Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - North Mississippi - 53

they take up the spiritual care of these
patients," Grammer says. "They report
to the rest of the healthcare team daily.
The whole team of caregivers is in constant communication so we know how
to best care for each patient."
Grammer previously worked in
church ministry part time and had dealt
periodically with caring for people at
the end of their lives.
"It is the most rewarding thing I have
ever done, and I intend to keep doing it
until I retire," Grammer says. "It is wonderful to be part of a team who tries to
provide peace and joy."
He says the most rewarding part of
his job is when he assesses a spiritual
need and is able to help.
"Often at the end of life, people will
be struggling with forgiveness, anger
or a fear of the unknown," he says. "If I
can help them find peace, I know I am
doing what I was called to do."
It's rare that he serves a patient who
does not have a religious background
or whose background varies drastically
from his, but it does happen.
"We respect and honor whatever
belief our patients have-we do not
impose our own belief systems on them,"
he says. "In the rare case someone asks
me for something that I cannot give
without compromising my own beliefs,
I help them find someone who can. Our
volunteer clergy represent a wide spectrum of religions."

Hospice Volunteers
Play an Important Role

Seemingly small moments can be the
ones that make the difference when a
patient is at the end of life, according
to NMMC Inpatient Hospice volunteer
Theresa Smith.
Smith's daughter, Marylynn, was a
patient on the NMMC Inpatient Hospice
unit. She died in 2014.
"I loved these people that took care
of her," Smith says. "They took care of
our whole family. They make you feel

like you are someone they really care
about. They celebrated Marylynn's
birthday with doughnuts and helped
provide her children with Christmas
the year she passed away. They go
above and beyond."
Smith developed a relationship with
the hospice staff and would often stop
by to visit after her daughter died.
"After several months, they mentioned
that they thought I would be a good
volunteer," she says. "This is where my
heart is now."
As a volunteer, Smith comes once
a week to the unit and spends time
doing whatever is needed-including
sending bereavement cards, answering
the phone, straightening up the family
break room or visiting with patients
and family members. She also sits
with patients to give family members
a break.
"I do whatever it takes to make them
happy in that moment, including singing to them," she says. "The older I get,
the more I feel like God puts people in
our path. I can make a connection with
the people up here because I've been
through what they are going through."
There are 15 NMMC hospice volunteers who work either on the inpatient
unit or with those who are at home on
hospice care. ■

CALL

We Are Here
to Help
For more information on
North Mississippi Medical Center
Hospice, call 662-377-3612
or 1-800-THE DESK
(1-800-843-3375) or visit
www.nmhs.net/hospice.php.

ABOUT
HOSPICE
NMMC Hospice emphasizes the
management of pain and other
symptoms (including psychological, emotional, social and
spiritual needs) associated with
terminal illness. NMMC Hospice
was the first licensed hospice in
Mississippi in 1984.
NMMC provides hospice
services in the home, as well as
in a 10-bed inpatient unit in the
main hospital and in various local
long-term care facilities.

NMMC HOSPICE
PROVIDES:

3 24-hour nursing on-call
support

3 Personal care assistance
3 Compassionate, quality

healthcare that enables
patients to remain at home
with family
3 Family counseling to help
a patient's family cope with
terminal illness
3 Pastoral support for
spiritual care
3 Continuous care in crisis
situations
3 Prescription medication
coverage related to terminal
illness, with emphasis on pain
management
3 Medical equipment and supplies as needed for comfort
3 Volunteer services including
compassion, friendly visiting
and running errands
3 Respite care
3 Bereavement care for 13 months
to ease grief and transition

OUR TEAM INCLUDES:
3 Physicians
3 Nurses
3 Personal care aides
3 Social workers
3 Chaplain
3 Volunteers
3 Dietitian
3 Pharmacist

WINTE R 2017

53


http://www.nmhs.net/hospice.php

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - North Mississippi

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Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - North Mississippi - Cover1
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - North Mississippi - Cover2
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - North Mississippi - Contents
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Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - North Mississippi - Cover3
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - North Mississippi - Cover4
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