I couldn’t give an exact answer to her question since I didn’t know all the circumstances of that family. Unfortunately,there is still a large segment of our population who don’t know about the availability of hospice services and how it can assist families dealing with a terminal illness.
As a hospice chaplain,my role is to help educate the community about the benefits of hospice. Recently,a local church invited me and our volunteer coordinator,Debbie Miller,to speak at their luncheon group about Hospice. After our talk,a number of people expressed surprise at how much hospice could help families who need it.
It occurred to me that we at SUHCH need to do more in “getting the word out”to the public. One way this can be done is by giving educational presentations regarding Hospice services to various churches and organizations here in St. George. So,I am asking you,our readers,to help me do this by recommending that your bishop,minister,priest or chairperson extend an invitation for us to speak at your church or organization so we can spread the “Good News”about Hospice. You can call Debbie Miller at 634-9300 to arrange a time when we can do this for you.
By helping us get the word out,you will be providing a great service to our community and making a difference in the lives of people who are struggling with caring for loved ones who are terminally ill –perhaps even your own neighbor.
Luigi Persichetti is the chaplain for Southern Utah Home Care and Hospice and the minister of the Unity Church of Positive Living in St. George.
