Help Us Keep Caring

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Help Us Keep Caring
Jeff Fleming, BCC-APC Kari Kozuki, LCSW Michelle
Post, LMFT
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A Question to Run On

• What do we need to do to keep caring for our
  patients, our families and ourselves?

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Our Philosophy

• Adopted Dr. Alan Wolfelts idea of companioning
  a bereaved family
• We are not the experts on grief we will learn
  from the family what they understand and what we
  can do to support them
• We will not lead the family in any direction, but
  be with them through their journey

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What is a Donor Family?

• All families that consent to donation are donor
  families
• Whether we recover organs, tissue or nothing at
  all, we honor the familys desire to give.

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Aftercare Program

• Organ Placement Letter/Tissue Disposition Letter
• Letters of Support
• at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 18 months, 24
  months
• Include grief literature, information on writing
  to transplant recipients, our volunteer program,
  etc.
• Anniversary Card on one year anniversary of
  loved ones death
• The Companion, donor family newsletter
• Available for phone support, referrals, etc.

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Communication with Transplant Recipients

• Family Services facilitates written communication
  between donor families and transplant recipients
• Encourage anonymity in first communication
• Facilitate meetings between donor families and
  recipients

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Other Services for Donor Families

• Obtain medical updates
• Annual Donor Remembrance Ceremony, Fields of
  Gold
• Opportunities to participate in Bridging Lives
  Quilt and Ambassador Program
• Donate Life Rose Parade Float Decorating, Donate
  Life Run Walk
• Sponsor families to attend the Transplant Games
  or National Donor Recognition Ceremony
• Available to answer questions, offer support and
  referrals at any time

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Donor Remembrance Ceremonies
White doves are released at the end of the
ceremony
Each family receives a Life Bridges Donor Pin
Pendant set
Terry Harrington, heart recipient and the voice
of Lisas sax on the Simpsons, performs
Families personalize balloons before the balloons
are released
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Bridging Lives Quilt
Donor families can create a quilt block which
becomes a community based quilt
Kern County Bridging Lives Quilt with project
leader Becky Pitre
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Donor Family and Recipient Meetings
A donor mother listens to her sons heart beating
in the recipient
A lung recipient holds a picture of his donor
during the meeting with his donors mother.
Liver recipient, Jeff Hedrick, meets his donors
parents for the first time on the one year
anniversary of his transplant.
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Donate Life Rose Parade Float
Donor Mom decorates her sons picture on the
Kodak Float
A donor family gathers to decorate in honor of
their loved one
Donor parents add a rose to the Family Circle
Donor Mom prepares material for the float
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Donate Life Run Walk
Participants walked through the Circle of Life
Garden and donor families found this to be a
place of reflection.
Donor families formed teams of all sizes and
walked in honor of their loved ones.
Tshirts were personalized with each donors
picture
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Our Goals

• We strive to honor donors and their families and
  support donor families along their grief journey.
• We create meaningful opportunities for families
  to continue to honor and remember their loved
  ones.

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How do you honor those who have died?

• What does your hospital do to honor patients who
  have died?
• What do you personally do to honor your patients
  who have died?

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How do you prevent compassion fatigue?

• What do you do for self-care?
• How do you prevent burnout?
• Who cares for you?

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As we part.

• To keep a lamp burning, we have to keep putting
  oil in it.
• - Mother Teresa