November 2018 Newsletter - Harmony Hospice

November, 2018 Newsletter

Honoring life by providing compassionate care, comfort, and dignity.

www.harmonyhospice.org

Brianna Henderson, LMSW

Executive Director

Harmony Hospice

Alzheimer's Touches Us All

This month is special to Harmony Hospice. Many of our patients live with Alzheimer's. It's a disease that not only affects the patient, but also their loved ones and caregivers.

It's painful to watch the disintegration of both physical and mental capacities in your loved one. The confusion as they forget things about their life is disheartening. As the disease progresses, they often forget you and this is extremely difficult.

As an agency, we are fully supporting Tucson's Walk to End Alzheimer's on November 10th. The annual fundraiser is important because it helps the Alzheimer's Association continue their work to build awareness and fund research for a cure. I invite you to join us in support of their important work.

Facts About Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, which is a general term for the loss of memory and intellectual abilities. Alzheimer's disease is fatal and there is no cure. It is a slow-moving disease that starts with memory loss and ends with severe brain damage.[1]
According to the Alzheimer’s Association’s Facts and Figures report, an estimated 45% of American seniors 85 and older suffer from Alzheimer’s, and one in eight people aged 65 and over (13%) has Alzheimer’s disease. It is the most common cause of dementia among older adults.[2]
Alzheimer's disease is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States. More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's. Every 66 seconds, someone in the United States develops Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's Association 2017 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures.

Sources: [1] cnn.com · [2] aplaceformom.com · [3] alz.org

If you'd like to join our team, contact our volunteer coordinator Kenya Romero at (520) 284-9334. Or, if you'd like to make a donation directly to our local chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, click on the link below.

To learn more or Donate...Click Here

Special Thanks to The Forum

for their continued support of our Food for Thought lunchtime educational series.

November

Food for Thought

Alzheimer's Support Along the Way

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Noon - 1:00p.m.

The impact of Alzheimer's and other types of dementia can be overwhelming, but no one needs to go on this journey alone. Learn about the variety of services and resources available to help you cope with all aspects of the disease and its progression.

Special Guest Presenter: Lisa Brazil, Community Resource Manager, Alzheimer's Association of Southern Arizona

Alzheimers Support! Sign me up!

2018 Walk to End Alzheimer's

Come walk with Harmony Hospice!

November 10, 2018 at 9:00a.m. we will be joining caring Tucsonans walking in support of Alzheimer's awareness. You are welcome to join us.

Call Kenya at (520) 284-9334

Harmony Hospice is proud of our status as a "Favorite" during the 2018 Arizona Daily Star Reader's Choice Awards.

Staff Highlight

Samantha Farrell, RN

Patient Care Manager

Samantha Farrell was born and raised in South Africa. As a student nurse she scrubbed her share of bedpans, trained as a midwife, delivered lots of babies and later became a psychiatric nurse. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing after moving to Arizona.

At age 16, after reading Elisabeth Kubler-Ross' book On Death and Dying, Samantha's life was changed. "I visited a hospice home in Johannesburg and thought this is how nursing should be."

Samantha's first job in the United States was as a night and weekend on call nurse. She worked for no pay, but in the end, she earned a green card and lots of experience in a field she loved.

When asked what special skill a person needs when choosing to work with hospice patients, Sam replied, "An open heart. Our minds can be so filled with all our own 'stuff' but we need to be able to leave that at the door. We need to be open and available to our patients...to hold the space for them so they can feel safe to share."

What's most invaluable to Samantha is knowing she's touched someone's life. She added, "Hopefully we've created a little bit of peace in their world and brought comfort to the person and their family. It's worth all the heartache we sometimes feel."

To unwind, Sam confesses to being a Netflix addict! "When I am not on a Netflix binge, I am a yogi. Love to walk, hang out with my family... simple things."

We are so happy to welcome Samantha

to the Harmony Hospice team.

Phone (520) 284-9334 | Fax (520) 284-7966 | info@harmonyhospice.org

website: www.harmonyhospice.org