Hudson Names Caldwell Hospice Organization of the Year

HUDSON, NC (January 3, 2018)…Caldwell Hospice and Palliative Care was recently honored as 2017 Civic/Non-Profit Organization of the Year, a recognition that coincides with Caldwell Hospice’s own 35th anniversary of service in the community.

“Our hospice was founded in 1982, and now 35 years later, we are still growing and striving to provide the best hospice care possible to those in our community,” said Hospice CEO Cathy Swanson. “This award from Hudson Community Development Association is a wonderful recognition of our work, and we are so grateful to Hudson and the entire Caldwell community for its support now and over the decades.”

Caldwell Hospice pioneered the state’s first inpatient unit – the Stevens Patient Care Unit at Kirkwood in Lenoir. The Forlines Patient Care Unit, a second inpatient unit, was opened at the Jack and Shirley Robbins Center in Hudson in 2010. The Robbins Center also includes the McCreary Family Professional Center which houses much of the Hospice staff and features rooms for trainings and meetings. Today, with an expanded service district that reaches into the High Country (Ashe, Avery and Watauga counties), Caldwell Hospice provides care in the home, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, hospitals, and its two patient care units, which serve acute, respite and residential needs.

In its 35-year history, Caldwell Hospice has served more than 11,000 patients and thousands more family members. Annually, about 800 patients receive care through Caldwell Hospice each year.

“Just like at the start, we remain committed to providing quality, compassion and patient-centered care,” said Swanson. “We do not take that responsibility lightly, and we recognize it for the gift it is.”

Hospice seeks to care for the whole person—body, mind and spirit. Its interdisciplinary team includes physicians, nurses, certified nursing assistants, medical social workers, volunteers and spiritual support, if requested. The overall goal is to assure patients and families know they are not alone as they face the end of life and to make that journey as free of pain and symptoms related to their illness as possible so that life, however long it is, can be embraced and meaningful.

Nationally and throughout the state, many communities are losing their nonprofit hospices to for-profit entities. Generous community support has allowed Caldwell Hospice to not only survive but thrive in today’s increasing competitive healthcare marketplace.

In addition to standard hospice services, Caldwell Hospice offers patients and families a number of enhanced programs and services. These include a non-hospice palliative care program, cardiac and pulmonary care at home for patients with heart/lung disease; a dementia care program; and community bereavement services, which are open to anyone who needs them, not just hospice patients and families.

“The generosity and support of the community makes all this possible,” said Swanson, “and we want the community to know how much we value them. We are truly grateful.”

To learn more about Caldwell Hospice, its services, programs or volunteer opportunities, call 828.754.0101, or visit www.caldwellhospice.org or Facebook.