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

Valentine’s Day-14 Helpful Acts of Kindness for a Friend in Need

It can be hard to know how to help during a time of desperate need.

Here are some supportive ideas for that family member, friend or over-extended caregiver:

  1. Bare Basics. Grocery Shopping.  Think paper towels, laundry detergent, bread, juice, eggs, bananas. Shop in-store or online, and have the order shipped to their home. Forget about brands, specific tastes or questioning whether it is something your loved one would like. Indecisiveness like that prevents your follow-through. When a family caregiver can’t be away long enough to run out an purchase toilet paper or milk to settle a patient’s queasy stomach, they will kiss you for bringing it to their door.
  2. Offer Rides to Treatment.  Many caregivers juggle full-time jobs and have added hurdles, such as busy meeting or travel schedules. Receiving the gift of transportation on a hectic day brings a huge sigh of relief.
  3. Bring a Meal.   Basic dishes that are easy to freeze and reheat become lifesavers. Recyclable aluminum pans or reusable plastic containers that don’t need to be returned are a plus. Since even well-meaning visitors can tire out a patient, and germs are a factor, offer to leave meals in a cooler outsider their door.
  4. Pet-Sit or Plant-Water.  It is expensive to board pets in a kennel. So if you know that a loved one has to go out of town for a procedure or appointment, offer to care for their furry family member. And should you be one of the green thumbs of the world wishing to help, volunteer to water interior or exterior plants.
  5. Text an Inspiring Quote.  We warriors need all the encouragement we can get, and hearing from you means the world to us. A few kind words—especially question-free messages not requiring a response—breaks up the day and lets us know that we are loved.
  6. Consider the Caregivers.  Their lives have dramatically changed, too. Invite them to a game, a car show, a round of golf, a cup of coffee, or a simple Sunday after-noon drive, just as you did before. Even if their patient is not feeling up to leaving the house, a short break means a lot to a caregiver. If it is not a good time for a break, they will let you know. They will appreciate the gesture and the glimpse of normalcy.
  7. Mail a Gift Card.  Unexpected expenses—extra gas for treatment travel, extra meals out, astronomical medical bills—take a huge toll on every patient’s budget. A gift card for gas, groceries, restaurants, hardware stores or hobby/craft stores is a welcome surprise. If your loved one appreciates reading or music, and Amazon or iTunes card could provide new entertainment to get them through long treatment sessions. A prepaid Visa gift card could be perfect for helping out with medical co-pays.
  8. Take on Some Chores.  Pay for a one-time service, or volunteer a few hours to help with cleaning, moving, snow-shoveling, washing windows or holiday decorating. This also could be a perfect service opportunity for a teen-ager. If the kids have adult supervision, the chores could be done while the patients and caregivers are at the hospital or clinic or out of town.
  9. Donate Some Vacation.  Unpaid leave from work is sure to cause additional financial hardship. If donating a vacation day or two is an option for you, ask some other co-workers if they also might be willing to donate time, too. This could be a huge help to a patient or a caregiver who has to be away from work.
  10. Think Soft and Cuddly.  If knitting is your thing, consider making a prayer shawl, soft cap or socks. Thoughtful gifts like a new set of slippers, pajamas, pull-on pants or v-neck shirts that allow chemo-port access would be a definite plus. Pamper your loved ones with items that are cozy and comfortable.
  11. Send Snail Mail.  Nothing brightens a day more than finding a hand-addressed note in the mailbox, among the medical bills. Recognizing the handwriting and return address will instantly bring you to your loved ones’ hearts.
  12. Donate Blood in Their Name.  Cancer and other illnesses prohibit patients from donating, so we appreciate those of you who donate in our honor.
  13. Host a Scarf and Hat Party.  If chemo is going to bring about hair loss or someone you love, bring together some close friends, serve some light refreshments and shower your patient with a variety of headwear options. It is sure to make the transition easier.
  14. Help With the Kids.  Taking the kids for an impromptu sleepover or a Saturday-morning outing may give your struggling loved one a little bit of rest and quiet that they desperately need.

Surviving a Heart Attack: Why Care in the First Hours is Critical

February is Heart Disease Awareness Month!

