|
History
The word hospice comes from the Latin word hospes: meaning to host a guest or stranger. In medieval times a hospice was a shelter for weary travelers, a temporary home for pregnant women, and a place for people in poor health or in need of recovery. It was a place to go for lodging and care and was usually run by a religious order. That concept gave birth to the modern day hospice which offers a humane alternative in the delivery of health care services and an organized program of comprehensive care for people facing an end of life situation.
The first modern day hospice, St. Christopher’s, was founded in 1967 in London, England by an Englishwoman named Cicely Saunders. Saunders, who trained as a nursing student during World War II, witnessed much suffering and death. In her experiences, she realized pain control and dying with dignity were things that really mattered at the end of life. She also recognized various types of pain: physical pain and the psychological and spiritual pain of death itself. Her awareness inspired her to become the pioneer of the hospice movement. In 1974, this end-of-life care concept was adopted by an American nurse, Florence Wald, who opened a hospice in New Haven, Connecticut. The movement gained momentum throughout the United States, yet it would be years before hospice care would be introduced and available in Southern Maryland.
Congress officially recognized the benefits of hospice care in the early 1980's and enacted the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act in the Medicare Bill (1982). The following year, Hospice of Charles County was incorporated in the state of Maryland and was granted a 501 (c)(3) non profit status by the Internal Revenue Service. At first, the organization was staffed and managed by a small group of nurses and other individuals who volunteered their time and talents to help dying patients and their family through a difficult time. The organization slowly evolved into a more structured program that melded the skills of medical professionals with the passion of volunteers to create an effective program that helps patients manage pain so they may enjoy a better quality of life.
As the demand for hospice care increased, so did the need for increased staffing; therefore, hospice solicited and received a grant from the Public Welfare Foundation to fund a part-time executive director. In 1987, staffing at hospice consisted of a full time patient care coordinator and a secretary, a part-time executive director and an assistant care coordinator, along with numerous volunteers. In March 1989, Hospice of Charles County, Inc. was granted a license by the state of Maryland to provide end-of-life care services in Charles County.
Spiritual and emotional support was central to the hospice philosophy, and in 1985, Hospice of Charles County held its first memorial service to remember the men, women and children cared for by hospice. That same year, it commenced a structured support program, "A Time To Heal," to help grieving adults throughout Charles County. In 1987, the bereavement program was expanded to include monthly self-help mailers to all families. These mailings continue for 13 months to help family members cope with the death of their loved one. Other bereavement program enhancements were implemented in 1989 to include in-home visits and telephone follow-up contacts with widows and widowers. In 1990, hospice's first full time bereavement and volunteer program coordinator was hired, and in 2003, Camp Sunshine - the first bereavement program specifically tailored for children - was held at Melwood's Retreat Center in Nanjemoy, Maryland.
In October 1991, Hospice of Charles County became Medicare certified, which gave the organization the ability to expand services and receive reimbursement for prescription drugs, medical supplies and equipment. Today, third party billing also include Medicaid, VA, BlueCross/BlueShield and other private insurance.
Medicare and other forms of insurance reimbursement pays approximately 80 percent of hospice's cost of providing services to patients and their families. The remaining funding comes from memorial donations, individual payroll deductions (United Way of Charles County, Combined Federal Campaign - CFC, and Maryland Charities Campaign - MCC), bequests, grants, groups contributions and outside fundraisers - such as those produced by the Society for the Friends of Hospice, D.B.A.
During the first five years of hospice's existence, office space was donated by various groups and individuals. In December 1989, hospice leased its first office suite to accommodate the program expansion. That office space in La Plata, Maryland was occupied until April 2002 when an F-4 tornado leveled much of La Plata and severely damaged the office building that housed hospice and the surrounding area. Hospice utilized a trailer as temporary office space provided by Facchina for several months while the Town of La Plata was rebuilding. Following the building construction completed in 2003, the hospice staff moved back into the rebuilt office facility owned by attorney, Tom Hayden at 105 LaGrange Avenue.
|
