Know Them Before You Need Them
How ORU Grant Supports Stillwater Hospice
Since 1888, Stillwater Hospice has been a beacon of compassion and care for families facing some of life's most challenging moments. With over a century of dedicated service, this remarkable organization has evolved to meet the needs of northeast Indiana's residents, providing hospice, palliative care, and grief support with unwavering commitment. The importance of their work cannot be overstated - helping individuals and families navigate the difficult journey of serious illness and loss with dignity and respect. Through the support of a recent Operation Roundup Grant, Stillwater Hospice continues to expand its reach and impact, ensuring that those in need receive the comfort and guidance they deserve.
KREMC: Please share a bit about the history of Stillwater Hospice with our co-op members.
Stillwater Hospice, formerly Visiting Nurse, has cared for people with serious illnesses and their families in northeast Indiana since 1888. Our interdisciplinary team of hospice and palliative care experts ensures that every patient is treated with dignity and respect. Stillwater Hospice’s mission is to provide compassion, comfort, and guidance through life’s journey. We care for those who go on living as well. Our grief services, provided at The Peggy F. Murphy Community Grief Center, located on Stillwater Hospice’s main campus in southwest Fort Wayne, are available at no cost for any adult who has experienced the loss of a loved one. Hospice involvement is not required. We proudly serve the following Indiana counties: Adams, Allen, Blackford, DeKalb, Grant, Huntington, Jay, Kosciusko, Noble, Wabash, Wells and Whitley.
KREMC: What services does Stillwater offer and who do you serve?
Stillwater provides hospice, palliative care, and grief support services. We serve the general public who are facing serious, life-limiting illnesses and their loved ones. Our hospice and palliative patients range from a few weeks old to over 105 years old. In addition, any adult who has suffered a loss due to death can receive no-charge grief counseling through the Peggy F. Murphy Community Grief Center, a service of Stillwater Hospice. Hospice involvement is not required to receive grief care services; in fact, two out of every three grief clients is someone from the community who has experienced a loss due to a sudden or unexpected death, from heart attacks and car accidents, to suicide and overdoses.
KREMC: How does your organization benefit the community?
By providing compassionate end-of-life services, we allow families to enjoy meaningful moments with their loved ones. Our financial assistance program ensures that anyone who needs our wraparound care can access our services. Our grief support program helps the bereaved find a healthy way of moving forward after loss.
KREMC: What are some of your recent accomplishments or successes?
Stillwater Hospice is unique in that it is a non-profit healthcare organization that continually thinks forward to project changes in a healthcare environment that may impact services and programs. On March 1, 2020, our agency partnered with Family LifeCare, another non-profit hospice agency with locations in Berne and Marion, Indiana, to provide home health, hospice, palliative care, and grief support to more than 3,000 residents of northeast Indiana and their families. On March 1, 2022, we evolved our brand to become Stillwater Hospice, and on March 1, 2023, we joined with Kosciusko Home Care and Hospice under the Stillwater banner. Since 2018, our agency has been named the region’s Best Hospice in Fort Wayne Newspapers Readers’ Choice contest, as well as the Best Hospice in Grant County, Indiana, in 2021 and 2022.
Other accomplishments include:
• Family satisfaction surveys consistently rate our services at 95% or higher.
• Supported by 125+ volunteers who provide over 11,000 volunteer hours each year
• Provide over $100,000 in financial assistance annually
• Accredited by Community Health Accreditation Program (CHAP)
• Member of National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO)
• Platinum certification in SAGECare for LGBTQ patients and families, the only hospice in Indiana to receive this level of certification
KREMC: How were the ORU used and what impact have the funds had on your organization and those you serve?
Funding was used to support the provision of hospice, palliative and grief care for residents of Kosciusko County. Specifically, funding was used to underwrite physician and nursing care and visits from home health aides, music therapists, spiritual care counselors and volunteers.
Knowing that people living in Kosciusko County were moved to give to our efforts to bring high-quality, wraparound hospice and palliative care makes our organization feel supported and welcomed by the community. We are so pleased to be honored with this grant.
KREMC: Can you share a specific success story or example of how the grant funds have made a difference?
While federal privacy laws prevent us from sharing specific stories, we can share that your support has meant that a widow has been comforted in her grief and family members were able to care for their terminally ill loved one at home, giving them precious time together.
KREMC: What are your organization's future goals or projects?
We plan to continue to seek out new opportunities to provide holistic, wraparound end-of-life care for the residents of Kosciusko County so that we can serve more people.
KREMC: How can the community continue to support your organization?
The community can support Stillwater Hospice in several ways, including volunteering and making financial contributions. Most importantly, the community can turn to us when they are faced with a life-altering diagnosis. We are always open to speaking to interested community groups and individuals who may need to “know us before they need us.”
For more information on Stillwater Hospice, visit stillwater-hospice.org, email info@stillwater-hospice.org, or call 260-435-3222.