In the United States, about 790,000 people have a heart attack each year. With numbers like that, it’s likely that you, or someone close to you, will have a heart attack during your lifetime. Luckily, many people survive heart attacks and go on to live fulfilling lives. And the odds for this happy outcome are far higher among folks who recognize they’re having a heart attack and get the right care, right away.

Protect yourself and your loved ones by understanding what causes this health crisis and how prompt treatment can save a life.

What is a Heart Attack?

Your heart has the tough job of pumping blood and oxygen through the coronary arteries all along your body. A heart attack happens when plaque builds up in your arteries over time and blocks the flow of blood. Without blood bringing oxygen to the heart muscle, the area of your heart supplied by that artery begins to die.

This is the moment when quick medical care is critical: A blockage that’s re-opened in two to three hours will cause far less damage than one left untreated for five or six hours.

Know Your Risk and Prepare for the Worst

As with most diseases, there are risk factors for heart disease you can influence with treatment or lifestyle change, and others you cannot. Some factors such as your age, gender and family history can’t be changed. However, others can be better managed to help reduce your risk for heart disease and heart attack, including your:

  • Alcohol or Tobacco Use
  • Blood Pressure
  • Diabetes
  • LDL (Bad) Cholesterol
  • Physical Inactivity
  • Stress Level
  • Weight

Both your family history and certain lifestyle choices should be reviewed with your doctor at each well visit — especially at your annual physical. These routine checkups are designed to provide an opportunity for you and your doctor to determine your risk for certain diseases and conditions, put a screening plan in place, discuss any health changes and create a plan for any needed lifestyle changes.

What to Do If You Suspect a Heart Attack

If you suspect you or a loved one is having a heart attack, call 911, where you’ll be taken to your local Emergency Room to get expert help right away. People who get to the hospital quickly have the best chance for survival. They also have a better recovery, since opening the blocked artery as soon as possible means less heart muscle dies.

The key to getting the help you need, when you need it, is recognizing the signs of a heart attack.

While the most classic symptom is sudden severe chest pain, not all heart attacks give such a clear signal. In fact, many heart attacks are silent, causing few or no symptoms at all.

Heart attack symptoms can begin gradually or suddenly, and may be mild or severe. You or your loved one may experience:

  • Cold Sweat
  • A Sense of Impending Doom
  • Nausea, Stomach Pain or Heartburn-Like Symptoms
  • Pain, Pressure, Squeezing or Other Discomfort in the Chest
  • Pain Radiating From the Jaw, Neck Shoulders or Arms
  • Shortness of Breath
  • Unusual Fatigue

It’s especially important to know these symptoms if you or someone you love is at higher than average risk for a heart attack.

In addition, women can have more subtle heart attack symptoms that are easily mistaken for other health conditions, such as anxiety. These include:

  • Dizziness
  • Heartburn or constant indigestion
  • Nausea
  • Pressure between your shoulder blades
  • Rapid heart beat
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Unexplained extreme fatigue that can last for days

Every Moment Counts

It’s smart to work at lowering your heart attack risks, so you can avoid this frightening and dangerous health crisis. In the meantime, remember the symptoms of heart attack and call 911 if you think you or someone nearby is having one — even if you’re not sure.

Pemi-Baker Community Health’s Home Care team will be by your side as soon as you return home; helping you recover and regain independence day by day.

~by Anna Swanson

Pemi-Baker Receives Grant from Heart & Hands Thrift Shop

Pemi-Baker Community Health recently received a grant from the Heart & Hands Thrift Shop for a new pool exercise platform.  “We’re very excited to have this platform for our therapy pool.  It allows children to stand in deeper water while doing their aqua therapy and is also used by our taller aqua aerobics participants in the deep end,” said Kathryn Schwartzer, PT, DPT.

The Heart & Hands Thrift Shop, located at 8 Maple Street in Meredith, is a collaboration of three Meredith Churches: Trinity Episcopal Church, St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church and the First Congregational Church.  The thrift shop is run by volunteers and one paid employee, with all the money raised coming from donated items.  “We have given over $220,000 in grants and scholarships since opening our doors in August of 2017,”said Lisa Clark, Heart & Hands volunteer.  Scholarships and grants have been given to many non-profits in the Lakes Region including local students and student programs, summer camp participants, the Meredith Food Pantry and now Pemi-Baker Community Health is a lucky recipient.

