Providing compassionate in-home and out-patient care in Plymouth, NH

Jenn Stewart Selected for Mary Ellen LaRoche Scholarship

“Jennifer Stewart is a go-getter with excellent clinical skills who cares deeply for her patients and has a commitment to community-based nursing,” says Julie Reynolds, Alliance Board President. Stewart was chosen for the annual Mary Ellen LaRoche Nursing Scholarship.

Stewart has been a licensed practical nurse for seven years and is enrolled at NHTI to become an RN. She serves as her agency’s infection control nurse, teaches wound care skills to RNs, and is actively involved in COVID testing and vaccinating homebound patients.

The Mary Ellen LaRoche Nursing Scholarship supports individuals currently employed in home healthcare or hospice working towards an associate, bachelor’s, or advanced nursing degree. The scholarship honors Mary Ellen LaRoche, the executive director of Carroll County Health & Home Care in Chocorua, until her death in 2009. She was a mentor to paraprofessionals and nursing staff throughout her career.

“The need for highly educated nurses is growing. We are delighted to be able to support New Hampshire nursing students who will bring diverse and valuable perspectives to the field,” said Home Care, Hospice & Palliative Care CEO Gina Balkus.

Applicants for the Mary Ellen LaRoche Nursing Scholarship must be employed by a member agency, be enrolled in an educational program for at least a year, have a GPA of at least 3.0 and be recommended by a supervisor.

The Home Care, Hospice & Palliative Care Alliance membership includes not-for-profit and proprietary agencies serving New Hampshire. Member agencies provide services to thousands of New Hampshire residents of all ages recovering from surgery, injury, or illness, chronic or terminal illnesses, or other conditions needing support at home.

~written by Leslie Hammond

6th Annual Battle of the Sexes Tennis Tournament Scheduled for September 19th

 

Pemi-Baker Community Health (PBCH) is excited to announce that the Waterville Valley charity event, “Battle of the Sexes Tennis Tournament” will be held on the outdoor, clay courts on Sunday, September 19th 2021. Doubles men’s teams will compete against doubles women’s teams in hour long battles on the court as well as competition for overall moneys raised for PBCH’s Palliative & Hospice Care.

The generosity of our players, sponsors, and donors has raised $30,000 over the past six years for PBCH and hopes are high for bragging rights this year. You can join in the fun by registering your doubles team; players are participating from all over the state. In past years, Pirates, Roaring Twenties Flappers, Cowboys and Pink Diva costumes have added to the fun and given players point advantages. Players can also ‘buy’ mulligans / serves during play which of course adds to the proceeds and fun.

There are many other ways to get involved if you don’t want to battle it out on the tennis court. An auction site has been set up to buy raffle tickets for wine baskets, photography/artwork and more. You can also help your favorite team win the ‘Moneys Raised’ competition by donating on the auction site towards your favorite team: ‘Men’ or ‘Women’. www.32auctions.com/Battle2021

If you would rather be a spectator watching the shenanigans and banter, we encourage you to join us courtside on the 19th. Teams will be competing from 2-5pm and prizes will be given out at the after-party at the Wild Coyote Grill located in the White Mountain Athletic Club. Raffle tickets can also be bought at Pemi-Baker Community Health, courtside during the competitions and at the after-party. Many thanks to our sponsors Waterville Valley Realty and Roper Real Estate!

For more information about how you can get involved, please look on our events page.

With over 50 years of experience, serving clients from 28 towns in central and northern New Hampshire, Pemi-Baker Community Health is committed to creating healthier communities. Services include at-home healthcare (VNA), hospice and palliative care, on-site physical and occupational therapy and aquatic therapy in their 90-degree therapy pool. Providing compassionate care with experienced staff who are trained, certified professionals in the business because of their hearts. In your time of need, we’re right where you need us.

PBCH is located at 101 Boulder Point Drive, Plymouth, NH. To contact us please call: 603-536-2232 or email: info@pbhha.org  Like our Facebook Page: @PBCH4

~written by Anna Swanson

Alzheimer’s at the Movies

Over the past twenty years, several interesting feature films have been produced which explore the significance of Alzheimer’s Disease and its impact on patients and their families and caregivers.

