Hospice Nurse, Daneen Bernhardt, "You Get Back What You Give"

Left: Hospice Nurse Daneen Bernhardt; Right: Optimist Member Lisa Schmitt, Daneen Bernhardt, Optimist President Bob Hundhausen

Daneen Bernhardt has been a nurse for 33 years with experience in medical-surgical and cardiovascular nursing in hospitals, home care nursing, and eventually found her passion in Hospice. She has been working for Upland Hills Health Hospice for the last 11 years and during that time achieved her hospice and palliative care nursing certification (CHPN). Daneen stated that Hospice enriches your life in ways you cannot imagine.

Hospice is holistic and provides physical, spiritual, and emotional care for people near the end of their lives (6 months or less). Their goal is to help individuals find comfort. Hospice is a team of five including 1) Medical Doctor (oversees patients but you still retain primary physician) 2) Registered Nurse (acts as case manager) 3) Social Worker 4) Home Health Aides (optional, provides hands on care, bathing, etc) 5) Chaplain. Volunteers often are additional team members and matched accordingly with the patients.

Hospice also provides other services such as equipment (hospital beds, walkers, wheelchairs, full body lifts, etc), disposable items, medications-items related to Hospice and comfort only. There are no out of pocket costs to the patient. All are provided as part of the Hospice benefit.