Category: palliative care

Isaacs carries on wife’s legacy by donating

Posted on by Elyse Clayton
Donor Spotlight: Steve Isaacs; picture of Steve with sunglasses in a red shirt.

Steve Isaacs lost his wife when she was 40, and they had no viable options outside of the hospital for her final days. But now, with the staff and volunteers at Caring Hearts and Hands, Isaacs does his part to give back to help others in the same situation, carrying on her legacy.

Can you tell us a bit about your life? Work? Family? 

I am from South Dakota, originally.  At least that is where I lived the longest (my father was in the Air Force). I graduated from SEMO and then from Mizzou Law School. I practiced law for about seven-and-a-half years before leaving to work with my best friend’s advertising company, where I’ve been working for the past 17 or so years.  I have a 15-year-old son named Vince.

How did you learn about Caring Hearts and Hands? 

I was previously married, and my wife Stephanie sadly passed away from breast cancer at the age of 40. We would have loved to have a place for her to spend her final days rather than a hospital, but there were no viable options.  

After her passing, I met and began dating Theresa Rardin, who coincidentally was involved with CHHC. That is what introduced me to the organization. I wanted to be able to honor Stephanie, but also help others who are in her unfortunate situation. I feel like I am carrying on her legacy when I am able to help at CHHC.

What draws you to the organization’s mission? 

Mainly the fact that I have been in the exact same situation as the families they serve today. I know how unbelievably difficult it is. To have an organization that helps take care of one of the most anxiety-producing parts of that journey—the end-of-life stage—is very important.

What is the most rewarding part about CHHC?

Knowing that they are taking some of the burden off of the families, while also often times fulfilling the patient’s desire not to die in a hospital.  

Potts family finds comfort at CHHC

Posted on by Elyse Clayton

Caring Hearts and Hands of Columbia was privileged to be part of the life of one of its first guests, David Potts. Volunteers were able to provide the care he and his family needed in his final days. David stayed at the home for 11 days and passed away on his 12th. His wife, Janet, and his two sons, Mike and Greg, were all able to be with him in that time.

“We just felt like he got wonderful care,” Janet shared, “We were just so thrilled to be able to get the services offered.”

After David fell and went to the hospital, the social worker started talking about nursing homes, but he was adamant that he did not want to go to one. So the social worker told the family about Caring Hearts and Hands.

“We’d never heard of it. And my husband said, ‘That’s where I’d like to go,'” Janet explained. “The timing was just perfect. It was just absolutely the most wonderful thing that could have happened.”

Mike and Greg both came in from out of state and were able to stay with their parents.

The Help of Volunteer Caregivers

The family felt that the volunteers at the home went above and beyond. When David wanted a certain meal, whether that be shrimp, ribs or a McDonald’s sausage biscuit, they would go right out and get it. David developed a good relationship with one of his evening caretakers and had several deep conversations. Another caretaker brought Janet flowers, candies and a card for Mother’s Day, and helped David sign the card and make her a video.

“She really didn’t have to do that, but it was nice of her,” Janet said. “She gave the card to him and he signed it. And then he did a video of saying that I know you’re not my mother, but Happy Mother’s Day and that you’ve done a good job being a mother to our two sons. It’s very touching.”

Paying It Forward

After their experience in our home, Janet, Mike and Greg all made donations to Caring Hearts and Hands so that the home could serve our next guest with the same level of attention and care.

“My husband just thought that it was the perfect place for him. He needed to be there, and he was happy to to be there.”

Janet Potts

Our home seeks to do more than just provide a comfortable place and provide for guests and their families physically, because emotional and spiritual needs must be met with the same compassion and love. We are happy that we could offer a safe, warm and loving environment to David, Janet, Mike and Greg.

“I got a lot of hugs,” Janet said. “Those volunteers give good hugs.”

Social model hospice homes can change end-of-life care

Posted on by Brandi Herrman

According to an article written by Dr. Karen Wyatt, a hospice and family physician, there are six reasons why the social model home hospice home is a much-needed solution for end-of-life care. Wyatt, an expert on the topic of end-of-life care, has written a book on the subject: “What Really Matters: 7 Lessons for Living from the Stories of the Dying.”

The following are reasons for the social model home are taken verbatim from a longer article from the Huffington Post.

1. Shortage of family caregivers.

According to a study reported by AARP Public Policy Institute, there will be a severe shortage of family caregivers as the Baby Boom generation ages and faces the end-of-life. While there are currently seven potential family caregivers for every patient, this ratio is expected to drop to 3:1 by 2050.

2. Shortage of paid caregivers.

In addition, a study published in the Health Affairs journal in June indicates that “at least 2.5 million more long-term care workers will be needed to look after older Americans by 2030.”

