- April 25, 2024
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Hospice goal: Serve the mind, body and spirit
Fran Davis, executive director of Halifax Health-Hospice, found that she needed the services of hospice herself last November when her father died.
It gave her a renewed insight into the importance of hospice care as a person enters the final stage of their life, she said. With hospice, the family didn’t have to worry about his physical care, such as what pills he needed. They knew he was comfortable.
“I needed to be a daughter,” she said. “My sister and I were able to hold him in our arms. It was a moment I’ll never forget.”
She said it was a “good death,” and that’s the goal for patients at the hospice facilities she oversees, including the one soon to open on Booth Road in Ormond Beach. There was a ribbon cutting on Feb. 26, and the 12-bed facility will be in operation in the next few weeks, as soon as state officials inspect the premises and issue a license.
Davis said there are five patients, currently at the Halifax Health 16-bed Port Orange facility, who will be able to move into the new facility to be closer to their home.
There are two other Halifax Health Hospices: a 12-bed unit in Edgewater and an 18-bed hospice in West Volusia. They are spread around the geographic area so they are convenient for family.
Hospice care is for those who have been diagnosed by a physician as having a life-limiting illness. It involves nursing care at home, as well as being cared for at one of hospice facilities when necessary.
The Ormond Beach facility has a noninstitutional, home-like decor, with features such as patios and beds for family members so they can spend the night. Actual artifacts from the old Ormond Hotel, donated by the Halifax Historical Society, are incorporated into the design to reflect the community.
“It’s very important they feel at home,” Davis said. “Dying is a spiritual journey. It’s not a medical event. When a person is born it’s a cherished moment. We want to make death a cherished moment.”
To help pay for the facility, naming rights were sold for fountains, rooms, suites, benches, etc. She said their goal was $2.5 million and they have raised $2.3 million. Halifax Health-Hospice depends on donations, because they have many costs that are not compensated, such as care for the uninsured, household support, bereavement programs, caregiver programs, etc.
The cost of construction of the 18,000-square-foot building was $6 million.
In back of the facility, there are walkways and benches, and also a labyrinth, a place for reflection and meditation.
Labyrinths are well-known in hospice care, according to Robin Finkelstein, director of business development of Halifax Health Hospice. They are often found at conventions of hospice workers, and all of the staff at Halifax Health Hospice knows how to instruct others on their use.
For example, a bereavement counselor will sometimes have a client walk the labyrinth and think about a happy memory with their loved one. Or, a caregiver might want to focus on what they should do to give their loved one a better quality of life. Sometimes, a patient may go through the labyrinth, even if pushed in a wheelchair, to process thoughts, such as forgiving someone.
“Hospice serves the mind, body and spirit,” Finkelstein said.
The opening of the new facility also included an ecumenical blessing. There were 12 clergy from throughout the area, as well as 12 chaplains from Halifax Health, and each room was blessed. The ceremony was orchestrated by Rev. Ronald Durham, of Halifax Health-Hospice.
