Beartooth Billings Clinic Hospice: Helping Carbon County Citizens Live Their Best Life
Personalized programs provide services to meet the needs of each client
By Denise Rivette
When confronted with the word “hospice” most people think of services focused on death. The reality is much different. While only those with a doctor’s determination that death is likely to occur within six months qualify for hospice services, those services are focused on quality of life and catering to how the patient wants to live. In Carbon County, when a patient is eligible for hospice care there are limited nearby options outside the home. There are no nursing homes left in the county and assisted living beds are few. The hospice house in Billings has closed, and the nearest hospice house is in Cody, Wyoming.
In Carbon County, the Beartooth Billings Clinic (BBC) Hospice program is our local nonprofit source for hospice care. Medicare pays 100% for Hospice services. The BBC Hospice is headed by a Registered Nurse (RN) and staffed by three RNs, a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), a social worker, a pastor and volunteers (more volunteers are always needed, especially male volunteers).
Nationwide, 70% of hospice patients get better initially due to pain management, caregiver education and the social, emotional and spiritual support given. Some patients even “graduate” - reach a state where death is no longer imminent.
The Hospice program’s biggest challenge right now is caregiving and providing respite care for caregivers. Family and community members are the only sources for caregiving when finances or availability preclude a professional paid caregiver. Volunteers provide much needed respite care for caregivers by visiting with patients (sometimes just being in the home) for an hour or two while a caregiver runs errands or just takes some time for themselves.
Hospice provides services for loved ones after death as well. In addition to grief counseling and support, each year a Celebration of Life is held. This is a time to remember and honor losses in our lives, be they people, animals, or any loss. It is a time to be in an atmosphere of support regardless of where you are in the grieving process. While this tradition has been on hold since the pandemic, this Wednesday, August 28, marks the return of this beloved tradition. It takes place at 5:00 p.m. at the Messiah Lutheran Church in Red Lodge, 912 Lower Continental Drive, Highway 78 across from the Red Lodge Cemetary.
If you would like more information on the Celebration, Hospice services or volunteer opportunities, please call Lanette Dalley at (406) 425-4842.