Pemi-Baker Community Health would like to thank those involved with the Heart & Hands Thrift Shop as well as those who have donated to the shop over the years.  Community generosity is not just about giving, it’s about making a difference.  Thanks to you, Pemi-Baker Community Health and many other non-profits in the area can continue to make a difference touching the hearts of your families and neighbors.

Pemi-Baker Community Health is a non-profit visiting nurse association servicing 18 towns in central and northern New Hampshire.  For over 52 years it has been the home care provider of choice for Grafton County.  In addition to at-home healthcare (VNA) services, they also provide hospice and palliative care, on site physical and occupational therapy, fitness memberships, Bereavement and Caregiver Support groups and other community outreach programs.

~by Anna Swanson

The Full Impact of Grief

The word “bereavement” is something that we normally associate with our experience of the death of someone we have known, loved, and cared for.  The word, however, is actually connected with the adjective “bereft” which means “deprived of” or “left without”, so it can actually refer to any experience of loss, whether small or great, temporary or permanent.  The great pioneer in the field of death and dying, Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, frequently said, “All of life is loss”.  Our experience of life is filled with change and change moves us from various sets of experiences to others. 

When I found it needful and helpful for myself to attend a Bereavement Group following the deaths of my father (2011) and my brother (2013), the grief counselor who facilitated the group said, “A loss is any experience of the absence of someone or something that has been a part of your world.  That absence has changed your vision and perception of your world as you had known it and your experience of it.”

If you think about that for a bit, we are experiencing loss frequently in our lives on all sorts of levels.  These can be seemingly small and temporary.  There is a commercial currently running on television of a thirty- or forty-something year old white collar worker (wearing a necktie) probably just ready to leave for work.  He is peering at the faucet in his kitchen sink which is NOT running.  His exasperated remark is, “THIS isn’t on the schedule!”  Maybe to make this more personal, consider your own reaction and behavior when you cannot find your car keys!  Relatively small, insignificant, and temporary losses, perhaps- but they alter the individual’s perception of an efficient and smoothly-running world.

When we do endure the death of someone we have loved, or if we are the victim of a crime or a natural disaster, or if we have lost our job, or if we are coming to terms with the loss of our personal powers through illness or aging, we are in a state of bereavement whether we are conscious of it or accepting of it or not.  Kubler-Ross also used the word “denial” to describe an experience where we avoid recognizing the loss.  It is a way of defending ourselves against our own feelings of powerlessness in not knowing how to handle the change of our world-view.  Sadly, many persons decide simply to “Soldier on” or “Return to business as usual”.

After a death, a very common reaction is “It’s all over now.  I don’t need to bother with anything more.”   But loss has far-reaching effects on our lives, touching on our emotions, our physical health, our material and financial security, our social interactions and relationships with others, our occupational and recreational involvements, and our spirituality or life-direction.  These effects can be uncomfortable, stressful, and even debilitating.

Beginning on Monday, February 3, 2020, Pemi-Baker Community Health will be offering a new Bereavement Group series entitled “THE FULL IMPACT OF GRIEF”.  Each session will look at a particular aspect of our lives to gain a greater understanding of how our loss has affected that area of our existence.  We will explore ways we can process our responses and reactions.  The group will meet in the Grady Conference Room at Speare Memorial Hospital, beginning promptly at 12:30pm and concluding by 2:00pm.  The group will meet weekly through Monday, March 16, 2020.  There is no fee for attendance.

Pemi-Baker Community Health will also be resuming its monthly Drop-In Bereavement Group which meets on the LAST WEDNESDAY of each month in the Main Conference Room at Pemi-Baker’s offices at Boulder Point in Plymouth.  This group is less formal with no set curriculum or session topics, though take-home reading materials are made available.  The first session of the Drop-In Bereavement group for this new year is on Wednesday, January 29, 2020, beginning promptly at 5:30pm and wrapping up by 7:00pm.  Again, there is no fee for attendance.