For her performance as Alice Howland in 2014’s “Still Alice”, Julianne Moore received the Academy Award for Best Actress.  The film is based on a novel of the same title by Lisa Genova, herself a neuroscientist.  The film is the story of Alice Howland, an esteemed professor of linguistics at New York City’s Columbia University.  The story takes us from Alice’s first suspicions that something is amiss, through her diagnosis with Early Onset Alzheimer’s Disease, her various losses, and concluding with a touching scene featuring Alice’s free-spirited actress daughter Lydia who has assumed responsibility for her care.

As the story unfolds, we witness Alice and her family confront and come to terms with many of the challenges posed by Alzheimer’s Disease.  Alice’s particular form of the disease is called “familial”, meaning that in her family line, there have already been two or more relatives with the malady.  Since Alice is only fifty, her diagnosis is termed “early onset”.  The question is raised as to whether Alice’s three grown children want to be tested to determine if they are susceptible to the illness.  Daughter Lydia chooses not to.  Son Tom and the elder daughter Anna do want to be tested.  Anna is pregnant.  Though she is positive for the test, she follows through in giving birth to her twins.  This complex of factors are among several story lines in this captivating film.  Others include:  Alice’s secret preparations to end her own life when her memory loss and functioning progress to a certain point, her lingering desire to make a contribution to others living with the same disease, and family decisions around Alice’s care in conflict with the reality that “Life goes on”. Through all this, we see Alice’s progressive deterioration through the loss of her teaching career, her advancing inability to recognize those closest to her, disorientation within her own home, an interrupted suicide attempt, her husband’s decision to relocate in favor of his professional betterment, and the loving self-sacrifice of Lydia to care for her.  Despite the wasting away of the many qualities that made her the person she had been, she remains “still Alice” in a brief moment of recall when she is able to identify the importance of love.

In preparation for her role as Alice, Julianne Moore did extensive research about Alzheimer’s Disease.  Sadly, it also fell to her to dedicate her reception of the Academy Award to the memory of Richard Glatzer, one of the two writers and directors of the movie.  He died of ALS (“Lou Gehrig’s Disease) shortly before the awards ceremony.  “Still Alice” can be accessed on You Tube, Hulu, and Amazon Prime.

Closer to our time, the winner of the 2020 Academy Award for Best Actor was Sir Anthony Hopkins for his performance as Anthony in “The Father”.  Some years ago, Hopkins also won the Oscar in that same category as the infamous Hannibal Lechter in “The Silence of the Lambs”.  “The Father” is based on a French stage play by Florian Zeller who assisted in the adaptation and direction of the work for the screen.  “The Father” features Olivia Colman (currently seen as Queen Elizabeth II in Seasons Three and Four of the series “The Crown”). For her portrayal as Anne, Anthony’s daughter, Colman was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Spoiler alert!  “The Father” immerses us within the thoughts, perceptions, and reactions of a man whose mind is unraveling because of dementia.  There are repeated events with some changes in character and setting that can be quite confusing and disconcerting until we perceive that this is purposefully done to draw us into Anthony’s experience.  It ushers us into the insecurity, denial, resistance, fear, anxiety, anger, and fragility of a man with dementia.

“The Father” begins with a confrontational conversation between Anne and Anthony who has become oppositional toward his paid caregiver.  We are immediately plunged into what becomes a slow-moving but steadily mounting storm system of suspicion, stubbornness, refusal, lapses of memory, disorientation, and eventual breakdown.  The persistent pace of the story’s development raises the sadly familiar challenges of living with and caring for someone with this illness. What to do about emerging potentially aggressive behaviors?  How to live with the strain imposed on other intimate relationships?  When does one arrive at the point of surrendering caregiving to a corps of providers in a setting that may better manage the patient’s needs?  Hopkins’ masterful performance in this intense drama can be seen on You Tube, Amazon Prime, and Vudu.

