‘Coffee and Cedar: Finding Strength from Memories’ Review

‘Coffee and Cedar: Finding Strength from Memories’ Review

With Father’s Day upon us, it’s the perfect time and opportunity to reflect on the men in our lives who have profoundly affected the individuals we are today — fathers, sons, brothers and, last but not least, grandfathers. For one young man, his grandfather played a pivotal role in modeling him into the person he is today. “Coffee and Cedar: Finding Strength from Memories by D.H. Cermeño takes the reader on an illustrated journey through the meaningful relationship between that young man, David, and his grandfather, Atun.

The Powerful Aroma of Coffee and Cedar

Memories come in all forms, shapes and sizes. For some, a photo can trigger a heartfelt memory of a day spent on the beach with family and friends celebrating the Fourth of July. For others, a song heard during a television commercial can transport a person back to dancing cheek to cheek with a first love at the high school prom. But sometimes, there is nothing stronger to recall a fond memory than a scent associated with a loved one. A memory taken out of the bank and used in times of need to assist in navigating over life’s hurdles.

“Coffee and Cedar” is a story depicting the relationship between the author and the grandfather who raised him. David lost his parents at a young age, and Atun filled the heart-wrenching gap as best he could. For anyone outside looking in, Atun raised David as if he was his own son. His grandfather made sure David attended school, prayed in church and nursed him back to health if the need arose.

Before he retired, Atun worked as a chef. Believe it or not, the favorite part of his day wasn’t the meals he cooked but indulging in a cup of freshly brewed coffee. The scent of the coffee triggered memories for Atun of his childhood and the strong bond he had with his father. It was back in the day when technology did not impact day-to-day life and father and son were able to have meaningful conversations.

Similarly, David remembered the aroma of his grandfather’s coffee, but added to his memory bank for future reflection was the strong scent of cedar. As a boy, David’s favorite place to hide during hide-and-seek was Atun’s closet, which was filled with blocks of cedar to ward off pesky moths.

Motivational Empowerment

Besides the sharing of how powerfully scented memories can uplift spirits, “Coffee and Cedar” delves into motivational empowerment. Throughout the book, there are multiple instances when David needs encouragement as naysayers get the best of him. ‘El sol no se tapa con un dedo,” which translates to, “You cannot cover the sun with a single finger.” The saying boils down to the fact that no one can take away any talent within a person – a talent is like the sun, larger than a mere finger.

This Atunism is the empowering statement running throughout “Coffee and Cedar.” It demonstrates the importance and value of believing in yourself despite any adversity you might face.

“Nurture your talents. When you have a gift that no one can take away, don’t let anyone or anything negative make your doubt your abilities,” said the author’s grandfather nightly at bedtime. This empowering statement was a philosophy passed down from generation to generation.

Award-winning Story

Despite its brevity, the book packs a strong punch. The messages woven throughout “Coffee and Cedar” are meaningful and impactful for children and adults alike. It is easy to see why “Coffee and Cedar” is an award-winning story. To date, the book has won the following:

At Chapters Health System, every day is devoted to educating our patients and keeping them in the place they call home. We are dedicated to ensuring that patients, young and old alike, and their families are able to make educated decisions about important healthcare matters. For more information, please call our helpful Chapters Health team at 1.866.204.8611 or send an email to info@chaptershealth.org

About Phoebe Ochman

Phoebe Ochman, Director of Corporate Communications for Chapters Health System, manages all content and communications for the not-for-profit organization.

Age-Appropriate Books to Help Children Understand Death and Grief

There are many books that explain death and grief in terms that are age appropriate for children. The following books are just a few that can be useful resources when discussing these topics with kids, primarily for those under the age of 10:

The Goodbye Book (child 3+)

I’ll Always Love You (child 3+)

The Memory Box (child 4+)

Wherever You Are My Love Will Find You (child 4+)

Sun Kisses, Moon Hugs (child 5+)

Pax (children 8-12)

The Thing about Jellyfish (children 9-14)

Using Art Along the Grief Journey

Using Art Along the Grief Journey

“Grief is a process,” said Good Shepherd Hospice Bereavement Specialist Esylen Stephens. “It’s something that doesn’t end in a month, or even a year — a grief journey.”

The grief journey for Good Shepherd Hospice volunteer Dottie Van Roekel began in February 2018, when she lost her mother, Dorothy, to Alzheimer’s disease. It was the end of 15 years of living with the disease.

Dottie had been her mother’s caretaker all that time. When Dorothy passed, Dottie turned to Esylen and Good Shepherd Hospice’s Bereavement Services for support.

Not much of a talker, Dottie first took a one-on-one approach with Esylen, and then eventually a group approach.

“Talking wasn’t getting it done,” shared Dottie. “Being in the group and listening to the stories on how to cope wasn’t really doing it.”

That’s when Esylen had an idea.

Different Grief Journey Approach

“When she came into the sessions, we were talking about ways to cope with grief, and I suggested that she may work through her grief through her artwork,” Esylen said.

Dottie had had a knack for art since middle school but admitted she wasn’t able to devote as much time to drawing once she became a mother of two children.

“Art used to be an outlet to escape to,” Dottie said. “I gave it up for a while, but Esylen told me to draw my feelings.”

Her feelings came in the form of colored pencils on paper.

grief journey

A child with her head in her knees, sitting under a rain cloud.

Up in the clouds above, her mother looking over.

A hand reaching out to help.

“This was the first time someone had brought me a picture like that,” Esylen said. “In a sense, I could feel her grief by looking at that picture. Her head was down and she was hiding.”

Dottie said she was torn up but just started drawing.

“I was just devastated,” she said. “I was in a storm, but I knew that Esylen was going to pick me up and bring me out of it sooner or later.”

Dottie’s grief journey still continues today. She said she turns to art about once a month. Not always anything in particular. The casual observer may not be able to make out anything, but Dottie said she can see it.

Her Grief Journey a Year Later

Almost exactly one year after her mom passed, Dottie was sitting on her porch when something came to her.

“There’s just a line of trees across the street,” Dottie said. “And I saw the fog across the field rolling in, and I was sitting there thinking, ‘that’s exactly how I feel.’ The sun was coming up, but the fog was rolling in. So I went in and started drawing.”

grief journeyThat led to the picture with the words “one year later” on it.

The girl in the first picture from a year ago is now a woman. Instead of hiding, she’s standing tall. She still sees her mother, this time a little closer in the trees.

“I’m up on my feet now,” she said. “I’ve got just about everything taken care of – just looking through the fog and seeing everything coming back to life.”

A year later, Dottie’s grief journey isn’t over, but she is proud of her progress.

