A.R.N. Hospice Added to Hooverwood Living Continuum of Care
An Interview with Evan Lubline, Chief Executive Officer of Hooverwood Living by Michelle Bridges of Senior Options, L.L.C., in Virginia Beach, Va.
Michelle: What does bringing on hospice into your service offerings mean to you and your organization?
Evan: Hooverwood Living has strategi- cally brought hospice to our service offerings. We have partnered with Aaron Rubin Nelson (A.R.N.) [funeral serices] to develop the first Jewish hospice in the Indianapolis area to offer critical end-of-life care to both Jewish and non-Jewish individuals. The A.R.N. Hospice is an exceptional offering as we have seen a need for addi- tional hospice offerings in our area.
We are so excited to have collaborated with a national brand like Senior Options. Senior Options is a network of home health and hospice agencies. Senior Options, L.L.C., provides everything from guidance to licensure, electronic medical record system, clinical expertise, marketing, and billing. This partnership allows the team to continue to focus on the services we already supply.
We have strong connections to the Jewish Community Center (JCC) and the Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis (JFGI) here at Hooverwood. We think that adding hospice to our continuum of care brings our community together for the individual at the most critical time of their life – the end of life. Hospice allows us to ensure that their values continue, and we support them during this crucial period for both the individual and their loved ones.
We want to educate people that we are much more than just a hospice organiza- tion. A.R.N Hospice has a palliative approach to the end-of-life journey and can be a relaxed and reflective time for all parties involved. We collaborate with the individual, their family, and our compre- hensive hospice team to achieve the best outcomes.
Michelle: How does this fit in with your mission? Evan: We have developed a continuum of care. Hooverwood currently offers a Skilled Nursing Home, Assisted Living, Adult Day Care, transportation, and community services. We know hospice will be a tremendous help for both our residents and those individuals in the greater Indianapolis community. This is a precious time where loved ones can be at the bedside and prepare themselves through our hospice team. It is the full continuum to take care of someone at the
(see A.R.N. Hospice, page IN 9)
A.R.N. HOSPICE
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most vulnerable time of his or her life. Hospice also supports the family after death with support programs, social work guidance, and grief counseling.
Most importantly is our ability to offer a full range of options for individuals. Hospice allows us to bring the end of life care to everyone regardless of where they live or what faith they practice.
One of the most significant areas that make
A.R.N. Hospice unique is the education that we will provide to the Indianapolis community.This education will be delivered to the community well before hospice is even needed. Hospice, at times, is some- times looked at as a negative component, but with our education, we are looking at the positive aspects of what hospice can provide months and weeks prior to death. There are so many positives to signing up with hospice to receive the full benefit for the individual and their loved ones. This gives A.R.N. Hospice a whole different look and feel to the service and lets people experience the full hospice benefit at such a precious time in life.
A.R.N. Hospice is a smaller agency, and it gives us the nimbleness to do what is best for the individual hospice recipient
L-R: ARN Mortuary President Jennifer Nelson Williams with her mother Donna Nelson and brother Miles Nelson.
and their family. We have hired a fantastic team to lead this part of the organization. Michelle: When it comes to hospice, what advice do you have for individuals considering hospice? Evan: First, hospice is not about giving up. It is about giving the gift of physical, emotional, and spiritual support that ensures the quality of life until the end. Also, remember hospice is not only for people who have a few days to live. In fact, after experiencing hospice’s quality and comfort care, many families wish they had started hospice sooner. You are eligible for hospice if you expect to pass in the next six months. Hospice care is more beneficial
when patients receive medical, emotional, and spiritual support for at least a month. Remember that hospice care can be provided anywhere the patient calls home. Hospice does not accelerate the dying pro- cess. Hospice tries to maximize the quality of life before the patient passes. Studies sug- gest that hospice patients live longer than patients seeking aggressive treatment for their primary illness. By choosing hospice over aggressive life-saving treatments, the body focuses on comfort. Hospice does this by providing medical, emotional, and
spiritual care and support. ✡
L-R: Hooverwood Living CEO Evan Lubline and ARN Hospice staff Director of Volunteers Shelley Kahn, VP of Hospice Operations Shannon Durham, Director of Social Services Patricia Parham, and Director of Hospice Kristin Allison.