Obviously, films of this genre do not lend themselves to a family movie night of coziness while sitting in front of the flat screen with popcorn at hand.  They are, perhaps, most useful as a learning experience for mature adults who may be starting to consider addressing some of the serious “What if…” questions emerging in their lives as they age.  The value of these movies as “family drama” will have served a good purpose if they broaden out into thoughtful and serious discussions and actual planning and preparation that might avert being overwhelmed in a later future time of critical need.

Pemi-Baker Community Health offers community support groups for Caregivers and families living with dementia as well as one on one meetings for help filling out those all-important forms for end of life wishes and care. We encourage you to contact us with questions. PBCH is located at 101 Boulder Point Drive, Plymouth, NH. To contact us please call: 603-536-2232 or email: info@pbhha.org   Visit our website: www.pbhha.org  and like our Facebook Page: @PBCH4

With over 50 years of experience, serving clients from 28 towns in central and northern New Hampshire, Pemi-Baker Community Health is committed to creating healthier communities. Services include at-home healthcare (VNA), hospice and palliative care, on-site physical and occupational therapy and aquatic therapy in their 90-degree therapy pool. Providing compassionate care with experienced staff who are trained, certified professionals in the business because of their hearts. In your time of need, we’re right where you need us.

~written by Guy Tillson, MDiv, MA, Hospice Chaplain

New APRN, Jill Hunter, Joins Pemi-Baker Community Health

The term Hospice Care is widely known but many times people shrug their shoulders when asked about Palliative Care. Jill Hunter, APRN, ACHPN has recently joined Pemi-Baker Community Health (PBCH) as their Nurse Practitioner in Palliative and Hospice Care. PBCH is thrilled to have her join their mission to educate Central and Northern NH about Palliative Care and how a Palliative team can help families facing serious illnesses.

Jill Hunter has been a nurse practitioner for 23 years working in primary care, both family practice and internal medicine for the Indian Health Service in New Mexico, Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinic and Concord Hospital. Most recently she has focused on palliative care, after becoming very involved with a particular patient in his late 40s, just diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma (kidney cancer). “I remained his PCP throughout his illness, managing his symptoms, coordinating with his specialists and educating his family. I celebrated his triumphs and supported him through disappointments. I eventually helped him to transition to hospice care 3 years after his initial diagnosis and remained involved in his care until he died. He taught me a lot about caring for seriously ill patients and their families. I feel that experience sparked a passion within me to become a palliative care provider,” said Hunter.

One of the biggest misunderstandings people have is thinking Palliative Care is the same as Hospice Care. Although it is a part of Hospice Care, Palliative care is specialized medical care for anyone living with a serious illness. It is appropriate at any age and at any stage of the illness, and it can be provided along with curative treatment. Pemi-Baker’s specially-trained team of doctors, nurses and other specialists work with a patient’s other doctors to provide an extra layer of support focusing on providing relief from pain, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, insomnia, anxiety, shortness of breath and other stressors of the illness.

“Most of my experiences in palliative care have been in the hospital setting. Unfortunately, the patients I see are often far along in their journey with serious illness and could have benefited from symptom management and goals of care discussions much earlier. I think that there is a growing trend of trying to introduce palliative care earlier and one of the best ways to do so is in the home—meeting patients where they are and most often where they want to remain. Working with Pemi-Baker Community Health is going to allow me to do just that,” said Hunter.

With over 50 years of experience, serving clients from 28 towns in central and northern New Hampshire, Pemi-Baker Community Health is committed to creating healthier communities. Palliative Care Services are just one of the home health services available to you through PBCH. We encourage you to talk to your doctor about getting palliative care and also encourage you to call PBCH with questions.  PBCH is located at 101 Boulder Point Drive, Plymouth, NH. To contact us please call: 603-536-2232 or email: info@pbhha.org   Visit our website: www.pbhha.org  and like our Facebook Page: @PBCH4

Providing compassionate care with experienced staff who are trained, certified professionals

in the business because of their hearts.

In your time of need, we’re right where you need us.

~written by Anna Swanson

Dr. Kristi Saunders Joins Pemi-Baker Community Health

Pemi-Baker Community Health is excited to announce that Dr. Kristi Saunders, MD, has joined the team as their new Hospice Medical Director.