3. Need for family respite. 

The Institute of Medicine’s 2014 report Dying in America points to a current need for respite and support for family caregivers to help avoid burnout and resulting emergency hospitalizations. Social model hospice homes can provide respite care as well as terminal care, allowing for much-needed rest for exhausted caregivers.

4. Need for home renovation for safety and mobility.

The IOM report “Dying in America” also cites a “lack of publicly-funded programs for retrofitting homes for safety features and wheelchair accessibility. Social model hospice homes are already designed to meet safety and mobility standards and can eliminate the need for expensive renovations to family homes.”

5. Cultural barriers to hospice care.

Some of these barriers include a lack of cultural diversity in hospice staff, mistrust of the healthcare system, and worry about insurance coverage and cost of care. The community-based social model hospice home has the potential to overcome some of these barriers by utilizing volunteers and caregivers from the patient’s own cultural group and neighborhood, by functioning largely outside the health care system, and by eliminating financial concerns through unique funding streams.

6. Reduction in Medicare payments for hospice and home care.

Under the social model of care for the dying, there is no federal or state funding because these homes do not function as medical facilities. In many states, they are licensed under the Department of Social Services rather than the Department of Health. Social model hospice homes rely on foundations and grants, community fundraising, and contributions from individual donors for funding.

Why I care about Caring Hearts and Hands of Columbia

Posted on by Brandi Herrman

When my husband joined our church, he got to know a woman named Deborah. Deborah took to my husband immediately. As soon as she heard he worked in IT, he became her de facto personal expert on all things technical. He helped her with her phone settings and her internet connectivity at home. And, as you do in families, I came along to help out when a modem needed attention. And so did our kids. 

Deborah became a family friend. 

She absolutely loved our family and our kids. And we all loved her. 

Deborah was deeply religious and also loved her church family. Her husband had passed away recently, and her kids all lived far enough away that she was alone most of the time. Her primary connection was to her church community. Everyone seemed to know Deborah and Deborah knew everyone at church. 

We went out to dinner with her after church at times. She introduced us to her late husband’s favorite pizza, the Tarkio Farm Girl – an off-the-menu option at Shakespeare’s Pizza, a local pizza joint. 

Then Deborah was diagnosed with cancer. And, as things typically go with cancer, it was fast and excruciatingly slow at the same time. She had surgery, but also needed to undergo intensive chemotherapy. Days felt like years, but doctors’ appointments seemed to speed by, leaving little time for gut-wrenching decisions. 

Her children were hours away, all with busy lives and jobs that were demanding, and they couldn’t be there every day. Her son was always on the phone during important doctor’s appointments, but he lived 7+ hours away. 

Family at church
Deborah’s birthday.

So, my husband and I began to attend her medical appointments with her, taking notes, emailing them to family members, and helping her navigate the barrage of information that came her way at every appointment. If anyone has experienced chemotherapy, you know that “chemo brain” is a real thing. Things get foggy. Now, add to that the constant information that comes at you rapid-fire. It was overwhelming – for all of us. 

We grew closer, and we knew that we would, along with a group of others from the church, be part of the team to help her as the cancer began to take over. We brought food. We checked in. We all texted each other – talking about Deborah and how she was doing. We were the day-to-day people in her life. But her financial situation wasn’t the best, and since she wasn’t able to work, her savings was being depleted quickly. 

When we knew the end was near – the chemo was more than Deborah could take – we had to have some seriously heart-wrenching conversations. I remember the day I took Deborah to the hospital. She hadn’t been able to eat in a few days, was dehydrated, and just needed attention. Then, we saw a social worker who began to discuss palliative care, and I knew we were talking about the end now. 

I learned about hospice. I learned what hospice could do – provide nurses to come to the house to check on Deborah, help with end-of-life planning, focus on the grief of the family and friends. But what it couldn’t do? It couldn’t be there 24/7. Hospice couldn’t help Deborah when she got sick in the middle of the night. Or when she needed to use the bathroom. Or make sure she had watermelon on hand – the only thing Deborah wanted while sick from chemo. 

My husband and I worked full-time. We had two small children. How would we be able to make sure Deborah was cared for? We didn’t know exactly how much longer she would be with us, but we wanted her to be cared for and to be comfortable in her final days. We also didn’t know where to begin with a nursing home or if there were any that she could afford, given her financial situation. 

In the end, Deborah was able to spend her last days at home, surrounded by family members. We got to meet them in person – rather than over the phone and by email – and they were able to see just how deeply her church family cared for her.  

