Through the Storm:
Bonnie Porter joined the Crossroads team in Atlanta after fearlessly serving patients and their families through Hurricane Katrina. A hospice aide with Memorial Medical System in New Orleans, she stayed by her patients’ sides through the storm as the waters flooded the hospital floors beneath them.
“My family was not sure if I was alive for several days, but I was there for my patients whose family members could not get to their mothers and fathers,” she said. “I saw a lot during that time. I was truly blessed to be there with my patients.”
When you think about what it takes to help an ailing patient recover, you may think of the nurse with a warm, welcoming smile, who provides round-the-clock support to patients. Or the physician, whose diagnoses and treatment recommendations we trust. Social workers are a key part of this care team – helping patients and families understand diagnoses, process major life changes such as transitioning to a new environment, and coping with issues around terminal illness, communicating end-of-life wishes, and bereavement.
Social workers give so much to our patients every day, but rarely receive special recognition for all they do to connect patients with resources, counsel families, and give people the special time and attention they need.
In my 27 years of practicing cardiology, I’ve noticed an increasing frequency in receiving questions about vitamins and supplements. Patients, friends, and even new acquaintances want to know what I think about certain vitamins and supplements. Even more common are situations in which patients come to my office taking handfuls of daily supplements, believing that they are beneficial to the heart.
It is not clear why so many people trust in the benefits (and safety) of supplements, but I do believe that physicians have played a role by promoting certain vitamins and also by not knowing the most current scientific information.
Volunteer Anita Gish has been an artist for 30 years. She currently teaches oil painting at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kansas. Anita contributes to our volunteer efforts by creating portraits of veterans on our hospice service for their families.
Anita heard about the Crossroads Hospice from an article in the local paper about artists doing portraits of veterans. “I wanted to do something for our veterans that gave so much for our country. I hope by doing portraits of hospice veterans that I have repaid a little of the service they gave to our country,” says Anita.
Heart failure affects nearly 6 million Americans, and in honor of heart month, we’d like to talk about congestive heart failure (CHF).CHF is a condition that requires extensive daily management. As a result, it impacts not only the patient, but also his or her family and friends.
Without careful monitoring, your loved one can end up with symptoms that often result in hospitalization. However, daily monitoring of dietary restrictions, weight, and blood pressure can minimize CHF flare-ups.
Few couples demonstrate the Valentine’s Day spirit of enduring love better than Crossroads patient Ella Mae Carter and her husband Waymon “Doc” Carter.
This year, the Crossroads team helped them to celebrate their 71stwedding anniversarytogether at the Highlands of Memphis.
Ella and Waymon married on February 9, 1942. Ten months later, their first son was born. The proud papa spent a mere three days with his newborn before he went off to war and didn’t return for three years.
