Bliss Place Wins Hospice Partnership Award
On June 15, 2015 Bliss Place in Bedford, IN was presented with the Premier Hospice Bridges Award by Premier’s Executive Director Jolene McLaughlin.
“This award is presented quarterly to a facility that has made a strong commitment to excellence in end-of-life care,” said McLaughlin. “Bliss Place was selected because they recognize residents who are hospice appropriate, educate their families on the hospice benefit, and work well as a team to coordinate care with hospice for their patient.”
Bliss Place offers 50 assisted living apartments, three meals a day, housekeeping and transportation for its residents. “When a resident is declining and doesn’t want to leave their apartment or our staff who become like family, extra supportive services in the form of hospice can be layered in, if a resident qualifies, to prevent them from having to leave our building”, says Executive Director, Missy McNeelan. “Hospice provides supportive services to the patient, family and to our staff; it’s a good alternative for everyone if a resident’s condition is advancing.”
One example of the collaborative partnership that has developed between Bliss Place and Premier Hospice is a recent discussion with the family of a resident that had end stage heart disease. The family was overwhelmed by the thought of the discussion, as their loved one had been suffering from heart disease for approximately 15 years. They felt like it had been a roller coaster ride, understanding the disease process, comprehending the effects it had had on their mother, as well as navigating the health care continuum. They didn’t want to think about mom being in the last stages of the disease, but Dara, Bliss Place’s Care Services Manager, suggested an informational meeting so they had the facts needed to allow their mom to stay in the community with higher levels of care. After meeting with Premier and the Bliss Place staff they were relieved and felt more informed about the changes they had seen happening with their mother and the care she would be receiving. The resident’s son and daughter indicated they wished they had involved hospice sooner for everyone’s benefit.