May

A Support to All: Pam Henderson Nurses Patients, Families and Staff

Posted on May 30, 2014 in Crossroads News

We are happy to announce Pam Henderson as the winner of the inaugural PJ Storley Memorial Nursing Recognition Award. PJ was a woman of strong character who dedicated her life as a registered nurse for Crossroads Hospice in Oklahoma City. She worked holidays, weekends, on call, and after hours. She would do any job that needed to be done. She loved her family, her friends, and her patients. Sadly, PJ died in March 2014 after a short terminal illness. Last May, PJ herself won the Staff Spotlight award and it is fitting that Pam Henderson receive the first award named in PJ’s memory. PJ was an inspiration to us all. To read PJ’s story, visit: http://blog.crossroadshospice.com/nurse-case-manager-staff-spotlight-pamela-pj-storley-rn/.

Voices of Caregiving: Sisters Share: Caregiving By Committee Lightens the Load

Posted on May 27, 2014 in Hospice Education

Denise Bynum and Debi Clark are caregivers through and through. Born and raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the sisters both became nurses in the area. Denise decided to work for Crossroads Hospice, a decision that became all the more significant to her and her family when the sisters’ roles as caregivers took an unexpected turn. Five years ago, their mother Vira, who they know as “meemah,” began to exhibit symptoms of vascular dementia. In the past year, their stepfather – “peepah” – has begun to suffer from dementia, too. The couple has been together for over two decades and the last thing the daughters wanted was for them to be separated or have to leave their home, so they took on the caregiving responsibilities themselves.

Ten Years of Giving Back

Posted on May 25, 2014 in Happiness Project

As a young girl in junior choir, Lucy Haddock would sing at nursing homes. As she got older and had children of her own, she took them to visit nursing homes, too.

“I always had a calling toward older people and thought I’d like to volunteer in that area when my kids were older,” says Lucy. Ten years ago, that opportunity presented itself in a newspaper blurb about a new hospice in the Atlanta area that was looking for volunteers. Lucy called the number and has been volunteering with Crossroads Hospice ever since.

Ultimate Gift Brings Patient a World of Music

Posted on May 21, 2014 in Crossroads News

Blind herself, Beatrice Pfeiffer dedicated her adult life to teaching the piano to others who cannot see. She loved to show her students that a whole world could exist through music, one that they could enjoy without seeing the instrument in front of them.

The Hospice Interview Process: Key Questions to Ask Before Selecting Your Hospice Provider

Posted on May 19, 2014

With so many options available, finding the best hospice provider for your loved one can be overwhelming. On the one hand, all hospices are required to offer a base level of care and services to their patients. On the other, every hospice approaches these services differently and while some providers go above and beyond for their patients, others do only what is required.

How Teens Grieve

Posted on May 14, 2014 in Hospice Education

The day my dad was rushed to the hospital with a ruptured aortic aneurysm, I was 14 years old. I was in eighth grade. I got to see him before the surgery and the doctors said it was an “easy fix.”