In Your ServiceIntroducing the Avow Family of Programs and Support

Changing moments, changing lives.SM

ContentsHospice services............................................ 5Grief and loss support................................... 5Caregiver support......................................... 6PAWS pet program......................................... 6Treasures “pack-up & pick-up” service........... 7Speakers Bureau............................................ 7Ispiri community center................................ 8Volunteers..................................................... 8Palliative medicine consultations................... 8Support our mission...................................... 9About Avow.................................................10

Ten signs you should call Avow

1. You are living with an illness that has overtaken your life and prevents you from enjoying friends, family and favorite activities.

2. You have pain or discomfort that your doctor has tried but can’t seem to control.

3. You have complications in your illness or treatment that send you to the Emergency Room for help.

4. You are hospitalized repeatedly for your illness or a crisis in your care.

5. You have been told that your condition cannot be cured, and that it might be time to stop treatments that are no longer helping and are making you feel miserable.

6. You feel angry, alone or are hurting physically, emotionally or spiritually from suffering that no one seems able to relieve.

7. You are overwhelmed with the demands of caring for someone who is seriously ill.

8. You can’t seem to find a way back to “normal life” as you grieve the loss of someone you loved.

9. You are deeply mourning the loss of a beloved pet, but no one seems to understand your feelings or take them seriously.

10. A child in your life is struggling to understand the death of a friend, teacher or loved one and you don’t know where to turn for help.

If you’re hurting, Avow is here to helpIllness, death, grief and loss touch us all – but when they do, most of us need loving care and professional guidance to get through them. For people in southwest Florida, Avow is that source of expert care. We serve those who are:

• living with a serious or terminal illness

• caring for someone who is sick

• grieving any loss: a job, home, family member, friend, coworker, fellow student or a pet

We also teach our community and professional caregivers about issues related to chronic and terminal illnesses, caregiving, coping with loss and living well at life’s end.

Avow was founded by area residents in 1983 as a not-for-profit hospice. Today, Avow is one of the area’s premier health care providers with programs of support for everyone in southwest Florida from newborns to our most senior citizens.

This brochure provides brief overviews of the programs we provide. You can find more detailed information by visiting us at www.avowcares.org. Click on “Document Library” in the upper right for materials you can read, share and print.

To speak with an Avow team member, call our CareLink hotline any time day or night, at 239-261-4404.

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Our servicesHospice servicesHospice is care for those who have an illness that cannot be cured and that will likely bring life to an end in six months or less. Your doctor may have told you it’s time to stop curative treatments that aren’t working; perhaps you’ve quietly been wondering if it might be time to focus on being comfortable. Hospice care can give you the relief, peace of mind and hope you seek. Your doctor or someone else can refer you to our program, or you can call us yourself to talk about your needs.

As our hospice patient, you will have a team of people at the ready whose goals are

to support you in your choices for end-of-life care. Your Avow team can include a physician, nurse, hospice aide, social services coordinator, spiritual care coordinator, bereavement specialist and trained volunteers. You might also enjoy complementary therapy treatments such as music therapy, Reiki energy work or gentle massage therapy. As you settle into our program, you can add or stop any non-medical service whenever you like.

Avow’s hospice team is also here for your family and friends. We will support your caregivers as they care for you and keep you comfortable and help them deal with their feelings of fear, uncertainty and loss. We can also help children in your life understand what’s happening so they are not afraid.

Grief and loss supportFinding meaning and joy in life after someone you love has died can seem impossible. Even breathing and making it through the day can drain every ounce of your energy.

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Avow’s bereavement staff can help. They understand how grief expresses itself in your body, thoughts, emotions and reactions. Our support staff can guide you through the healing process in the ways that respect your individual needs and beliefs.

Our grief and loss support groups, seminars and community memorial services are open to everyone; most offered at no charge. There are special-focus sessions for those who may be in recovery from an addiction, grieving the loss of a child or coping with the sudden death of a loved one. We are also here to help our community cope with loss from tragedies such as accidents and natural disasters.

Caregiver supportWhile you may feel privileged being the primary caregiver for someone who is seriously ill, you also most likely have occasional feelings of being overwhelmed, angry, exhausted or even resentful of the sick person for taking over your life. Avow is here to help you cope. We offer workshops that provide practical tips on caring for your loved one – and yourself. Many are offered at no charge. Our physicians will also talk with you about the kind of illness your loved one has and what you can expect to happen as time passes.

While there are many caregiver support groups available in the community, Avow’s are special in that they’re staffed with professional, licensed medical caregivers whose careers center on providing relief from suffering.

PAWS pet programBest friends sometimes have four feet, feathers, fur or tails. That doesn’t make it easier to endure their serious illnesses or to grieve their passing.

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If you are worried about an aging or sick pet or grieving the loss of an animal friend, Avow is here to help. We offer supportive counseling to pet owners and memorial services to honor animal companions who have died. You can create a lasting tribute to your pet by placing an engraved brick in our pet memorial garden.

Our PAWS program also pairs Avow volunteers and their pets with patients who would appreciate a friendly visit. If you have a behavior-certified pet and would like to become an Avow PAWS volunteer, contact our Volunteer Services department.