When asked what she hopes her drawings might look like in a year from now, she is hopeful of what could become more of a self-portrait.

“A smile on my face,” added Dottie. “It’s still really sad, but I’m getting on my feet. Hopefully it’ll all be sunshine and roses.”

Looking back on a time when words failed her as a coping mechanism, Dottie has a simple message for anyone who might be going through the same struggle she once did.

“What was your passion before?” posed Dottie. “Was it art? Was it music? Was it dancing? Pick it back up. Don’t let the sadness get you totally down. You can bring yourself out of it with what you are passionate about.”

Dottie’s art has inspired many others who have turned to Good Shepherd Hospice for help. Esylen said she shows the pictures in her therapy groups as a way to help guide others through their grief journey.

“I think it leaves them with a sense of hope that they can move forward,” Esylen said. “They may start out being sad, but they learn to walk through grief, and by using coping mechanisms. The sun will shine again.”

Inspiration for Others

In addition to therapy groups, Dottie’s artwork could soon inspire others.

Good Shepherd Hospice Volunteer Coordinator Peg Parschė hopes to start what she called a “Healing Arts” program. It would provide art supplies for those who want to turn to their creative side to help with whatever they’re going through.

“To get other people to create something that is meaningful,” Dottie said, “it’s very rewarding.”

At Chapters Health System and its affiliatesGood Shepherd Hospice, HPH Hospice and LifePath Hospice, every day is devoted to educating our patients and keeping them in the place they call home. We are dedicated to ensuring that patients, young and old alike, and their families are able to make educated decisions about important healthcare matters. For more information, please call our helpful Chapters Health team at 1.866.204.8611 or send an email to info@chaptershealth.org.

About Pat Carragher

Pat Carragher, Media Relations Coordinator for Chapters Health System, coordinates external communications for the not-for-profit organization.

Do You Need Grief Support?

Experiencing a loved one’s death can be one of the most difficult and painful chapters in an individual’s life. That’s why Chapters Health System is here to help and wants you to know that you are not alone.

Our not-for-profit organization offers bereavement support for hospice survivors in addition to ongoing community support groups.  There is no charge for bereavement support and services. While many individuals participating in our community bereavement support groups have lost someone under the care at any of our affiliates — Good Shepherd HospiceHPH Hospice and LifePath Hospice — others have experienced a sudden or unexpected death.

  • Individual & Family Support: Bereavement specialists offer guidance, attention and support to hospice survivors within the family system as they work through the grieving and healing process.
  • Adult Grief Support Groups: Grief support groups offer support and education by helping survivors cope with their emotions, new roles in life and plans for the future. Groups are scheduled at various locations on an ongoing basis. Pre-registration is required, and groups are open to all community members who have experienced the death of a loved one.
  • Children’s Grief Services: To meet the special needs of children and their caregivers coping with the death of a loved one, we provide age-specific services and caring support in a safe environment.
  • Annual Children’s Camps: Each of our affiliates holds an annual camp for children in the spring.

Volunteering: A Lifelong Dedication

Volunteering: A Lifelong Dedication

On a sunny March day, Jack Russell spends the morning inside his Spring Hill home with his wife Jane celebrating his 74th birthday. The Russells have been volunteering with HPH Hospice for five years, but their desire to help others in need goes back decades.

When asked about how he first answered the call to become a volunteer, Jack recalled a time when he was in need of his own help. It was 1949. He was just a five-year-old when he became paralyzed from the neck down. He couldn’t move his limbs for three months, diagnosed with infantile paralysis, a type of polio. He’d spend the better part of the next several  years in St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson, New York, where he would be treated for his polio. Thanks to the staff at St. Charles, Jack was able to show off his perfect posture nearly seven decades later.

In the 1960s, he left his home on Long Island, and moved across the Hudson River to New Jersey. He was still a New Yorker though, taking a job in the World Trade Center, working for the New York Port Authority. It was around this time he learned of a group of former patients who also spent part of their youth at St. Charles, and joined their “alumni group” as he called  it. He knew then he wanted to give back.

“When I would address the people at St. Charles, I would say, ‘I’m going to need about 200 years of life in order to pay back what you’ve done for me,” Jack said. “It really was a miracle.”

He would eventually go one to serve on the hospital’s board of trustees.

Volunteering with a Different Twist

Jane’s story of service didn’t start with the type of traditional volunteering, but rather, a decision to care for someone when no one else would.

It was 2003 and the Russells had moved back to Long Island. Everyone in their Westhampton neighborhood knew about a woman named Caroline. She could usually be found roaming the streets, her clothes either inside-out or mismatched, often times with different shoes on each foot.volunteering

“Everybody knew who she was and they would not go near her for some reason,” recalled Jane. “Nobody wanted anything to do with her. She lived in a house that should have probably been condemned, but I just knew she needed help.”

Jane said that she and Jack were driving through town on a sweltering summer day when they spotted Caroline wearing a winter coat, complete with boots and gloves.

It was time for someone to finally help.

“We got her in the car and it took about 10 seconds to realize something was wrong,” Jane continued. “Everybody told us how stupid we were.”

Jane didn’t care.

She and Jack brought her to their home and gave her a shower. She noticed how dirty Caroline’s nails looked, but didn’t want to hurt her feelings.

“I told a little, mini lie,” she said. “I told her, ‘I’m taking a course in fingernails, could I practice on you?’”

It was a way for Jane to help, and let Caroline keep her dignity.

It wouldn’t end with a manicure. Jane and Jack invited Caroline to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with their family that year.

“She just wanted somebody to love her,” admitted Jane. “That’s all she wanted. I don’t understand how you can just pass somebody by like that.”

Volunteering at HPH Hospice

In 2009, Jane and Jack moved to Florida. Five years later, their neighbor became sick and needed to spend his final days inside a hospice house. Jane saw the type of care offered, and knew it would be the perfect way for her and Jack to volunteer together.

“We were very impressed with hospice,” Jane said. “The care, the facility, the warmth when you walk in the door: It was just welcoming. It was easy for us.”

They made a difference almost immediately.

Eileen was their first patient they met as volunteers with HPH Hospice. They visited Eileen in her home, which wasn’t in great shape, had no great place to park, and left them feeling unsure about their decision.

After that first visit, Jane got a call from their Volunteer Coordinator Anne Clark, who suggested they give it one more week before deciding whether it was for them.

Sure enough, they kept coming back to see Eileen.

After a few weeks of regular visits, Jane would hug her when she left and told her she and Jack loved her.volunteering

Eileen later shared that her parents weren’t the affectionate type, and never told her that they loved her. Not knowing any different, Eileen was the same way with her own kids.