After working over twenty years in Family Medicine as a board certified OB/GYN, Dr. Saunders was drawn to palliative care and hospice by the desire to be more involved with her patients when facing serious illnesses and death. She became board certified in Hospice and Palliative Medicine in 2012 and since then has been educating her patients about living and embracing the normalcy of dying.

Working with other agencies in New Hampshire and recently receiving hospice help for her mother in California, has highlighted common challenges that families face. “My past experiences of different cultures, needs and desires made me realize how important it is to really have the time to listen, watch, and not treat everyone like medicine normally does…like everyone else. We are all different and need our care individualized. We spend too much time medicalizing death and not spending more time in what is the hard part…saying goodbye,” said Saunders. Pemi-Baker Community Health’s mission and philosophy of supporting their patients and families with compassionate care follows closely with Dr. Saunders’ beliefs. “Our goal is to educate families that hospice is really about living, not death. It should be about smiles, hugs and bringing people closer to acceptance as we possibly can,” said Saunders.

“Dr. Saunders has been serving our community as one of our hospice physicians since January and we are delighted that she will be taking over as Hospice Medical Director upon Dr. Arsenault’s retirement. Her commitment to the highest standards of client care blended with her knowledge and compassion make her an ideal fit for Pemi-Baker Community Health,” said Danielle Paquette-Horne, Senior Director of Home Health, Palliative Care & Hospice.

With over 50 years of experience, serving clients from 22 towns in central and northern New Hampshire, Pemi-Baker Community Health is committed to creating healthier communities. Services include at-home healthcare (VNA), hospice and palliative care, on-site physical and occupational therapy and aquatic therapy in their 90-degree therapy pool. Providing compassionate care with experienced staff who are trained, certified professionals in the business because of their hearts. In your time of need, we’re right where you need us.

PBCH is located at 101 Boulder Point Drive, Plymouth, NH. To contact us please call: 603-536-2232 or email: info@pbhha.org   Visit our website: www.pbhha.org  and like our Facebook Page: @PBCH4

~written by Anna Swanson

Pemi-Baker Community Health to Resume ‘In-Person’ Caregiver Support Groups

Pemi-Baker Community Health is pleased to resume offering its in-person community-based support groups for at-home caregivers.  Meeting will be provided at the Boulder Point Conference room of Speare Memorial Hospital in Plymouth.

Caregivers Support Group:

First Wednesday of every month

Starting: Wednesday, August 4, 2021 (11:00am)

Our monthly Caregivers Support Group will begin its in-person offerings on Wednesday, August 4, 2021, at 11:00am.  This group will meet in the Conference Room at the Boulder Point site of Speare Memorial Hospital.  The challenges of being an at-home caregiver (or even a long-distance one, as in the case of an adult child coordinating the care of a parent from some distance away) can be overwhelming, daunting, and exhausting.  The experience naturally alters one’s freedom for social interaction beyond the home, and this reality was exacerbated as we lived through the height of the current pandemic.  Although caregiving is an expression of love and concern, the constant vigilance required from the caregiver can be emotionally draining and the stress of it can have physical ramifications.  Consequently, self-care is an important quality for caregivers to cultivate.

Connecting with other caregivers can help to lighten the emotional load imposed by this ever-increasing phenomenon that has become a part of contemporary American life as our population ages. We hope this gathering will allow for opportunities of sharing, brainstorming, problem-solving, and supportive listening.

The group will meet on the first Wednesday of each month at 11:00am.  As they become available, relevant handouts and other materials will be offered.  Participants for this group are also asked to check in per Speare’s  current practice and to bring a mask with them for probable use during the group.  The group will end by 12:30pm at the latest, depending on the energy of exchange generated by the participants.

Please pre-register the week prior to the meeting by contacting the facilitator: Guy Tillson, PBCH Hospice Spiritual Counselor and Bereavement Counselor, online via email at gtillson@pbhha.org or by phone at 536-2232, x 318. If you would prefer to participate virtually by ZOOM, please indicate that, and we will attempt to accommodate you.  Group size is limited to TEN persons, so registrations will be accepted on a “first come, first served” basis.