Treasures resale shop “pack up and pick up” serviceDeath or serious illness can

mean a change in residence or the need to downsize personal belongings and space. When that’s the case, Avow’s Treasures Resale Shop can help.

Treasures staff or our trained volunteers can help you pack items for donation to our resale shop. Our friendly and courteous drivers will pick up furniture, clothing, household goods, small appliances, musical instruments and other items to be sold to benefit Avow programs. To schedule your donation, call Treasures directly at 239-649-0201.

Proceeds from Treasures sales help us fund some types of patient care, charity care and the many free programs we offer to the community. Your donation will help us care for our friends and neighbors in Collier County.

Speakers BureauAvow staff members are available to speak to groups of any size on topics related to palliative and hospice care, living wills (“advance directives”), caregiving, grief and loss, medical ethics and much more. There is no cost for these

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services. To schedule a speaker, call us at 239-261-4404.

Ispiri community centerGifted to us by our supporters, Avow’s Ispiri community center offers space for support groups, memorial services, education, meetings, celebrations and more. The building is available to the community for limited, noncommercial uses. For more information, call our Advancement Department at 239-261-4404.

Volunteer opportunitiesVolunteers fill many roles at Avow, from visiting patients to lending a hand in our offices or at special events. If you have been looking for a way to give back and have time to spare, we have volunteer assignments waiting to be filled! No experience is necessary; we provide training and help you choose the volunteer activity that best suits your interests and schedule. To learn more, call us at 239-261-4404 and ask to speak to the Volunteer Department.

Palliative medicine consultationsWhen you have a serious or chronic illness, it can seem like your entire life is nothing but doctor visits, tests, discomfort and worrying about the future. You might feel hopeless about ever feeling well again or enjoying the people and activities that used to make life meaningful.

Palliative care (“palliative” means comfort) can relieve the difficult symptoms of an illness and give you hope. It is treatment for your physical discomforts – but it’s also emotional and spiritual support for you and your family. Palliative care focuses on improving your quality of life and helps you regain the sense of control that illness has taken away. Palliative care can go hand in hand with treatments designed to cure your illness.

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Here’s how our service works. A member of Avow’s medical team talks with your doctor to learn about the care and medicines you have had and whether those treatments have helped you. Avow’s medical team then examines you and talks with you about your goals for care. After the exam, the Avow team recommends new pain relief measures, treatments or therapies your own doctor might try to help you feel better. The team may also suggest support options for your family to ease their frustration, fatigue or distress.

Palliative care is specialized medical treatment. Most physicians are familiar with the concept of palliative care but are not experienced in providing it.

Avow is the palliative care expert in southwest Florida. If you want a “second opinion” from specialists who can relieve your chronic symptoms and help you enjoy life again, ask your doctor to call Avow for a palliative care consultation at 239-304-1600.

Support our missionAvow accepts all patients, even those who cannot pay for our services. Additionally, for some patients, we must “make up the difference” between what it costs us to provide care and how much we’re paid by Medicare, Medicaid or insurance. Donations from our community help us close that financial gap. Gifts from supporters also help us fund certain patient-care programs as well as the many free programs we offer to the community.

There are many ways you can help. Our Development Department can assist you in choosing the option that best meets your giving and tax-planning needs. Call the Development Office at 239-261-4404 for more information.

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Avow was founded in 1983 as Collier County’s original, nonprofit hospice. Today, Avow’s companies care not only for those who are terminally ill, but also for those who have serious and chronic illnesses or who have suffered great loss.

Services provided by Avow companies include:

• Care for the dying and their families, plus community members who are grieving

• Palliative care physician consultations for the chronically or seriously ill

• The PAWS Pet program to support those who have lost a pet

• A “healing, learning and celebrating” space for the community through the Ispiri center on our campus

• Education for the community on topics related to serious illness, caregiving, death and grieving

To find out more about the scope of services provided by Avow’s companies, call our CareLink line at 239-261-4404 or visit www.avowcares.org.

Changing moments, changing lives.SM

Locations

Administrative Offices1095 Whippoorwill Lane

Naples, FL 34105239.261.4404

Frances Georgeson Hospice House1095B Whippoorwill Lane

Naples, FL 34105239.261.4404

Ispiri Community Center1205 Whippoorwill Lane

Naples, FL 34105239.261.4404

Marco Island Office656 Bald Eagle Drive, #BMarco Island, FL 34145

239.389.1089

Immokalee Office750 South Fifth StreetImmokalee, FL 34142

239.657.6962

Treasures Resale ShopThe Parkshore Centre

3601 Tamiami Trail NorthNaples, FL 34103

239.649.0201

Find us on the web at: www.avowcares.org

Florida Hospice License 5022096 Licensed to Care for Collier County since 1983

Our hospice services program is accredited by the Joint Commission

Information in this brochure was current at press time. To verify the availability of specific services or to discuss any aspect of our care, call us at 239-261-4404.

Copyright © Avow Hospice, Inc.; Printed February 2013