One morning, Jane got a call from Anne to tell her that Eileen was in the hospice house, and was asking to see Jane. It wasn’t one of the days Jane was scheduled to volunteer, but she was happy to go in and see Eileen anyway. When she walked in the room, she could sense that something was “off.” Still, the two talked for more than five hours.

Jane told Eileen she had to leave for a bit, but would come back for dinner. Like she did every time before, Jane hugged her, and said “Eileen, I love you.”

As she’s walking towards the door, she heard Eileen say, “Jane, I love you.”

Anne called an hour later.

Eileen passed.

“I was so touched that somehow Jack and I got to her, that she was able to finally, before her journey ended, say to somebody, ‘I love you’ and I was more touched that I was the one that she said it to.

“This is why you do hospice. You’re touched in a way that’s hard to explain,” Jane said.

At Chapters Health System and its affiliatesGood Shepherd Hospice, HPH Hospice and LifePath Hospice, every day is devoted to educating our patients and keeping them in the place they call home. We are dedicated to ensuring that patients, young and old alike, and their families are able to make educated decisions about important healthcare matters. For more information, please call our helpful Chapters Health team at 1.866.204.8611 or send an email to info@chaptershealth.org.

About Pat Carragher

Pat Carragher, Media Relations Coordinator for Chapters Health System, coordinates external communications for the not-for-profit organization.

Want to Volunteer?

Chapters Health System has volunteer opportunities to suit people with a variety of interests and talents. Days and times are flexible and every role is appreciated. If you have one to four hours per week and a desire to help, we invite you to explore our volunteer opportunities including:

To become a Chapters Health volunteer, simply complete the online volunteer application and a Chapters Health volunteer coordinator will contact you. For more information, contact Volunteer Services at 863.551.3943 in Polk, Highlands or Hardee counties for Good Shepherd Hospice; or 727.816.3647 in Pasco, Hernando or Citrus counties for HPH Hospice; or 813.871.8237  in Hillsborough County for LifePath Hospice.

Medical Ethics: What You Should Know

Medical Ethics: What You Should Know

Today we continue “DRops of Wisdom,” our physician blog, with Dr. Stewart Stein, the associate vice president of medical services for Chapters Health System, who shines a light on medical ethics.

What is Medical Ethics?

One day while walking along a street in Seattle, you discover Bill Gates’ wallet lying on the ground containing $5,000. Would you send it back to him? Or perhaps, it is midnight and has been a long and stressful day at work. As you approach the traffic light a block away from home, it is quiet and there are no other cars at the intersection. Would you drive through the red light?

At some point in our lives, many of us have been faced with an ethical dilemma. Working in healthcare, we are not immune to being faced with decisions. Medical ethics involves the incorporation of a moral code into medical practice. Some may be tempted to simply interpret medical ethics as the practice of treating others the way we would wish to be treated ourselves. However, variations in individual circumstances, values and laws require a more thoughtful approach.

It is generally agreed that there are four key principles in which medical ethics is founded:medical ethics

  • Respecting a patient’s wishes
  • Following the basic premise to do no harm
  • Contributing in some way to the patient’s welfare
  • Providing healthcare with fairness and equality

Posing an Ethical Dilemma

When challenging situations are presented to medical professionals, most will consider these principles automatically. When these principles align, decision making is straight forward. When these principles are in conflict, the healthcare team is challenged. 

Here is an example of a medical ethics dilemma:

An 84-year-old man with severe heart disease has an implanted defibrillator device. It has been firing occasionally as his disease has progressed. He experiences considerable pain when this occurs and had asked the medical team to deactivate the device and allow him to die. Dismayed by his decision, his family persuades him to keep the defibrillator operational. As his condition continues to deteriorate, he becomes minimally responsive and the device begins firing several times a day.  The device is clearly causing pain and is not improving his quality of life according to his physicians.  From the perspective of respecting a patient’s wishes, it would be appropriate to leave the device in an active state. From the perspective of doing no harm and contributing to the patient’s welfare, the correct decision would be to deactivate the device and allow nature to take its course. How should the team proceed? 

At Chapters Health, we have a specific committee in place to discuss at length these types of situations. The Staff Ethics Committee (SEC) is comprised of representatives from all hospice affiliates — Good Shepherd Hospice, HPH Hospice and LifePath Hospice and Chapters Health Palliative Care — and includes nurses, physicians, social workers and chaplains. The make-up of the SEC lends itself to considering each case from multiple perspectives and working with the patient care team to provide guidance and alternatives. When the ethical path is not clear, the SEC is there to help.  

What Would You Like to Read about in Future Posts?

In “DRops of Wisdom,” we want to feature posts with subject matter that interests you. Please leave a comment or email us with your ideas.

At Chapters Health System, every day is devoted to educating our patients and keeping them in the place they call home. We are dedicated to ensuring that patients, young and old alike, and their families are able to make educated decisions about important healthcare matters. For more information, please call our helpful Chapters Health team at 1.866.204.8611 or send an email to info@chaptershealth.org

About Stewart W. Stein, MD

As associate vice president of medical services for Chapters Health System, Dr. Stewart W. Stein’s extensive background in end-of-life care and a commitment to the delivery of exceptional hospice services are of great benefit to patients and families.

Famous Medical Ethics Cases

Medical ethics is not something new. Some cases have made headlines and some may not be as familiar. The following are some medical ethics cases that prompt open discussion and offer food for thought.

Tuskegee Syphilis Study

For 40 years, from 1932 to 1972, the U.S. Public Health Service in Alabama studied untreated syphilis in poor African-American men by withholding treatment. Unsuspecting men believed they were receiving free government healthcare when, in reality, they were being infected with syphilis and not being treated. The Tuskegee Syphilis Study stopped only when evidence of the experiments was leaked to the press. Soon after, federal laws were created to prevent history from repeating itself and the Office for Human Research Protections was established.

Bouvia v. Superior Court

Suffering from cerebral palsy and severe arthritis, Elizabeth Bouvia was totally dependent on others for all activities of daily living. In 1983, she admitted herself to Riverside General Hospital in California with the desired wish to starve herself to death. As a result, the hospital inserted a feeding tube against Elizabeth’s wishes, which prompted a legal battle. Ultimately, the courts decided that if a patient was of sound mind, hospitals and other healthcare organizations needed to respect a patient’s wishes.

Charlie Gard

A number of years ago, British-born Charlie Gard became an internationally known little boy due to the debate over who has the freedom to change his life support.

