LAURINBURG — Scotland Regional Hospice has made some changes to the staffing structure at its inpatient facility, Morrison Manor. These changes will allow the facility to increase its occupancy from 6 to 10 patients with a nurse to patient ratio of 1:5 or fewer at all times. Morrison Manor can now offer exceptional end-of-life care to even more patients, but encouraging those with life-limiting illnesses to utilize these services requires erasing the stigma that is often associated with hospice houses.
As part of its National Hospice and Palliative Care Month activities in November, Scotland Regional Hospice used a series of puzzles to quiz hundreds of people in the community on their hospice knowledge. Over 80% of respondents felt that patients were only admitted to Morrison Manor in the final moments of life so that they can pass away peacefully and free from pain. The belief that hospice inpatient facilities only offer a quiet place to die is one of the biggest misconceptions associated with hospice care.
Morrison Manor offers three levels of care – general inpatient (GIP), routine, and respite care. All levels of care are intended to be short term.
“Being home, in familiar surroundings with loved ones is where hospice patients should be,” said Dr. Valeriana Esteves-Jute, Scotland Regional Hospice medical director. “Home is where people want to be at the end-of-life. It’s our mission to do everything we can to make that happen.”
For patients whose pain and symptoms are difficult to control near the end of life, his/her family may opt to have their loved one pass away in comfort at Morrison Manor. Late hospice referrals and instances of patients suffering sudden illness or injury are other reasons that a Morrison Manor admission may be chosen over home care. If possible, the first choice is always to allow the patient to enjoy the time that they have left in the place that they call home.
GIP, Morrison Manor’s most common level of care, is designed for those patients whose symptoms become so severe that providing adequate care in their home setting becomes challenging. Patients can be transferred temporarily to Morrison Manor to receive round-the-clock care from the facility’s skilled staff.
“Many of our patients come by for what I call tune-ups,” explained Esteves-Jute. “They may be fighting an infection, or have short-term symptoms that we cannot easily treat at home. We bring them to Morrison Manor, give them a tune-up, make them feel better, and send them back home.”
Respite care is a Medicare benefit that offers hospice patients a five day stay per month to provide a brief respite for the patient’s primary caregiver. The hospice staff develops an individualized plan of care with each patient and family that it serves. Since respite patients typically do not need additional care outside of that plan, they receive the benefits of 24-hour inpatient care without meeting the criteria to qualify for inpatient care. In an effort to improve the quality of life, the Morrison Manor staff takes the opportunity to pamper their temporary visitors with exceptional comfort care and companionship. As a result, Esteves-Jute playfully refers to respite care as spa days.
“Many patients do not want to come to Morrison Manor because they are afraid that they will never leave,” explained Esteves-Jute. “Respite days are our opportunity to gain their trust and to show them that they do not have to be afraid of (Morrison Manor). We use those spa days to provide them with physical comfort and give them some peace of mind. Some of them are already planning their next visit before they leave to go back home.”
Since it provides some relief to patients and caregivers, those that experience respite care tend to utilize the benefit as often as possible. Current hospice patient Jack Mathews has received respite care on multiple occasions. His vibrant personality and gift for storytelling has made him a bit of a celebrity around the halls of Morrison Manor.
“I’ve been sick for about a year and-a-half now and (was admitted) to hospice a few weeks ago,” shared Mathews. “My wife is retired, but does quite a bit of volunteer work and she was needing a break. I came (to Morrison Manor) so that my wife could spend some time upstate with her daughter. They’ve been having a ball.”
“This place absolutely blows my mind,” Mathews continued. “They do wonders for a lot of people in this community. It really makes a difference. I’ve been right here in this county, but I’ve never been aware of what a serious job (the hospice staff) does. They are so good to me. I’m grateful.”
Scotland Regional Hospice also offers a routine level of care at Morrison Manor. This level is provided to those hospice patients who do not meet the criteria for a general inpatient visit, but circumstances have left them needing a place to stay longer than the 5-day respite benefit allows. This is a self-pay service often utilized by those waiting to be placed in a long-term care facility, whose caregivers become unavailable, or whose home environment has become unsafe.
Even with routine care, a discharge plan has to be in place at the time of admission. In every level of care, the goal is always to have patients spend their final moments in the place that they call home with those that they love.
Early admission is the best way to receive all of the benefits of hospice care. Many people are eligible for hospice care long before they are referred. Anyone can make a hospice referral. For more information on hospice care, please call Scotland Regional Hospice at 910-276-7176 or visit www.scotlandhospice.org.
