Our stories about meaningful experiences are written as they unfold. Therefore, most stories are in the present tense. Some of the patients in these stories are no longer with us. They, and their families, gave us permission to share their experience with you. For those who have since passed, we share these in their memories with deep appreciation for what they have taught us about life and living.
Anthony is a young man under our care. His home-hospice team worked to manage pain and symptoms and to support him and his family. As they got to know him, they were reminded that, even in the midst of crisis, children want to feel “normal.”
All he wanted, he told his family, was a Super Mario game. It was October, and our team immediately set out to make sure he got the game he wanted. We asked the local Walmart to partner with us. They did, donating the game along with dozens of Mario-branded toys, clothes, and bedding.
With a cartload of wonderful gifts, we had an idea: would Anthony’s family be interested in making this an early Christmas? Yes, they told us. Anthony still believed wholeheartedly in Santa, and he loved Christmas.
A local Santa agreed to help. On Halloween day, he and Anthony’s Hospice Care Plus team drove to Anthony’s home in a car filled with Christmas gifts wrapped by our volunteers. One team member remembers that, when Anthony first spotted Santa, he could think of nothing to say about this unexpected, magical moment except, “Santa. I love you.” For the next hour or so, Anthony and his parents—we made sure they had gifts, too—shared a small family celebration of Christmas on Halloween afternoon.
Magical moments like these are possible because our community of donors, businesses, and volunteers understands that, in hospice and palliative care, every moment matters. We believe that making these moments possible is every bit as essential to quality of life as the medical management of pain and symptoms.
How can you honor life during National Hospice & Palliative Care Month? Visit the #WeHonorLife campaign page to learn about all the ways you can help, from volunteering and shopping to helping us increase access to specialized care for the seriously ill and their families. Questions? Contact us at hospice@hospicecp.org or 859-986-1500 or visit our website.
Hospice Care Plus empowers those we serve to enjoy the highest quality of life, respecting their values, beliefs, needs, and goals through specialized care, education, resources, and grief support.
Our Service Area:
Our Home Hospice and Home Palliative Care programs serve you, wherever you call home, in the Kentucky counties of Estill, Jackson, Lee, Madison, Owsley, and Rockcastle.
Our inpatient care facility, the Compassionate Care Center, and administrative offices are located in Richmond, Kentucky.
Recent News:
2024 Remembrance Tree Ceremony
HCP Launches New Website
News & Events
2016 Staff Award Winners
At our annual dinner on Tuesday, December 13, we were proud to honor several staff members for outstanding performance and for length of service. Please join us in congratulating the following staff members on their well-deserved awards. 2016 Award Winners Synergy Award: Hospice Home Program Nursing Assistants (Chelsea Shearer, Christal Isaacs, Connie Kates, Dianna Moore, Felicia…
2016 Above & Beyond Award Winners
Hospice Care Plus presented four Above and Beyond awards at its 2016 annual dinner on December 13. This year’s recipients are: Hogg Rentals, Berea Madison County EMS, Richmond Marcum and Wallace Memorial Hospital, Irvine Rockcastle Pediatrics, Mt. Vernon The awards are given each year to civic groups, non-profits, churches, businesses or other organizations that go…
WWAG Hospice Radio Day Dec. 1
For the second time in two years, Hospice Care Plus is partnering with WWAG-FM for a special Hospice Radio Day program on December 1 from noon until 4 p.m. The WWAG-Hospice Radio Day will feature several special guests, including entertainment by Phillip Akemon, Jerry Sparks and wife Carmen Leah, and “Granny,” whose performance of “Beautiful…
Get Remembrance Tree Ornaments Now
Hospice Care Plus’s annual Remembrance Tree ceremony is set for Sunday, December 4, 2:00 p.m., at a new location: EKU’s Center for the Arts. The event is a long-standing tradition for Hospice Care Plus and the community, bringing hundreds together for more than 20 years. The Remembrance Tree ceremony gives the community a chance to remember loved…