Great Ormond Street Hospital in London requested the permission from the British High Court to remove the 11-month-old from life support based on the premise that he shouldn’t suffer any more from his fatal mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome. His parents wanted Charlie on life support in order to try an experimental treatment, nucleoside bypass therapy, which would also require the family to travel to the United States. Both the British High Court and the European Union Court sided with the hospital, and a day after Charlie was taken off of life support, he died.

‘What We Lose’ Review

‘What We Lose’ Review

In her debut novel, Zinzi Clemmons tackles a number of thought-provoking and deep issues in “What We Lose.” Over the course of 223 pages, the dual ivy-league degreed Clemmons takes readers on a journey of parental loss and race exploration.

What We Lose

The unique relationship between a mother and daughter can be extremely close. For instance, a thought begins with one and ends with the other. And when the bond is severed, as it is in the case of “What We Lose,” life balance can be upended.

For her entire life to date, Thandi is caught between two worlds founded in race, class and gender identity. Her mother is a black South African and her father is a white American. She is always struggling between these worlds, and Thandi’s battle becomes even more pronounced with the death of her mother, who is terminally ill with cancer.

As is somewhat typical in most families, issues in family dynamics start long before her mother’s passing. Simply stated, each family member handles stress in a personal way. Long-standing traditions fall by the wayside as the health of Thandi’s mother deteriorates. “The air at home was decidedly anxious. Our family dinners of curries and aromatic roasts ceased. My father fixed simple, utilitarian meals that filled my stomach and suited my mother’s restrictions.”

Frustration seeps into Thandi’s relationship with her father as communication between the two spirals into almost non-existence. They suffer in silence silos. “My father and I didn’t communicate much except to coordinate nurse visits for my mother or to give updates on her medicines. We were holding so much in, our pain distinct from each other’s in many ways. I suppose we thought that if we ever acknowledged this, all our carefully assembled control would fall to pieces. I was terrified of his pain — that of losing a lifelong partner, so many years tossed out the window. And I’m sure he feared the destabilization of my loss — how much of my life yet to live would be marred by this trauma.”

A Delicate Balance

what we loseInteractions between mother and daughter change as each adapts to what they both know the future holds in store for them. Thandi yearns for her mother’s touch but is at a loss, and she watches her parent retreat into herself. “She would hug me or touch my cheek, and I would look deep into her eyes, searching for something that had already gone.”

As the end draws near, hospice assists with the care of Thandi’s mother. Reality sets in for the young public health associate — life will continue without her mother by her side. Yet in the end, Thandi’s mother still provides comfort. “And when I tried to speak, only tears came. The pain was exponential. I realized that this would be life; to figure out how to live without her hand on my back; her soft, accented English telling me Everything will be all right, Thandi.

“This was the paradox: How would I ever heal from losing the person who healed me?”

Thandi finds herself floundering upon the death of her mother.  “In the weeks after my mother died, … I was stuck in my bedroom while family and friends circulated in the apartment’s outer rooms and hallways, barely able to leave my room, embarrassed for my eyes and nose that ran like faucets, my face blotched with red from wiping all the tears away.”

After a loved one’s death, those left behind all handle grief in their own unique fashion. Thandi finds some solace when the hospice caring for her mother sends a pamphlet titled “What We Lose: A Support Guide,” which outlines a glossary of terms: grief, mourning and bereavement.

                Grief is a response to loss. It is a process, describing how one feels and thinks.

                Mourning describes how a person expresses their loss.

               Bereavement is the event of loss. It is also a change in status; when a husband loses his wife and becomes a widower, or a child                   loses a parent and becomes an orphan.

Thandi realizes she is not alone.

At Chapters Health System and its affiliatesGood Shepherd Hospice, HPH Hospice and LifePath Hospice, every day is devoted to educating our patients and keeping them in the place they call home. We are dedicated to ensuring that patients, young and old alike, and their families are able to make educated decisions about important healthcare matters. For more information, please call our helpful Chapters Health team at 1.866.204.8611 or send an email to info@chaptershealth.org.

About Phoebe Ochman

Phoebe Ochman, Director of Corporate Communications for Chapters Health System, manages all content and communications for the not-for-profit organization.

Discovering Good Reads

Over the years, a number of book management apps, such as Delicious Library, Library Thing, Readerware, iReadItNow and Libib, have been developed. Some fell into disuse, and others grew in popularity. Some apps manage more than books, allowing you to catalog and keep track of your movies, music and video games. But one has definitely stood the test of time, probably in part because the portal was purchased by Amazon: Good Reads.

What is Good Reads?

Good Reads is both a web-based portal and mobile device app. Whether you access on a desktop, laptop or phone, you launch Good Reads by creating a free account, which allows you to do a host of activities. Once you join the community, you can check if your friends have accounts. If not, you can invite them to join in a variety of ways, including through Facebook, Twitter, Gmail and Yahoo.

If you decide to join the book-loving community of Good Reads, a wealth of benefits is at your disposal. You can do the following:

  • Organize your personal book collection of what you own.
  • Track progress for whatever book(s) you might currently be reading.
  • Create a ”want to read” library list.
  • Write a full review of a book you read or merely give it a star rating.
  • Get recommendations based on your likes and past reads and from friends, and learn which selections to avoid .
  • Find and participate in reading/book challenges.
  • Join groups like Book Riot’s Read Harder Challenge, Everyone Has Read This but Me and the Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge.
  • Register for book giveaways available frequently from publishing houses.
  • Check out news, author interviews and upcoming book releases.
  • Follow your favorite authors who have Good Reads, and even ask authors any questions you might have.

Remembering Eleanor McKay: Gasparilla Queen

Remembering Eleanor McKay: Gasparilla Queen

Born and raised in Tampa, the three McKay sisters could not have been more different from one another. Mary Irene, the eldest, was strong-willed. Charlotte “Totty,” the youngest, was always the life of the party. And the middles sister, Eleanor, was the peacemaker. Nevertheless, the sisters were close to one another from both a logistical and personal standpoint. With her diplomatic personality trait, it will come as no surprise that Eleanor would become a member of the royal court as the Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla Queen in 1937 as well as the inaugural Queen of Cypress Gardens.

Gasparilla Queen

The Life and Times of a Gasparilla Queen

Recently, the Gasparilla Queen’s daughter and grand-daughter sat down to share stories about the life and times of the family’s matriarch, who died at the age of 104.

“During World War II, while my father served the country, my mother kept busy serving on the Children’s Home Auxiliary and volunteering with numerous other efforts,” shared Eleanor “Ann” Olmstead. “And every day she mailed a different joke to my father to keep his spirits up.”