After Deborah’s passing, a friend at church introduced Dave and I to Doreen and Jackie, two palliative care nurses with a vision. These two women are warriors, wanting to help people like Deborah. By creating Caring Hearts and Hands, they have created a way to help people who need care as they reach the end of their lives. 

Christmas gift giving
Our last Christmas together.

If it hadn’t been for Deborah, we never would have understood this need in our community. I’m not even sure I’d know what the word “palliative” means. But, Deborah led us here. We are passionate about the need for end-of-life care, especially for those who cannot afford nursing home care, those who want to spend their last days in a home setting, and those who don’t have family who can care for them in their last days. 

Caring Hearts and Hands of Columbia will provide a service greatly needed in our community. It will provide care in a respectful and caring way as people come to the end of their lives. Please help make a home for Caring Hearts and Hands a reality in the mid-Missouri area.

Deborah loved our kids almost as much as my son loves his stuffed puppy.

Community Conversation: End-of-life care

Posted on by Brandi Herrman

Saturday, April 24
9:30 a.m. – Noon
Livestreamed at https://www.facebook.com/Caring-Hearts-and-Hands-of-Columbia-104862761099720

Caring Hearts and Hands of Columbia will facilitate a conversation with experts.

Miranda Lewis Image

Miranda Lewis, the niece of Nancy Cruzan, speaks from family experience about dying with dignity. Lewis’ family was in the midst of a public court case in the late 1980s that led to a right-to-die case that transfixed the nation. The case would end up going to the Supreme Court and result in a 5-4 decision that led Cruzan’s feeding tube to be removed after eight years in a vegetative state.

Dr. Kate Grossman, a pulmonary and critical care physician at Boone Health, will speak about the need to respect the wishes at the end of life. Grossman has been involved in the end-of-life decisions of those who are making critical decisions. Grossman will provide a helpful perspective on the importance of respecting the wishes of those who near the end of their lives.

Saturday, April 24 9:30 a.m. - Noon Livestreamed at https://www.facebook.com/Caring-Hearts-and-Hands-of-Columbia-104862761099720 Caring Hearts and Hands of Columbia will facilitate a conversation with experts. Miranda Lewis, the niece of Nancy Cruzan, speaks from family experience about dying with dignity. Lewis' family was in the midst of a public court case in the late 1980s that led to a right-to-die case that transfixed the nation. The case would end up going to the Supreme Court and result in a 5-4 decision that led Cruzan's feeding tube to be removed after eight years in a vegetative state. Dr. Kate Grossman, a pulmonary and critical care physician at Boone Health, will speak about the need to respect the wishes at the end of life. Grossman has been involved in the end-of-life decisions of those who are making critical decisions. Grossman will provide a helpful perspective on the importance of respecting the wishes of those who near the end of their lives.

A giant leap forward

Posted on by Brandi Herrman

Caring Hearts and Hands is another step closer to opening a home for those in need of end-of-life care. The employees of Veterans United Home Loans, through their charitable non-profit Veterans United Foundation, have contributed $10,000 toward our goal.

“This donation will most certainly get us closer to opening our doors,” said Jackie Reed, Cofounder of Caring Hearts and Hands of Columbia. “I can’t wait to serve the people in Columbia who will be in need of our services.”

Caring Hearts and Hands was founded as a 501c3 nonprofit by Jackie Reed and Doreen Rardin, who worked together as palliative care nurses. They worked with people as they were at the end of their lives, and knew there were some who had no family or friends to care for them. And many were unable to pay for nursing care. They needed a safe and comforting place to spend their last days, without financial worries.

This gift is exciting for every board member and volunteer who has worked toward this goal, including Patrick Lee, board chair, who knows this gift puts them that much closer to their ultimate goal.

“When we open our first home in Columbia, we will be able to provide a place where the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of our guests and their families are met with compassion, love and respect,” said Lee.

Caring Hearts and Hands of Columbia is accepting donations toward its goal to open a home to care for those at the end of their lives. Any contribution is greatly appreciated.

Paul Pepper interviews co-founders

Posted on by Brandi Herrman

“There’s a group of people that we were missing,” says DORREEN RARDIN, retired coordinator of palliative care at Boone Hospital Center in Columbia. That “group of people” is anyone with a serious illness who can’t be cared for outside of a hospital setting for one reason or another. To help ease the financial burden, Dorreen and JACKIE REED are starting ‘Caring Hearts and Hands of Columbia’, which will allow for the patient to come ‘home’, free of charge.

https://www.kbia.org/post/paul-pepper-dorreen-rardin-and-jackie-reed-caring-hearts-and-hands-columbia?fbclid=IwAR1v5PYNj5bWcIqAYufSc5Iqcf_zvUMs3fY0z4la8F3k9LuTquR7SJOGkeg#stream/0