Written by Guy Tillson, PBCH Hospice Spiritual Counselor and Bereavement Counselor

Dr. Diane Arsenault Retiring as Hospice Medical Director for Pemi-Baker Community Health

Please join Pemi-Baker Community Health (PBCH) in extending best wishes to Diane Arsenault, MD, FAAFP, HPM, HMDC, who is retiring as Hospice Medical Director for PBCH after 23 years of service. She will continue to serve hospice families at PBCH as well as her patients at Mid-State Health on a part time basis.

Dr. Arsenault has had an extraordinary career as a family physician, working in low risk obstetrical care for the first 20 years of her career before changing her focus to the care of the middle aged and the elderly for the last 20+ years. She felt that hospice care was just a natural extension of her role as a family physician providing care from birth to death. “Just as pregnancy and birth involve a process of anticipation, planning and intense work at the end, the end of life and process of dying have a similar journey and work. My personal experience with my father’s death in 1993 and my mother’s death in 2004, both on Hospice, allowed me to experience firsthand the joys and burden of caregiving for a dying loved one. I aspire to care for patients and families on their Hospice journey, as I and my family were supported,” said Dr. Arsenault.

When Dr. Arsenault started as Hospice Medical Director for PBCH in 1998, she had less than 10 patients at any given time. Community awareness of Hospice services and what PBCH can provide has grown over the years, increasing that number four fold. “For many years Dr. Arsenault has been the only Hospice physician in the Pemi-Baker area. Her dedication to our staff and our patients, to be available night and day, has been invaluable,” said Amy Dennis, Interim Executive Director for PBCH.

Dr. Arsenault will continue her role as Family physician at Mid-State Health Center as well as part time Hospice physician for PBCH but her schedule is now 6 weeks working then 6 weeks off. As she eases into retirement she looks forward to traveling with her husband to national parks in the Southwest, Pacific Northwest and the Canadian Maritime provinces, as well as spending as much time as possible with her 3 preschool aged grandchildren and their families.

“Our organization has grown and become stronger thanks to Dr. Arsenault’s commitment to our mission, vision and values. She has touched many lives in the process. Her kindhearted manner, undeniable professionalism and many achievements will not be forgotten. We wish her the best in the next steps of her journey,” said Danielle Paquette-Horne, Senior Director of Home Health, Palliative Care & Hospice at PBCH.

Virtual Healthy Aging Series-Hard Topics Made Easy for Seniors and Those Who Care for Them

Pemi-Baker Community Health, Mid-State Health Center and Speare Memorial Hospital are collaborating to provide The Healthy Aging Series: Hard Topics Made Easy for Seniors and Those Who Care for Them. The virtual series will be a mix of videos and podcasts designed to educate and assist seniors, caregivers, and the community about topics related to healthy aging.

Each month a new presentation will be available from an expert at Speare, Mid-State, or Pemi-Baker. The series launches July 1st with the first episode covering The COVID-19 Vaccine, presented by Mid-State Health Center’s Dr. David Fagan.

Future episodes will cover topics such as Home Funerals and Green Burials, Staying Fit Indoors and Out, Communicating with Your Aging Parent, Advanced Directives and more.

For a complete schedule of events, to learn more about the series, and to subscribe to episode notifications, visit www.virtualhealthseries.com.

Grief and Bereavement Support Group- 6 Week Session

Pemi-Baker Community Health is pleased to resume offering its in-person community-based support group for grief and bereavement. We will be starting a 6 week series with meetings being held at the Boulder Point Conference room of Speare Memorial Hospital in Plymouth.

Because of COVID19 restrictions on social gatherings, many persons are living with unresolved and unprocessed issues of grief and loss due to abbreviated funeral or memorial services. We hope this will be a first step toward helping people come to terms with that bereavement and other issues of loss that have been neglected during the height of the pandemic. We will be making use of GRIEF ONE DAY AT A TIME by Alan D. Wolfelt, PhD. Dr. Wolfelt is a noted grief educator, having written several books about healing personal grief. His expertise derives from his compassionate interaction and caring service with mourners, listening to and reflecting on their responses to loss. He is the Founding Director of The Center for Loss and Life Transition in Fort Collins, Colorado. Although our group is offered for support rather than clinical intervention, the use of reading materials for the purpose of self-care and personal growth and healing is sometimes called bibliotherapy. The books will be made available at our first session of the group. We ask, if possible, for group members to make a donation toward defraying the cost of purchasing the books which group members will be able to keep for themselves. No one will be turned away if they are unable to make a donation.