Eleanor’s husband, John C. “Jack” Peters, was ultimately stationed in England but helped plan hthe infamous “Doolittle Raid,” named after Lt. Col. James Doolittle. During the April 18, 1942 war skirmish, B-25 bombers took off from the USS Hornet in order to strike targets around Tokyo.  It became one of the most celebrated victories during the war and was even featured in the 1944 award-winning movie titled “Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo.”

After the war ended, Lt. Col. Doolittle and General Allard periodically came to the Peters’ house for a visit and dinner. “I distinctly remember General Allard’s visits as he was so tall,” added Ann.

Married life was blissful for the Peters until the mid to late 1950s. “My father survived the war only to contract atypical tuberculosis, which led him to be quarantined in the TB hospital in Tampa. At the time, it was located where the campus of Hillsborough Community College is now.”

Times were difficult for Eleanor as she worried about the health of her husband, ran a household and took care of her mother who had moved into her home due to failing health. Thankfully, Jack recovered and family life returned to normal.

Over the years, Eleanor and Jack were quite involved in the Tampa community from a philanthropic perspective. They were primary donors and orchestrated the fundraising efforts for the stadium lights  for the soon to be constructed Robinson High School stadium. Although the school was open, the stadium was not. So Robinson played their “home” games at Plant High School on dates of Plant’s away games.  Unfortunately, shortly thereafter, while heading to the concession stand at a Robinson vs. Lakeland football game at Plant, Jack had a massive heart attack and died. Sadly, Eleanor was sitting in the stands at the time. The Robinson High School stadium currently remains named “Jack Peters Field” in his honor. 

“After the death of my grandfather, my grandmother basically became a single parent and went to work. She was able to keep the family company afloat with some help,” Michele Craig went on to say.

Later in Life

Despite the bad things that happened to her, Eleanor was always able to focus on the here and now — enjoying life to the fullest. She remarried two other times: William “Bill” Maurer and Harry Morris when she was in her 70s.

Gasparilla Queen
Four generations of McKay women

“My grandmother or GG, as she was affectionately known to the younger members of the family and friends, inspired so many with her inviting presence, impeccable grace, humor and kindness,” continued Michele.

Both Ann and Michele related a story that was quintessential Eleanor. “After her last surviving sister died, my mother decided it was time to purchase a burial plot and create her headstone. She was about 82 at the time. After meeting with the stonemason, my mother had the man make her tombstone. She included the following quote by Alfred Lord Tennyson: ‘I am a part of all I have met.’ My mother wanted to list all the names of her husbands, but also made it perfectly clear that her spouses had all died … she never divorced,” said Ann.

Michele continued with a giggle, “On the headstone, my grandmother demanded that a space be left underneath Harry Morris … just in case, she married a fourth time.”

Hospice Care in the End

Gasparilla QueenFor the most part, Eleanor remained healthy until she became a centenarian and the side effects of the aging process caught up with her.

“In the end, we wanted my mother to be as comfortable as possible with what time she had left in this world. Thankfully, she was admitted to the inpatient unit at Tampa General Hospital, where the staff helped in ways that I could not,” confessed Ann.

“Honestly, I was worried about how my mother would be able to care for my grandmother. The hospice staff members are the experts in guiding people at the end of life. My grandmother had the peaceful end to her life that she deserved,” added Michele.

Room 12 at the LifePath Hospice inpatient unit at Tampa General Hospital will always be fondly remembered as Eleanor’s Room, Gasparilla Queen.

At Chapters Health System, every day is devoted to educating our patients and keeping them in the place they call home. We are dedicated to ensuring that patients, young and old alike, and their families are able to make educated decisions about important healthcare matters. For more information, please call our helpful Chapters Health team at 1.866.204.8611 or send an email to info@chaptershealth.org

About Phoebe Ochman

Phoebe Ochman, Director of Corporate Communications for Chapters Health System, manages all content and communications for the not-for-profit organization.

History of Tampa’s Pirate Invasion

Across the United States, there are parades that traditionally take place at various times throughout the year: New York City is known for its Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and skyscraper-high balloons, Pasadena for the Rose Parade and its floral floats and lastly Tampa for Gasparilla and its pirate invasion.

Outsiders and newcomers to the area often wonder about the origins of the annual event. The tradition of Gasparilla can be traced back to the 18th century when a rogue by the name of José Gaspar wreaked havoc in Tampa Bay by seizing and robbing ships with his merry band of pirates. Their escapades continued until the pirates decided to retire from thievery. The last heist perpetrated by Gaspar and his crew was laying siege to an incognito U.S. Navy ship, which needless to say did not end well for the pirates.

Over the years, the legend of José Gaspar grew. In 1904, the Tampa civic community made the decision to create a celebratory event to commemorate the naval victory over the pirates. In the beginning, meetings were held in secret in order to create a pirate crew of masked marauders who would be responsible for surprising the residents of the city on horseback. These night riders birthed the first Gasprilla krewe, Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla.

Today there are more than 50 krewes that participate in the pirate invasion of Tampa Bay. Gasparilla festivities include a reenactment of the Tampa Bay invasion by the scallywag, José Gaspar, sailing into the bay on his fully-outfitted pirate ship. The mayor is forced to relinquish the keys to the city, the pirates take over and all sorts of shenanigans ensue.

Additionally, Gasparilla is not limited to one parade and one day. The week before the invasion and main parade there is the Gasparilla Children’s Parade. Two weeks after the weekend of Gasparilla, there is the night parade — also known as the Sant’Yago Illuminated Knight Parade taking place in Ybor City. And lastly, throughout the first couple of months of the year the Gasparilla Distance Classic, the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts, the Gasparilla Music Festival and the Gasparilla International Film Festival take place.

 

Dispelling Cervical Cancer Myths

Dispelling Cervical Cancer Myths

George Orwell once said that “myths that are believed in tend to be true.” In today’s society, everywhere you look there are myths and misconceptions about a variety of topics. So in honor of Cervical Cancer Awareness Month in January, we are tackling the topic of cervical cancer myths in order to set the record straight.

Top 5 Cervical Cancer Myths

Myth #1: Cervical cancer can’t be treated.

According to Dr. Ronald Schonwetter, chief medical officer at Chapters Health System, if detected and diagnosed early, cervical cancer can be treated effectively. Thus, it is very important to have routine preventive screenings even if no symptoms are present.

cervical cancer mythsMyth #2: Older women don’t need Pap smears.

All women, who are 21 years or older, need periodic and regular Pap smears until the age of 65. After that age, women should discuss with their physicians the risks and benefits of ongoing screening based on their specific circumstances.

Myth #3: The Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is not common.