Both Groups are facilitated by Guy Tillson, MDiv, MA, Bereavement Counselor and Hospice Spiritual Counselor for Pemi-Baker Community Health.  He may be contacted at gtillson@pbhha.org or at 603 536-2232, Extension 206, if you have any questions or concerns.

~by Guy Tillson

Self Care for Caregivers

When Alison’s Dad fell, she moved in with her parents to help out around the house and make sure they were taking their medications and getting proper meals.  With a full time job to manage, what started out as a good deed soon became overwhelming as her parents’ health declined.

The Cost of Compassion 

It is our nature to care for loved ones and, for many of us, it brings great satisfaction. Empathy and compassion are desirable character qualities, present in people to varying degrees. These enable us to identify, and in some cases, actually experience the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of others we care about.

Compassion can come with an emotional cost when caring for someone with a long-term illness. The distress resulting from the constant demands of caring for another, consistently witnessing pain or cognitive decline, can have serious consequences.

In the book, “Overcoming Compassion Fatigue,” author Sharise M. Nance, LCW, CCTP, details how caregiver burnout can manifest itself in exhaustion, depression, apathy, and even physical or emotional disability. “People in ‘helping professions’ are regularly exposed to a range of emotions, from hope to dread, from gratitude to anger, from patience to frustration, and from grief to sorrow.”

One elderly woman had experienced several falls. She lives with her husband who is in advancing stage of dementia. He wakes up several times each night, turns the lights on and gets dressed. Each time, she has to wake up and guide him back to bed often unable to sleep herself. Before getting help, she found herself exhausted, discouraged, and at a greater risk for additional falls.

Some caregivers can internalize the issues of those under their watch, hoping by some herculean effort to fix everything. The sense of responsibility can become disproportionately burdensome and they may lose perspective about what they can and cannot do. This is particularly daunting when a patient has dementia and cannot communicate effectively, or acts out physically.

Making a Plan for Self Care

Prolonged stress is associated with distinct physiological responses that can have long term effects on both physical and emotional health. Often referred to as the fight, flight or freeze response, these chemical reactions are effective in urgent, life-threatening situations, but not sustainable over time.

Ms. Nance noted several emotional states that can accompany caregiver stress:

  • Guilt:  A sense of being responsible for the illness
  • Anger: Frustration with family members or health care workers
  • Sadness: Loss of the person as they once were
  • Fatigue: Exhaustion from extra work and irregular sleep
  • Apathy: Lack of energy to keep up with needed tasks

When these emotions arise, it can be a signal that the caregiver needs to take better care of themselves in order to do what is needed to care for their loved one. If you are in this situation, here are a few suggestions that might help:

  1. Pace yourself: Take advantage of family or friends who offer to help. Home Care agencies like Pemi-Baker Community Health can provide a volunteer companion or home health aide for a few hours a day to take on the more challenging tasks.
  2. Set boundaries: Make it clear to the patient and family members what you can and cannot do.
  3. Seek support: Pemi-Baker Community Health and many churches or senior centers offer support groups for caregivers. While it may not alleviate the challenges you are facing, it can be helpful to know how others are coping.
  4. Create a self-care plan: As impossible as it might seem, you need a plan for exercise, sleep and proper nutrition. If you are a spiritual person, spending time in prayer or meditation can be helpful.

“Self-care is not a selfish act, but a necessity and priority,” writes Ms. Nance.

Even health care professionals can become overwhelmed at times.  Pemi-Baker Community Health employs home health aides and homemaker companions serving clients in 18 central and northern NH towns. “As a licensed home care agency, we are vigilant about providing support to our caregivers,” said Chandra Engelbert, CEO. “We encourage them to practice their own self-care so they can provide the best possible care and attention to our clients.”

Caring for another person can be a gift but also a burden. Anyone in that role has to be mindful of the potential risks, and remember to monitor their own well-being at times, too.  All are welcome to our Drop-in Caregiver Support Groups on every 3rd Wednesday of the Month at the Plymouth Regional Senior Center.