Grief and Bereavement Support Group (Six Week Session)

Starting: Tuesday, August 3rd, 2021- September 7th, 2021 (11:30am-1pm)

The first session of the Grief and Bereavement Group will meet on Tuesday, August 3, 2021, at 11:30am. We will meet in the Conference Room at the Boulder Point site of Speare Memorial Hospital. Participants will need to comply with checking in there. We are limiting the group to ten participants in order to allow for ample social distancing in the meeting area. Participants are also asked to have masks with them for use. At our first meeting, we will review some basic guidelines for group participation, introduce ourselves to each other, and share the nature of the loss that brought us to the group. Using Dr. Wolfelt’s book, we will look at the meditation for that day, letting that be the springboard for our discussion and interaction. To prepare for the next session, the “homework” for participants will be to read each daily meditation throughout the following week. Our discussion at each session will emerge from our responses and reactions to the week’s meditations- what we liked or did not like, what was helpful or not. The energy of the group will determine the length of the gathering, but we will conclude before 1:00pm. The Grief and Bereavement Group will meet for six sessions, concluding on September 7, 2021.  After some weeks’ break, we hope to be able to begin a new Grief and Bereavement Group on October 12, 2021.

You MUST pre-register in order to participate.  Please do so BEFORE WEDNESDAY, July 21, 2021. To register, please contact the facilitator, Guy Tillson, PBCH Hospice Spiritual Counselor and Bereavement Counselor, online via email at gtillson@pbhha.org or by phone at 536-2232, XT 318.  He will get back to you as promptly as possible. If you would prefer to participate virtually by ZOOM, please indicate that, and we will attempt to accommodate you. The group is limited to TEN persons, so registrations will be accepted on a “first come, first served” basis.

~written by Guy Tillson

If You Live With a Serious Illness, Learn How to Improve Your Quality of Life

If you have cancer, lung, heart or kidney disease, Alzheimer’s, or another serious illness, you should know about a medical team that can address your symptoms and stress.

The medical team is called palliative care and they’re available in a variety of medical settings. Pemi-Baker Community Health (PBCH) offers palliative care in your home, making it easy for you and your family members to ask questions and relay concerns. Their focus is on relieving the symptoms and stress of your illness. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family. This is done by coordinating the patient’s care as well as providing support for the caregivers if they are experiencing caregiver burnout.

Pemi-Baker Community Health’s palliative care is provided by a specially trained team of doctors, nurses and other specialists who work together with your other doctors to provide an extra layer of support. Palliative care is appropriate at any age and at any stage in your illness, and it can be provided along with curative treatment.

Is Palliative Care right for you?

Answer the following questions to determine whether palliative care might be right for you or someone close to you. Remember, you can receive palliative care at any point in your illness.

  1. Do you have one or more serious illnesses such as:
  • Cancer
  • Congestive heart failure (CHF)
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, lung disease
  • Kidney failure
  • Liver failure
  • Neurological diseases (e.g., ALS, Parkinson’s)
  • Dementia
  1. Do you have symptoms that make it difficult to be as active as you would like to be, or impact your quality of life? These symptoms might include:
  • Pain or discomfort
  • Shortness of breath
  • Fatigue
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Lack of appetite
  • Nausea
  • Constipation
  1. Have you, or someone close to you, experienced the following:
  • Difficult side effects from treatment
  • Eating problems due to a serious illness
  • Frequent emergency room visits
  • Three or more admissions to the hospital within 12 months, and with the same symptoms
  1. Do you, or someone close to you, need help with:
  • Knowing what to expect
  • Knowing what programs and resources are available
  • Making medical decisions about treatment choices/options
  • Matching your goals and values to your medical care
  • Understanding the pros and cons (benefits/burdens) of treatments (e.g., dialysis, additional cancer treatments, surgery, etc.)
  1. Do you, or someone close to you, need help with:
  • Coping with the stress of a serious illness
  • Emotional support
  • Spiritual or religious support
  • Talking with your family about your illness and what is important to you

If you answered yes to any of the questions above, you can benefit from palliative care. Ask your doctor for a palliative care referral with Pemi-Baker Community Health. Once PBCH receives the referral from your doctor they will contact you via phone to answer and ask questions and set up a meeting with you at your home.