HPV is common and the most important risk factor for developing cervical cancer. It is transmitted via skin-to-skin contact and bodily fluids. It is estimated that approximately 80 percent of Americans will contract HPV sometime during their lifetime. Oftentimes, people don’t experience any HPV symptoms, such as visible genital warts, and thus may never know they had/have HPV. Women learn that they contracted HPV when their screening test comes back positive. An abnormal Pap test can be related to HPV, but many times physicians don’t relay this information to their female patients. Therefore, many women do not know or understand the link between HPV and cervical cancer and hence the development of the cervical cancer myth.

Researchers Ian Frazer and Jian Zhou at the University of Queensland first developed a vaccine to prevent HPV in 1991. It was then patented in the United States, and introduced as a tactic to combat HPV spread by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Today the CDC recommends that the vaccine be given to preteen girls and boys at age 11 or 12. The reasoning behind this recommendation is that these children will be protected before ever being exposed to HPV. This vaccine is actually a series of two vaccines given six to 12 months apart. If given over age 14, three shots are needed over a six-month period.

Myth #4: Women with cervical cancer can’t have children.

When a woman is diagnosed with cervical cancer, the typical treatment regimen is a hysterectomy and/or chemotherapy and radiation and so this cervical cancer myth was born. However, there are newer options that can still allow a woman to have children if the cervical cancer is caught at an early stage and she is at low risk. For instance, conservative surgery’s primary aim is fertility preservation. Nevertheless, if the treatment course is chemotherapy and/or radiation, women are encouraged to freeze eggs, and even embryos, before they start treatment.

Myth #5: Cervical cancer runs in families.

Most people know that breast cancer and ovarian cancer have a hereditary component. The same is not true with cervical cancer. A mother or sister with cervical cancer does not increase a woman’s chance of developing this disease unless there is a family tendency to inherit the inability to fight off HPV infections.

At Chapters Health System and its affiliatesGood Shepherd Hospice, HPH Hospice and LifePath Hospice, every day is devoted to educating our patients and keeping them in the place they call home. We are dedicated to ensuring that patients, young and old alike, and their families are able to make educated decisions about important healthcare matters. For more information, please call our helpful Chapters Health team at 1.866.204.8611 or send an email to info@chaptershealth.org

About Phoebe Ochman

Phoebe Ochman, Director of Corporate Communications for Chapters Health System, manages all content and communications for the not-for-profit organization.

Latest Cervical Cancer Statistics

With the designation of January as cervical cancer month, awareness of this form of cancer has grown significantly over the past 20 years. How so? It is due in large part to the National Cervical Cancer Coalition, whose mission is to help women, family members and caregivers battle the personal issues related to cervical cancer and promote prevention through community education.  

Years ago, cervical cancer was one of the most common types of cancer that resulted in death for women in the United States. With the advent and increase in usage of Pap tests, the cervical cancer death rate decreased dramatically due to much earlier diagnoses.

How has this screening test helped? Before cancer even starts to develop in the cervix, a Pap test can recognize subtle changes. And if cervical cancer has started to evolve, this screening test identifies the change earlier on, when it’s easier to treat and cure.  In 1971 when President Nixon signed the National Cancer Act and introduced the federal mandate “war on cancer,” the five-year survival rate for women with Stage 0 cervical cancer was less than 50 percent compared to a 93 percent five-year survival rate today.

In 2018, the American Cancer Society estimated 13,240 new cases of invasive cervical cancer would be diagnosed and about 4,170 women would die from cervical cancer in the United States. Today, cervical pre-cancer is identified more often than the invasive form of cervical cancer.

Who is At Risk?

If you are a woman between the ages of 35 and 54, you are most at risk for developing cervical cancer. It is rare in women younger than 20. Nevertheless, older women need to understand that they aren’t without risk as well. In fact, the rate of new cases of cervical cancer in women over the age of 65 is almost 20 percent of all new cases diagnosed. In looking at ethnicity, Hispanic women are the population with the highest rates of cervical cancer. They are followed by African Americans, Caucasians and Asians.

There are several factors that can increase a woman’s risk in developing cervical cancer.

Risk factors are:

  • Human papillomavirus (HPV): Over the last couple of years, there has been an increase in spreading the word about this most important risk factor for cervical cancer. Some individuals who are not able to rid their body of HPV develop a chronic infection, which greatly increases their risk of developing cervical cancer.
  • Chlamydia: This common bacterial infection gravitates to a woman’s reproductive organs. Like HPV, this infection is spread via sexual contact and most women do not experience any symptoms. According to a study published in JAMA, research confirmed a high risk of cervical cancer in women who had past or current chlamydia infections, which were then verified by blood tests and cervical mucus.
  • Weak immune system: As with other forms of cancer, a weak immune system puts individuals at high risk due to the fact that the body isn’t able to destroy or slow the growth and spread of cancer cells or infections such as HPV.
  • Smoking: Any woman who smokes tobacco puts herself at almost double the risk of developing cervical cancer. Studies have demonstrated that the by-products of tobacco damage the DNA in the cervix. Smoking also can weaken the immune system in fighting HPV infections.

 

Remembering a Buffalo Soldier

Remembering a Buffalo Soldier

It’s a sunny day and what better way to soak up the warm rays than to kick back on a beach and enjoy some classic reggae music, courtesy of Bob Marley and the Wailers. The boombox is blaring “Buffalo Soldiers,” and you get caught up in the lyrics and the meaning behind the words. Written as a protest song, Marley wanted the song to bring attention to the role of the buffalo soldiers who were African-American cavalry fighters during the American-Indian Wars starting in 1866. These valiant men were a smattering of former slaves, freemen and African-American Civil War soldiers.

Meaning Behind the Term Buffalo Soldier

With each passing military skirmish, the regiments comprised of African-American men simply became known as buffalo soldiers. But why did this particular nickname stick? There is actually some controversy with regard to the origin behind the name.

Everyone agrees about how the regiment developed. After the Civil War, trailblazers moved west of the Mississippi to settle the land. These settlers were escorted by African-American members of the 10th Cavalry, who happened to be responsible for safe passage through territories populated by Native American tribes. During this time period, soldiers were paid $13 per month, which was the best option available after the Civil War for African Americans. But here’s the juncture where the name origin starts to diverge.

In the winter of 1877, warriors from the Cheyenne tribe coined the name, which actually translates to wild buffalo.” According the founder of the regiment, Colonel Benjamin Grierson, the Apache nation chose ‘buffalo soldiers’ because the men had curly, kinky hair like bison. But other sources claim the nickname evolved out of the fierce fighting ability of the 10th Cavalry regiment. No matter which story you believe, buffalo soldiers became the term used to describe all African-American military men throughout U.S. history.