~by Anna Swanson

Chocoroa Masonic Lodge Makes Generous Contribution

Even in this season of giving, CEO, Chandra Engelbert was pleasantly surprised when she received a phone call from Masonic Master, David Hughes about a donation to Pemi-Baker Community Health.

For centuries, Freemasons have contributed to the communities in which they live through the principles of Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth. Freemasonry has existed in New Hampshire since 1735, and many of the leading citizens of our state have been Freemasons. Their charitable activities are many and varied: the Shriners’ Hospitals for Children, support of medical research, scholarships, programs for child identification and combating drug abuse, the Scottish Rite Learning Centers, and local charity. Freemasons are committed to helping those who are less fortunate, and in the process they improve themselves and
hope to build a better world.

With 52 years of experience, serving over 900 clients from 18 towns in central and northern New Hampshire, Pemi-Baker Community Health is the home care provider of choice for Grafton County. Services include at-home healthcare (VNA), hospice and palliative care, on-site physical and occupational therapy and fitness memberships including a fitness gym and fitness classes in our 90-degree therapy pool. As a nonprofit, Pemi-Baker Community Health offers many free programs to the community including bereavement and caregiver support groups.

ASK Pemi-Baker, is a new program held at the Plymouth Regional Senior Center, every 2nd and 4th Thursdays from 11-12pm with a nurse and social worker on hand to answer any questions one might have.

Thank you to the Chocorua Masonic Lodge, in Holderness, for helping us continue to offer these free services!

~By Anna Swanson

Heart Health and Shoveling Snow

Now that the first snow of the year has fallen, it’s a good time to think about safety with snow shoveling and using a snow blower. This is especially important for Senior citizens as well as those with a history of heart disease and/or heart related health conditions. Those of us living in and around the Plymouth, NH area will get plenty of chances to practice snow removal, since we average around 73 inches total snowfall annually. That’s over 6 feet of snow!
What are the health risks related to shoveling? A recent report from Harvard Medical School found the following:

  • Most heart related health issues due to shoveling were noted in men. Studies have not found a link between heart attack and snow shoveling for women.
  • The deeper the snow, the more men were admitted to hospitals due to near attack. If snowfall totals were 8” or more, there was a 16% increase in hospital admission from heart attack compared to days with no snow.
  • Fatal heart attacks were 34% more common after snowfall of at least 8”. Also, the longer it snowed, the higher the rate of heart attack.
  • These findings were not strictly limited to heart attacks from shoveling the snow-there may be other factors related to heavy snowfall that trigger heart issues, such as trying to walk thru deep snow, or pushing a car stuck in snow.

 

 

What is it about snow shoveling, or even pushing a large snow blower that creates these risks? Doctors who have investigated the problem have identified several factors:

  • Snow shoveling requires forceful use of arm muscles. Many people are not used to using their arms so aggressively, and this creates strain on their circulatory system.
  • This type of activity is known to cause rapid increase in pulse rate (how fast the heart beats) and blood pressure. For people with heart disease, their system may be unable to cope with sudden increases of that nature.
  • Working outdoors in cold weather may cause blood vessels to constrict (tighten up), depriving blood flow to the tissues and forcing the heart to work even harder to keep up with the demand of lifting heavy shovelfuls of snow.
  • In most cases, people do not take the time to warmup their muscles, as you would prior to working out. Typically, we just grab the shovel, head out the door and start flinging snow. The heart and lungs have no chance to prepare for the workload.

So what can people do to prevent a problem with winter snow removal? The American Heart Association and the Harvard Medical School list the following safety guidelines:

  • Pace yourself! If you start to tire or become short of breath, take a rest break. If you were exercising and started to fatigue, you would rest before continuing-why not do the same with snow shoveling?
  • Avoid eating a large, heavy meal right before going out to clear the driveway-the stomach and GI tract require extra blood flow to digest that meal. Shoveling lots of snow in addition can add stress to the heart muscle.
  • If you smoke, please do not smoke while shoveling, it will deprive your muscles of needed oxygen.
  • Push snow rather than throw or lift it whenever possible.
  • Avoid shoveling heavy wet snow. While a cubic foot of fluffy snow may weigh as little as 5.2 lbs., a cubic foot of wet snow can weigh over 12 lbs.
  • Take smaller shovelfuls and avoid using large shovels-a large shovel might seem attractive (I’ll get done quicker) but you’ll be lifting a lot more weight with each shovelful.
  • Make sure to dress warmly enough to avoid hypothermia. When he was in high school, my son used to shovel our driveway in shorts and a t-shirt. Being a bit older, I would never try that! Also some people find inhaling lungful’s of cold air very hard on their breathing. Wear a kerchief or snow mask to help warm the air you breathe while shoveling.
  • For folks who have had a prior heart attack, known heart disease, or multiple risk factors for heart disease, one simple recommendation is – don’t shovel the snow! These folks may best reduce the chances of a problem by getting a snow blower, hiring a plow truck or a neighborhood kid to do it for them.

Regardless of how much snow we get this year, we at Pemi Baker Community Health hope all the people living in our part of NH have a healthy and safe winter.

~by Ernie Roy, DPT

Thank You Everyone For Your Generous Donations on Giving Tuesday

More families will receive care in their homes, where healing occurs best.  More children will learn to swim, more people will be able to get support while dealing with the strain of caring for a loved one and more people will enjoy the healing warmth of our therapeutic pool.

Nurses and social workers bringing Thankgsgiving smiles and meals to our hospice patients last week.

Thank you for helping us do magical acts like this.

 

 

Pemi-Baker Community Health Recognized as a ‘We Honor Veterans’ Partner

It may surprise many people to learn that 25 percent of those who die every year in the U.S. are Veterans. To help provide care and support that reflect the important contributions made by these men and women, Pemi-Baker Community Health (PBCH) has become a national partner of We Honor Veterans, a pioneering campaign developed by National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs.


As a We Honor Veterans Partner, PBCH will implement ongoing Veteran-centered education for their staff and volunteers to help improve the care they provide to the Veterans they proudly serve. The nation is seeing many of the Veterans who served in World War II and Korean pass away—and the number of deaths of Vietnam Veterans is beginning to rise.

The We Honor Veterans campaign provides tiered recognition to organizations that demonstrate a systematic commitment to improving care for Veterans. “Partners” can assess their ability to serve Veterans and, using resources provided as part of the campaign, integrate best practices for providing end-of-life care to Veterans into their organization. By recognizing the unique needs of our nation’s Veterans who are facing a life-limiting illness, Pemi-Baker Community Health & Hospice is better able to accompany and guide Veterans and their families toward a more peaceful ending. And in cases where there might be some specific needs related to the Veteran’s military service, combat experience or other traumatic events, PBCH will find tools to help support those they are caring for.

“We thank Pemi-Baker Community Health for partnering in the We Honor Veterans program,” says NHPCO President & CEO Ed Banach. “We Honor Veterans partners are committed to providing quality Veteran-centric care to the Veteran patients they serve. They understand how a Veteran’s military service, combat experience or other traumatic events, could impact their end-of-life experience.”

The resources of We Honor Veterans focus on respectful inquiry, compassionate listening, and grateful acknowledgment, coupled with Veteran-centric education of health care staff caring for Veterans. To learn more about We Honor Veterans or to support this important work via a secure, online donation, please visit www.wehonorveterans.org.
“VA shares a common goal with our nation’s hospices, and that is to provide the best possible care specifically tailored for Veterans, meeting their goals of care in their preferred setting. As we focus on working together and unite our services and skills, We Honor Veterans will channel our combined strengths directly to Veterans – wherever they are receiving care,” added Banach.