What happens at a first visit with a palliative care team?

The first step is for the palliative care team to get to know you as a person and find out who else is important in your care. They will want to hear your narrative – who you are, what you enjoy doing, and what is most important to you in your day-to-day life. They’ll review your medical information, ask what symptoms are of concern, and how much these affect your quality of life. They’ll ask questions to see if there are any care needs at home. They may also ask questions to learn what you know about your medical condition, and what concerns you about the future so they can plan how to help over time. The team will also ask questions about who you would want to help make decisions if you aren’t able to do so for yourself. This person is called a health care agent or proxy.

For more information on how Pemi-Baker Community Health can help please call 603-536-2232 or email us at info@pbhha.org.

With over 50 years of experience, serving clients from 22 towns in central and northern New Hampshire, Pemi-Baker Community Health is committed to creating healthier communities. Services include at-home healthcare (VNA), hospice and palliative care, on-site physical and occupational therapy and aquatic therapy in their 90-degree therapy pool. Providing compassionate care with experienced staff who are trained, certified professionals in the business because of their hearts. In your time of need, we’re right where you need us.

PBCH is located at 101 Boulder Point Drive, Plymouth, NH. Visit our website: www.pbhha.org  and like our Facebook Page: @PBCH4

~written by Anna Swanson

The Rewards of Being a Hospice Volunteer

While I was familiar with Hospice for many years, I only have been a hospice volunteer with Pemi Baker Hospice and Home Health (PBHHH) since October 2021.  When I retired, I began searching for volunteer work that would allow me to give back to my community.  A newsletter from PBHHH arrived in my email announcing training for hospice volunteers.  My family had experienced the need for hospice twice, once in Ohio and again in Florida.  The relief my family and I felt when the hospice volunteers arrived was beyond measure.  I want to bring the same kind of assistance to others.  PBHHH given me that opportunity by providing professional training with knowledgeable nurses, doctors, social workers and other health care professionals.  Their guidance has enabled me to meet the challenges of being s hospice volunteer, and I am very glad that I did it.

Connie C.

Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health
2022-06-27T12:20:25-04:00

Connie C.

While I was familiar with Hospice for many years, I only have been a hospice volunteer with Pemi Baker Hospice and Home Health (PBHHH) since October 2021.  When I retired, I began searching for volunteer work that would allow me to give back to my community.  A newsletter from PBHHH arrived in my email announcing training for hospice volunteers.  My family had experienced the need for hospice twice, once in Ohio and again in Florida.  The relief my family and I felt when the hospice volunteers arrived was beyond measure.  I want to bring the same kind of assistance to others.  PBHHH given me that opportunity by providing professional training with knowledgeable nurses, doctors, social workers and other health care professionals.  Their guidance has enabled me to meet the challenges of being s hospice volunteer, and I am very glad that I did it.

You give of yourselves day & night without end!

To the Pemi-Baker Hospice Team--Words really can't express my feelings-

Your help during one of the most difficult times of my life is SO appreciated.  I'm so grateful that because of you, Doug was able to get his wish not to spend the last of his days in a hospital, but at home with those of us who loved him.

And to be constantly reassured that if I needed anything you would be there-oh my gosh-ANYTIME!  Well, you people need to know how much you are appreciated.  You give of yourselves day & night without end!  God Bless you and thank you!

Pam O.

Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health
2020-06-11T07:31:14-04:00

Pam O.

