I’ve been in the medical field for more than 20 years. I can truly say I’ve never been more proud to work for an organization. The care that Suncoast Hospice provides to patients and the amount of support to families is wonderful and I’m lucky to be part of it.
 
As a certified nursing assistant (CNA), I work closely with the Suncoast Hospice nurse who is assigned to a nursing home or assisted living facility we partner with. To me, hospice care is when the nurse, the facility and I build a relationship and collaborate as a team to provide the best care to patients. We must keep the lines of communication open so we can respond to patients as their health and needs change.
 
Suncoast Hospice takes great pride in our work and developing these relationships with the facilities, patients and families. We try to be as supportive as we can to everyone involved in care and work collectively to serve our patients. We have care plan meetings with the facilities and family members to discuss the best course of action and how we may assist in care. We always support the choices of the patients, families and facilities. It’s all about the patients and doing what is beneficial for them to improve their quality of life. 

Cristina Diamantopoulos, hospice aide

One of the beautiful things about hospice care is it can be provided wherever you reside. This includes if you live in a nursing home or an assisted living facility (ALF).

What is Suncoast Hospice care like in these facilities and how does it complement their care?

Suncoast Hospice care teams and facility care teams work jointly caring for hospice care patients and supporting their families. Suncoast Hospice staff and volunteers are skilled and trained to tend to the medical, emotional and spiritual needs that occur at the end of life. This combination of care, support and shared mission to enhance life for patients and families in nursing homes and ALFs is special.

Please read on to learn about the work of one of our facility-based care teams. Thanks for visiting us. Please check back again soon.

Ebony Faber, Our Life’s Work editor

Being a Suncoast Hospice chaplain allows me to serve humanity at a very sacred time, the end of life. I have the freedom to create an environment that is completely fitted to the spiritual needs of my patients and their families. On many different levels, there are opportunities for healing for patients, families, friends, neighbors and others in the community.

At this time of life, when the body begins to slow down, one gets in touch with his or her inner being and looks to the divine or sacred. Often questions of meaning, purpose and what happens beyond the end of life surface. I love helping to celebrate, memorialize and honor a person’s life after death and bringing a healing environment to the bereaved.

I enjoy visiting our patients and families in their own homes and helping them with any needs. I embrace the hospice philosophy whole-heartedly and champion its values and meaning. Being a hospice chaplain gives me the opportunity to give and receive love and to serve.  I am so blessed by what I’ve learned. It’s been an incredible journey for me.

Eileen Weber, chaplain

Patient care has been my passion and nature ever since I was young. I had a sick father growing up and helped my hard–working mom maintain our household. My dream was to become a nurse. I earned my medical assistant certification and worked in a doctor’s office for 19 years. I was invited to work for Suncoast Hospice and came on board. Working with patients, families and staff has been great. And Suncoast Hospice helped me care for my mother on her final journey. I enjoy my job making patients and families feel at ease and fulfilling their needs. I get the best feeling inside. This is what I’m meant to do.
 

Linda Cahill, care team assistant

Hospice care means coming home.  I’m doing exactly what I set out to do when I first became a nurse. I give compassionate, loving care to all my patients and families. On a really good day, I can look into the mirror and tell myself that I made a difference in someone’s life. These good people give me the gift of their pain, concern and fear, knowing that I won’t turn away until I have done everything I can for them. I can’t imagine a better place to end my nursing career.
 


Jody Keleske, registered nurse