliative Care, the medical term for pain and symptom management. Western Reserve Navigator palliative care is a service offered by Hospice of the Western Reserve that may be appropriate for individuals who have been diagnosed with a serious or advanced illness.

When Bruce learned that Jack was beginning to have difficulty relaxing in the evening, he brought him a Comfort Buddy. Comfort Buddies (trade name Warmies, distributed by lntelex) are plush animals that contain lavender-fragranced weighted beads. They can be warmed in a microwave, and clinical tests have shown that they improve patients' overall wellness by reducing agitation, restlessness and anxiety. Jack was pleased with the gift, and named the koala Buddy.

The next photo shows just how effective Buddy is! This is just one wonderful example of the impact Comfort Buddies make. The non-pharmacological method improves the lives of our patients and their caregivers.

Thanks to donations throughout the year, we are able to provide Comfort Buddies to our patients. Comfort Buddies are used to provide reassurance and meaning to a variety of patients, from pediatrics to dementia care.

For every $100 raised or donated to the 2018 Walk to Remember, our largest fundraiser of the year, one of our adorable Comfort Buddies will be given to a Hospice of the Western Reserve patient. You can also purchase your own Junior Comfort Buddy, for an additional $25 donation. You can pick up your Junior Comfort Buddy at Walk to Rememberon June 10 at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

Learn more about the Walk at hospicewr.org/walk. Intereseted in making a difference like Bruce? Volunteer with us! Learn more here.