To the Pemi-Baker Hospice Team--Words really can't express my feelings- Your help during one of the most difficult times of my life is SO appreciated.  I'm so grateful that because of you, Doug was able to get his wish not to spend the last of his days in a hospital, but at home with those of us who loved him. And to be constantly reassured that if I needed anything you would be there-oh my gosh-ANYTIME!  Well, you people need to know how much you are appreciated.  You give of yourselves day & night without end!  God Bless you and thank you!

“My home physical therapy was fantastic.”

Pemi-Baker provided very good home therapy. All their therapists were pleasant, helpful in offering suggestions for better functioning after surgery, and practiced good health protocols. They were also very prompt in showing up for scheduled appointments.

Elizabeth B.

Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health
2019-11-07T12:26:12-05:00

Elizabeth B.

Pemi-Baker provided very good home therapy. All their therapists were pleasant, helpful in offering suggestions for better functioning after surgery, and practiced good health protocols. They were also very prompt in showing up for scheduled appointments.

“Your generosity with your time and your loving care is appreciated more than you know.”

Thank you to everyone who played a role in taking care of my mother and giving her the freedom of remaining home while suffering from dementia. Your generosity with your time and your loving care is appreciated more than you know. A special thanks goes to Macayla and Colleen, who visited her on a regular basis, and to Lauren who was helpful in connecting us with state services.

Terry W.

Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health
2020-01-17T12:43:19-05:00

Terry W.

Thank you to everyone who played a role in taking care of my mother and giving her the freedom of remaining home while suffering from dementia. Your generosity with your time and your loving care is appreciated more than you know. A special thanks goes to Macayla and Colleen, who visited her on a regular basis, and to Lauren who was helpful in connecting us with state services.

“Everyone is so understanding supportive and kind.”

From the director to the nurses to the health care workers.  So cheerful, helpful and accommodating.  This is our second time receiving assistance from Pemi-Baker and we are very lucky to have found this amazing group!  Thank you for your excellent care and compassion.

Leila L.

Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health
2020-01-17T13:19:24-05:00

Leila L.

From the director to the nurses to the health care workers.  So cheerful, helpful and accommodating.  This is our second time receiving assistance from Pemi-Baker and we are very lucky to have found this amazing group!  Thank you for your excellent care and compassion.

“Pemi-Baker Hospice services provided kind, professional, competent services every step of the way-and even vaccinated us all for Covid/19!””

Our primary nurse, Fred, was outstanding, and others who filled in (Cathy, Penny, Colleen) were wonderful and a credit to your organization. Fred, you were amazing, not only for mom but for my husband and I as well. I will forever be grateful for your support, wisdom, humor and kindness, all along the end of life journey for mom. I am so deeply thankful that circumstances conspired such that mom was able to die at home, and your role made that time as seamless as it could be made.

Paula W.

Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health
2020-01-17T12:31:13-05:00

Paula W.

Our primary nurse, Fred, was outstanding, and others who filled in (Cathy, Penny, Colleen) were wonderful and a credit to your organization. Fred, you were amazing, not only for mom but for my husband and I as well. I will forever be grateful for your support, wisdom, humor and kindness, all along the end of life journey for mom. I am so deeply thankful that circumstances conspired such that mom was able to die at home, and your role made that time as seamless as it could be made.

Your courage during Covid-19 does not go unnoticed

Hello. We just wanted to take a moment and let you know how much we truly appreciate all that you do for us in these trying times. You're commitment to the health of our community is a special thing, and we know that you are working under stressful conditions due to the Covid 19 crisis. We realize that in order for you to treat those who may be ill, you are putting you're own lives and even you're own families lives in danger, and that is truly a courageous and honorable thing to do. We want you to know that it does not go unnoticed. Thank you all for all that you do!

Bryan and Renee C., and our mom Joan

Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health
2020-06-11T06:27:43-04:00

Bryan and Renee C., and our mom Joan

Hello. We just wanted to take a moment and let you know how much we truly appreciate all that you do for us in these trying times. You're commitment to the health of our community is a special thing, and we know that you are working under stressful conditions due to the Covid 19 crisis. We realize that in order for you to treat those who may be ill, you are putting you're own lives and even you're own families lives in danger, and that is truly a courageous and honorable thing to do. We want you to know that it does not go unnoticed. Thank you all for all that you do!
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