On Sunday, September 29, Karman Legacy Hospice volunteers and employees gathered with 150 bereaved to remember loved ones who passed earlier this year with a butterfly release ceremony at the Botanic Garden. The intimate ceremony is an opportunity for family members and friends to reunite with hospice staff and volunteers who cared for their loved ones.
“It’s an extremely powerful and cathartic experience for the families and staff because they get close to one another during the care period and then they lose that connection after the patient has died. This ceremony provides an opportunity for reunion and celebration of life,” said Valerie Bloodgood, volunteer coordinator for Karman Legacy Hospice.
For 45 years, Karman Legacy Hospice has provided end-of-life care and support to patients and caregivers to ease the physical and emotional pain of dying. It was named for Judith Karman, a Stillwater Medical Center employee who died of cancer.
As one of Oklahoma’s oldest hospice services, Karman Legacy Hospice has evolved over time. It received a four-star family caregiver rating from Medicare.gov and ranks above the Oklahoma and national averages for family communication, patient treatment, and emotional/spiritual support. Danette Muzic, Executive Director of Karman Legacy Hospice and Home Health at Stillwater Medical Center, says she and her team are committed to the meaningful work they do daily. She describes what it’s like to provide end-of-life care.
“It’s surprisingly beautiful. For the patients themselves, all the worries and stresses they carry fall away and it can be a really peaceful time of life,” Muzic said.
Muzic oversees an interdisciplinary team of healthcare professionals and trained volunteers who address symptom control, pain management, and emotional/spiritual support to meet each patient’s needs and wishes. The team includes nurses, aides, and volunteers who work with physicians, chaplains, and social workers on patient-specific care plans. Hospice services are provided wherever the patient calls home and are available 24 hours a day. Because hospice is a benefit through Medicare, those who are eligible receive care free of charge.
“Hospice started with volunteers before there was a hospice Medicare benefit. Now, Medicare requires we have a volunteer program that accounts for five percent of the time our employees spend in front of patients. We are always in need of volunteers,” Muzic said.
Volunteer duties range from providing office support – answering phones, filing, assembling packets – to direct patient contact – visiting, reading to, or playing games with patients. Barb Osteen is a Stillwater resident who’s been a hospice volunteer for several years. She’s experienced loss first-hand with the death of her mother at a young age and later the loss of her brother. She said when she found out about all that was available through hospice, she was compelled to help.
“Most people don’t understand how early hospice can come in and help. I lost my brother to cancer a few years ago, and for the last two months of his life, he got to be home with his wife,” Osteen said. “Hospice was there to make the end of his life as good as it possibly could be. As a hospice volunteer, I try to offer patients as much support and joy as possible as they reach the end of their lives.”
Osteen said she is given freedom as a volunteer to choose how she contributes. While she doesn’t mind office work, her true passion lies in interacting with the patients and caregivers.
“I think people are fearful they’ll be expected to provide physical care to patients, like a nurse does. That’s simply not our role as a volunteer. They train us very well, and we know what’s expected of us. There are so many ways to serve. You can cater it to what you’re able to do,” Osteen said.
All volunteers go through 12 hours of self-guided training and must complete confidentiality forms, a background check, fingerprinting, and vaccinations before they’re qualified to serve. Bloodgood has been the volunteer coordinator for nearly 15 years and helps support volunteers throughout onboarding and during their service. Those interested in volunteering can call 405-377-8012 or stop by the Karmen Legacy Hospice office at 1311 S. Western Road in Stillwater.
“Giving back to the community is what I love about this work,” Bloodgood said. “I admire the staff and volunteers so much. The fact that I can do something small to help the patients and caregivers is what I look forward to every day.”
In addition to volunteers, Karman Legacy Hospice is hiring certified nursing assistants and a director of nursing. The community can support hospice by making a gift to the Karman Legacy Hospice Fund through the Stillwater Medical Foundation or donating goods and shopping at the Karman Korner Resale Shop located on Main Street in Stillwater.
