Charyl “Sam” Ricketts, BS, RNC, community liaison for UM Chester River Home Care & Hospice, talked with veterans and their families about hospice and palliative care at the Baltimore VA Medical Center last week.
University of Maryland Chester River Home Care & Hospice partnered with the Veterans Administration in Baltimore last week in honor of Veterans Day, according to Charyl “Sam” Ricketts, BS, RNC, community liaison for UM Chester River Home Care & Hospice. During the Hospice and Palliative Care Week at the Baltimore VA Medical Center in downtown Baltimore, UM Chester River Home Care and Hospice sponsored a table with material describing end-of-life-care options in Kent and Queen Anne’s counties.
In addition to providing information to veterans and their families, Ricketts appreciated the opportunity to talk with veterans and thank them for their service. “Veterans have made huge sacrifices for us all,” she observes. “At present, more than 1000 World War II veterans are dying every day in the United States, and many are of them are seen in home care and hospice programs. They deserve stellar end-of-life care.”
Ricketts estimates that in the course of a year, nearly one-third of patients receiving hospice care from UM Chester River Home Care & Hospice are veterans of the U.S. military.
With the shared goal of making sure that veterans receive comprehensive information about choices and services available to them at the end of life, Ricketts and other UM Chester River Home Care & Hospice staff have formed a strong cooperative relationship with staff of the VA Maryland Health Care System “End of Life” program. Notes Cindy Dresser, RN, coordinator of that program, “We love working with our Eastern Shore hospice partners. They do an excellent job with our veterans and they know how to solve problems quickly and efficiently. They provide fantastic care.”
According to Ricketts, “The end of life is not when anyone wants to have to plow through regulations and forms. You want to provide the most comfort and kindness, and the best symptom management for the patients and their families. For a patient in crisis, our having an optimal working relationship with the VA and with Cindy Dresser has been a huge help in cutting through the red tape. The VA Maryland Health Care System supports us and veterans in providing the best care possible.”
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