World War II Veteran Honored

buffalo soldierMilitary veterans are important threads in the fabric of this country. They should always be honored and revered for their patriotic service to the United States. One such veteran acknowledged by many local and even national organizations for his bravery and valor was Elmer Vincent Sublett. Enlisting in the U.S. Armed Forces in 1940, Elmer served during World War II as a member of an elite buffalo solider fighting group.buffalo soldier

At Chapters Health System, we recognize the unique needs of America’s veterans and their families. In partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, we offer the We Honor Veterans program at its highest designation, Level Four.

As part of the We Honor Veterans program, our volunteers provide a unique connection to other veterans at the end of life. Veteran volunteers can provide companionship by:

  • Listening to patients as they reminisce
  • Recording their stories
  • Documenting their stories in a Legacy booklet
  • Helping connect to the Veterans History Project
  • Honoring veterans in pinning ceremonies, which provides gratitude and appreciation for time served

buffalo soldiersNinety-eight-year old Elmer was honored with a military honor pinning in his home in Valrico, which was performed by LifePath Hospice Spiritual Care Coordinator Bruce Souder. Shortly after this ceremony, Elmer’s daughter invited Bruce to attend another celebration service that featured a special presentation from Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn as well as one from the Tampa Bay area Buffalo Soldiers motorcycle riding group.

Interested in Volunteering?

If you are a veteran and have a few hours a month to help support other veterans at the end of life, please consider becoming a volunteer for Chapters Health at any of our affiliates — Good Shepherd Hospice, HPH Hospice  and LifePath Hospice — in Citrus, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Pasco and Polk counties. It’s as easy as filling out an application; just click here.

At Chapters Health System, every day is devoted to educating our patients and keeping them in the place they call home. We are dedicated to ensuring that patients, young and old alike, and their families are able to make educated decisions about important healthcare matters. For more information, please call our helpful Chapters Health team at 1.866.204.8611 or send an email to info@chaptershealth.org

About Phoebe Ochman

Phoebe Ochman, Director of Corporate Communications for Chapters Health System, manages all content and communications for the not-for-profit organization.

Starting New Holiday Traditions

Starting New Holiday Traditions

Do you have any family holiday traditions?  Perhaps every year on Christmas, every family member had to attend dinner in an ugly holiday sweater? Or maybe if you practice Judaism, young and old alike went to the movies on Christmas and then ordered Chinese takeout? And as far as New Year’s is concerned, perhaps you always watched the ball drop in New York City from Times Square on television and then immediately called your parents to wish them a healthy, happy new year? No matter what your religion or cultural background, family holiday traditions can be meaningful.

But what happens to your holiday traditions if a loved one has died since the last celebration? Do you keep the holiday tradition alive even if you are struggling with grief? Or do you skip the holiday tradition all together? What should you do?

Understanding Grief

There’s a saying that explains why grief can be so difficult: “As much as you love, it’s as hard to heal.” Grief is an internal process. There isn’t a cookie-cutter approach to handling grief, and invariably it will be different for different people — even within a family. And around the holidays, familial differences can be even more pronounced.

Grief can affect every aspect of our lives. It can be difficult to:holiday traditions

  • Feel joy from those activities you previously enjoyed (called anhedonia)
  • Sleep, which in turn can compromise your health
  • Remember simple tasks
  • Socialize and so you shy away from friends
  • Pray as you start to question your spirituality
  • Let yourself cry

It is totally natural to flip flop across an array of emotions. It can even be cyclical and change depending on what phase you are in your life. Nevertheless, we all have a natural ability to heal our psyche.

Ideas for New Holiday Traditions

If this is your first holiday since the death of your loved one, you don’t have to stick to old family traditions. Feel free to give yourself permission to change it up this season. Nothing prevents you from going back to tried-and-true holiday traditions when you (and your family) are ready.

holiday traditionsIf the family lost a parent, try making something special with the kids. Give them choices and get them involved. Children are flexible and can adapt to change, sometimes more readily than adults.

When we think of grief, the conjured image is often dark. Therefore, try adding color throughout the house, even in unexpected ways. Instead of candy and chocolate, keep a bowl of fruit on the kitchen counter. When you walk by the bowl, reach for brightly colored fruit rather than an unhealthy food choice like potato chips.

Holidays are also a good time to memorialize and remember a lost loved one.

  • Light a candle.
  • Put out a place setting for the person who is gone.
  • Plant a tree.
  • Create a butterfly garden.
  • Donate to a cause that meant something to your lost loved one.

Do whatever makes you and your family feel better during the holidays.

At Chapters Health System and its affiliatesGood Shepherd Hospice, HPH Hospice and LifePath Hospice, every day is devoted to educating our patients and keeping them in the place they call home. We are dedicated to ensuring that patients, young and old alike, and their families are able to make educated decisions about important healthcare matters. For more information, please call our helpful Chapters Health team at 1.866.204.8611 or send an email to info@chaptershealth.org.

About Phoebe Ochman

Phoebe Ochman, Director of Corporate Communications for Chapters Health System, manages all content and communications for the not-for-profit organization.

Holiday Grief Tips

Grief, especially holiday grief, is like an elephant in the room.

Here are some holiday grief tips that can help.

Communication: Like with almost every aspect of life, communication is important. If you are feeling guilty about not having the holiday spirit and possibility letting others down, share your thoughts. Your feelings are yours and yours alone. If there is disagreement in the house and within your family about the holidays, talk and be honest. Discuss what you’d like to do and what will be too difficult. Compromise goes hand in hand with communication.

Holiday decoration: When the holidays roll around, there are numerous decisions to make, especially when it comes to decorating. Do what is best for you. It is your option whether you decorate like you have in the past or scale it back this holiday season.

Attending holiday parties: Keep in mind that it is entirely up to you whether you attend a holiday party. If you decide to attend, talk to the host  before the party so you can find out if there’s a place you can go should you need to take a moment for yourself. Additionally, try driving yourself to the party. This way, if you need to leave early, you are not depending on another individual. You can leave when you’ve had enough holiday cheer.

Gift giving: In the past, gift selection and giving was something you always looked forward to and was always rewarding. But what if this year you can’t face leaving the house to go shopping? Solution: You can always shop online or grab gift cards for the recipients on your list.

Holiday food preparation: Food preparation during the holidays can be a landmine of emotions, especially with the loss of the family matriarch. If this sounds familiar, try splitting the cooking and baking responsibilities., or purchase your favorite prepared foods from a local restaurant  or grocery store.

Hydrate: Grief can leave you dehydrated whether you shed tears or not. When a person becomes dehydrated, short-term memory can be affected adversely. So drink plenty of water.

