Moments to Remember: A Merry Gathering

Capture-(1).jpg
 

Mrs. Fox, who is receiving care from her Hospice of the Western Reserve team in a Mentor assisted living facility, celebrated St. Patrick’s Day a little early this year thanks to our Moments to Remember program. Joining her in the festivities were about 25 friends and family members.

One of the highlights was a visit by a wonderful bagpipe player dressed in a full Celtic kilt. He donated his services to express his gratitude and give back for the care his father-in-law received from our agency.

 Our volunteer staff baked homemade Irish soda bread and scones for the occasion. All of Mrs. Fox’s children were present, including grandchildren and great-grandchildren, plus friends she has known for many years – more and more people kept arriving all afternoon for the festive gathering!

Lisa Runo, Hospice Nurse Assistant, brought a smile to Mrs. Fox’s face as she sang an Irish lullaby and gave her a shamrock plant. The happy day was filled with song, laughter and love.

Our Moments to Remember program focuses on enhancing the quality of life for hospice patients by giving them the opportunity to see a special request or wish come true. It could be as simple as a providing cookies from a favorite childhood bakery or as intimate as hosting a great-granddaughter’s baby shower at one of our inpatient care units.

As one of the nation’s largest and most experienced nonprofit hospice agencies we offer an unparalleled number of life enrichment events in the Northeast Ohio. Our paid and volunteer staff work on fulfilling over 750 requests each year. The experiences are as diverse as our patients and their interests.

As part of the program, we also host a Meal to Remember on a monthly basis, partnering with local chefs to create a fine dining experience at our inpatient care centers. Patients are also able to visit a place that is meaningful to them through our Flight to Remember program, the first of its kind in the United States.

Patients and families who would like help that is not expressly medical but would make their life more fulfilling should discuss their wishes with their care team or contact Lori Scotese at lscotese@hospicewr.org or at 216.287.8193. Generous support from individual donors, foundations and the community allow us to provide these invaluable memories at no cost to the patient. To donate to our program, click here.

We Can Help

Speak with the referral team by contacting us seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Any first visit and admission can be made the first day.

Northern Ohio's Hospice of Choice

More than 1,000 Hospice of the Western Reserve employees and 3,000 volunteers live and work side-by-side in the same neighborhoods with our patients and families. We are privileged to have cared for more than 100,000 Northern Ohioans since our inception.