With 52 years of experience, serving over 900 clients from 18 towns in central and northern New Hampshire, Pemi-Baker Community Health is the home care provider of choice for Grafton County. Services include at-home healthcare (VNA), hospice and palliative care, on-site physical and occupational therapy and fitness memberships including a fitness gym and fitness classes in our 90-degree therapy pool. PBCH is located at 101 Boulder Point Drive, Suite 3, 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

~By Anna Swanson

Grieving In a Season of Celebration

Christmas decorations started being displayed in stores as early as August. It’s now autumn, so the awareness that “the holidays” will soon be upon us is unavoidable. Pumpkins sold in October became Halloween Jack-o-lanterns. Pumpkins sold in November will become the fixings for the pies for our Thanksgiving dinner dessert. Some years ago, a now-deceased friend of mine made the comment that “the holidays” were “The Bermuda Triangle of heightened family dysfunction.” Though we’ve usually thought of the holidays as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s; traditions with the winter celebrations of the Solstice, Yule, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa probably have their own versions of holiday angst.
The Christmas movies that seem to run perpetually on the Hallmark Channel seem to poke at the discomfort of holiday stress with their standard and predictable happy endings. TV series will also portray something of holiday craziness. In 1995, the movie “Home For the Holidays’ unfolded the story of a museum restoration artist flying home for Thanksgiving with her affable parents, an eccentric maiden aunt, a black-sheep-of-the-family gay son, and an embittered sister. The star-studded cast included Holly Hunter, Anne Bancroft, Charles Durning, Geraldine Chaplain, and Robert Downey, Jr. Further back in 1968, there was a cinematic telling of a highly-conflicted medieval Christmas, “The Lion In Winter.” It won Katharine Hepburn her third Academy Award, and its own star-studded cast also featured Peter O’Toole, Anthony Hopkins, and Timothy Dalton. These powerful characters engage in some very brutal backbiting and hostile verbal exchange that is memorable in its cleverness. As entertaining as these portrayals might be, the element of recognition that strikes us is the familiar experience of holiday-related stress.

Lest you think I’m a “Bah! Humbug!” Scrooge-like person, I want to assure you that I normally enjoy the holidays, despite the pressures of preparation and the cranked-up party-going that is a challenge to my normally introverted personality. In my forty-plus years of work in various helping professions, I have noticed that the holidays are sometimes dreaded rather than welcomed by more people than we might imagine.  In our own lived real experience, the holidays become even more difficult if we have endured a significant loss. These losses can include the death of someone we have loved, the breakup of a relationship, the loss of employment, relocation, witnessing the debilitating disability of someone we are caring for, or financial or material disaster. It’s not for nothing that Elvis sang of a “Blue Christmas” in his throaty and soulful baritone.

Because the holidays can be especially difficult for persons grieving losses such as those noted above, Pemi-Baker Community Health & Hospice will be offering TWO Monday times to meet with those in need of support throughout the holiday season. The groups will start before Thanksgiving and conclude after New Year’s: November 18 and 25; December 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30, 2019; and, January 6, 2020. The daytime afternoon group (12:30-2pm), will meet in the Grady Conference Room at Speare Memorial Hospital, 16 Hospital Road, Plymouth, NH. The early evening group (5:30-7pm), will gather in the Main Conference Room at Pemi-Baker Community Health, 101 Boulder Point Drive, Suite 3, Plymouth, NH. There is no cost for attendance.

Topics at the sessions will include: emotional self-care during the holiday season; choosing (or NOT choosing) to attend gatherings and celebrations; not feeling like “making merry”; recollections and reminiscences of previous holidays; suggestions for home rituals to remember loved ones; and, entering upon a new year without someone who is no longer present.

The groups will be facilitated by Guy Tillson, MDiv, MA, Bereavement Counselor for Pemi-Baker Community Health. If you have questions about the program or are interested in participating in one of the groups, please contact Guy by email at gtillson@pbhha.org or by phone at (603) 536-2232, Extension 206 so that adequate preparations for the groups can be made.

Please consider donating to Pemi-Baker Community Health as the holidays approach. If you order gifts on line, Amazon will give a percentage of your purchases directly to Pemi-Baker Community health by using Amazon Smile. Visit www.smile.amazon.com and choose Pemi-Baker Community Health. Giving Tuesday, December 3rd, is the Tuesday after Thanksgiving and is a movement to create an international day of charitable giving at the beginning of the Christmas and holiday season. Visit our website to give: www.pbhha.org. Thank you from the team at Pemi-Baker!

~By Guy Tillson, MDiv, MA

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.

“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.

“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.

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!
0
0
Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health
Medicare Certification Logo
Home Care Hospice Alliance NH
IPRO Quality Award