Start a journal: Writing your emotions can help you process what is going on inside your head. Journaling is ongoing support for you — paper or computer —it’s your way to express yourself.

Permission to be sad: During the holidays, it’s okay to give yourself permission to be sad. The same holds true for kids. Allow yourself the opportunity to grieve and cry. On the flip side, if something makes you happy or laugh, go for it.

Over the years and during future holiday seasons, you will probably experience grief bursts, which can be triggered by a million different things: It could be a song, smell, photo or memory. It’s a reminder to us all that we’re human, and we remember the deep bond and love of our lost loved one with our entire being.

 

Holiday Travel: 7 Tips to Make Your Trip Stress Free

Holiday Travel: 7 Tips to Make Your Trip Stress Free

The holidays are here, which often means time to holiday travel for some of us.

When you think of the holidays, what comes to mind? Do you picture a Thanksgiving table laid out with a large turkey, stuffing and family-favorite side dishes? Or do you conjure up wrapped gifts for Christmas and Hanukkah? Or are you of the mindset to associate the holiday season with ringing in the New Year with a glass of champagne while the Times Square ball drops to close out the year?

holiday travelNo matter what came to mind when closing your eyes and thinking about the holidays, most of us will agree one of the best things about the holidays is spending time with loved ones.  Even if you need to travel long distances by car, train or plane to be with them, it is well worth the time and effort. Unfortunately, the enjoyable can sometimes be accompanied by the stress of holiday travel. Never fear as we have some holiday travel tips so you can take advantage of every precious moment with as little aggravation as possible.

Holiday Travel Tips

The following are seven tips to help make your holiday travel as stress free and enjoyable as possible.

Tip #1: Don’t overpack. During holiday travel, there is nothing worse than getting to the airport, having your suitcase weighed and then being told your bags are over the weight limit. Talk about embarrassing as you start removing items curbside. Instead, try packing light with neutral-colored top and bottom choices, which can be mixed and matched for a number of different style options.holiday travel

Believe it or not, with just a few stylish and timeless pieces, you can create enough combinations to last for more than your allotted days for holiday travel. If you pack clothing in the white, navy, black or tan, bring along eye-catching jewelry and brightly colored scarves for variety. If you need inspiration, there are many resources on Pinterest and from travel fashion bloggers.

Tip  #2: Use packing cubes. If you still can’t quite make the leap of faith by paring down your clothing for holiday travel, try using packing cubes.

What are packing cubes? Packing cubes are small bags designed to organize clothes and other items when you travel. Some were even created with a compression option to make sure you can take advantage of every nook and cranny. For people with over-packing tendencies, a packing cube is a game changer and lifesaver. And an added bonus to using these cubes is they can also make unpacking easy — just slide them into the drawers where you are staying.

holiday travel tipsNot sure where to begin? There are many how-to videos on YouTube to get you started.

Tip #3: Bring items with multiple purposes. Whether you are traveling for the holidays or a much-needed vacation, you don’t need to bring everything in your bathroom and closet. Why not bring a 3-in-1 shampoo/conditioner/body soap? Or if you just can’t be without your favorite body lotion, funnel an ounce into a small container or use a contact lens holder to store moisturizer and eye cream.

Instead of packing different shoes for each outfit, think about how sneakers or supportive flats can serve multiple purposes. And it is always a good practice to wear your heaviest shoes if you are flying to your destination.

Tip #4: Avoid packing wrapped gifts. Despite the fact the Travel Security Administration (TSA) does allow wrapped gifts, it is not an encouraged practice. Why? Well, TSA staff might determine a gift seems suspicious, and you might be called upon to unwrap said present.

The following are some alternatives:

  • Wrap gifts when you arrive at your destination
  • Mail gifts ahead of time
  • Purchase gift cards

Tip #5: Pack a foldable extra bag. Whether holiday travel is to your hometown or a new destination, you might very well bring back items not packed originally in your luggage. And who wants to shove souvenirs or gifts back into your suitcase and hope they don’t break? Instead, pack an extra foldable bag or even backpack, which stays flat and compact heading to your travel destination and is available just in case the need for additional space should arise.

Tip #6: Protect bottles containing liquids from spilling. If you have liquids stored in the standard TSA quart-size clear Ziploc bag or even squirreled away within your checked luggage, here is a trick to prevent spillage. Before putting the cap on your bottles, cover each with a small piece of plastic wrap. The added layer of protection seals the liquid in its container as long as you tightly close the cap. It is also a good idea to bring a little extra wrap. And always pack additional Ziploc bags as they can be used in a number of different ways:

  • Storing wet clothes
  • Covering dirty shoes
  • Carrying snacks

holiday travel tipsCover hair tools. Even though your holiday travel destination — whether house or hotel — might very well have a hairdryer or other styling tool, you might still decide to bring your own from home. Add to the mix using said tool right before you head out the door and the dilemma about what to do about your hot hair styling tool.  There’s a simple solution: Cover the hot tool with an oven mitt, which will prevent other items in your suitcase from getting scorched as well as keep everything clean.

 

At Chapters Health System, every day is devoted to educating our patients and keeping them in the place they call home. We are dedicated to ensuring that patients, young and old alike, and their families are able to make educated decisions about important healthcare matters. For more information, please call our helpful Chapters Health team at 1.866.204.8611 or send an email to info@chaptershealth.org

About Phoebe Ochman

Phoebe Ochman, Director of Corporate Communications for Chapters Health System, manages all content and communications for the not-for-profit organization.

Getting Home for the Holidays

At Chapters Health System and its affiliates — Good Shepherd HospiceHPH Hospice  and LifePath Hospice — we help patients with life-limiting illnesses get home for the holidays, no matter where they call home. We constantly strive to make sure patients are surrounded by family, friends and even pets, which can provide much-needed comfort.

Our programs and services help make this possible and here’s how:

  • Round-the-clock hospice admissions along with HospiceHelp24®, an after-hours call service staffed by our own nurses 24/7/365
  • Home visits no matter what day or time
  • Emergency medication kits
  • Equipment and medications related to a patient’s hospice diagnosis
  • Short-term, round-the-clock care at seven hospice houses inHernandoHighlandsHillsboroughPasco and Polk counties and one inpatient unit at Tampa General Hospital
  • Bereavementsupport programs focused on coping with grief during the holiday season for children and adults
  • Volunteerswho can help fulfill final wishes, record/transcribe life stories, provide respite to stressed caregivers, or simply add an extra touch of love and support

For more information on how Chapters Health and its affiliates can help patients enjoy meaningful moments during the holidays at home, please call us at 1.866.204.8611 or send an email to info@chaptershealth.org