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Mary Wall, a nurse who co-founded the local Hospice of the Comforter, now part of Odyssey HealthCare, thinks our culture is so death averse that it breeds misconceptions about hospice care.
"There still needs to be constant education out there as to 'what is hospice,'" said Wall, now the community education liaison for Odyssey, a private, for-profit hospice. "This is just outright ridiculous."
Wall and her colleagues at Odyssey have taken the lesson to heart. They've produced a book called "Last Hugs at the Exit Door" that documents the wisdom, experiences and stories of several hospice patients as well as the staff.
There are funny anecdotes, poignant thoughts, and much of it is straightforward information about how hospice works. Now, they're giving the book to as many people as want to read it.
"Hospice is not just about treating the body or a disease, but also their dreams and who they are," said Rebekah Shardy, manager of volunteer services. "I think of this book as a love letter from our staff to some of the patients we have known."
Shardy headed up the effort to collect the thoughts and recollections, recruiting 11 volunteers to interview 16 patients, and asking the staff for favorite stories. She then arranged the material into a quick read.
Wall and her husband Dr. Richard Wall, associate medical director at Odyssey, are sponsoring the book. Their goal is not a secret -- they want to evangelize about hospice care, because it is their passion and they think it benefits people who choose it.
"The focus is on quality of life instead of eking out as many hours of life as you can," said Dr. Wall, who thinks that often adds unnecessary pain and costs. "But many people live longer in hospice than they would if not in hospice, because they receive better care.
"The thing we hear most often is, 'I wish we'd called sooner.'"
Nevertheless, he admits that hospice isn't for everyone.
"Everybody thinks differently and not everybody is appropriate for hospice," Dr. Wall said. "Maybe someone is a fighter who wants to do everything possible. You have to respect that."
To get the book, call Odyssey at 573-4166.
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