Vim & Vigor - Summer 2013 - North Mississippi - (Page 49)

A Place for Peace New inpatient hospice unit combines homelike setting with hospital services W hen a patient in the hospital is nearing the end of life, family and healthcare providers must make a decision about where to take him that will best serve his needs in the last days. Until recently, the only option was to transfer the patient to an off-site inpatient hospice, or send the patient home on hospice care. Patients who were too sick or fragile to transfer had to be cared for in other hospital settings such as the Critical Care Unit. In early 2013, NMMC opened an inpatient hospice unit. “Being able to move the patients to this dedicated unit means that they will experience a more peaceful, warm, homelike atmosphere,” says Ashley Harris, MD, a boardcertified physician in geriatric medicine who serves as medical director. Auxiliary of NMMC officers Anne Jones (left), secretary/treasurer, and Judy Pryor, president, are greeted by Steve Altmiller, NMMC–Tupelo president, at an open house for the new Inpatient Hospice Unit. Leslie Mart Leslie Mart, construction project manager for The McCarty Company in Tupelo, was able to use her personal experiences in her work on the unit, when her employer designed and constructed the new unit. When Mart’s father became terminally ill in another state, the hospital he was in had an inpatient hospice option. “Being able to just walk him down the hall from the ICU was wonderful,” Mart says. “It’s a really hard situation—but not having to make a move or make other arrangements made the whole thing easier. He settled right in. And although he was only there for a few days, those last few days were really peaceful.” The Care You Need Inpatient hospice staff members are specifically trained to care for patients in their last days. “Having those dedicated nurses is just another thing that makes a difficult situation better,” Mart says. “Other areas of the hospital deal with saving lives—it’s an entirely different environment in hospice. My hope is that this unit will give patients a peaceful place to deal with the end of life.” Mart says that The McCarty Company and NMMC worked together as a team to create a warm, inviting environment, while also ensuring all hospital codes and regulations were met. “We were able to pull in multiple experiences to work together for a common goal,” she says. “This has certainly been a missing link and will fulfill our community’s needs.” Admission follows Medicare guidelines. The 10-bed unit is licensed separately by the Mississippi State Department of Health. The new unit is located on 5 South and closed to through traffic. > Summ er 2013 49

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Summer 2013 - North Mississippi

Vim & Vigor - Summer 2013 - North Mississippi
Contents
Opening Thoughts
Help for Your Heart
The Ultimate Backto- School Checklist
Join the Movement
Stroke Stories
5 Steps to Better Bone Health
Gut Instinct
Morgan Freeman
Prostate Playbook
The Main Ingredient
Looking Ahead
Virtual Health
A Place for Peace
Don’t Be So Vein
Reflux Relief
Catch the Spirit

Vim & Vigor - Summer 2013 - North Mississippi