GRIEF SUPPORT GROUP OFFERED

Orange City Home Health & Hospice is offering a Grief Support Group five consecutive Thursday evenings from September 2 through September 30 from 6:30 to 8:30pm in the lower level meeting rooms of the health system’s downtown campus at 400 Central Avenue NW in Orange City.  Bereavement support groups offer a safe place and supportive environment for those who are grieving a recent death, to talk about their feelings of loss. The five-week program provides directed group support within an educational format. There is no cost to attend the Grief Support Group, but donations are accepted and appreciated. Pre-registration is required. Call Orange City Home Health & Hospice at 712-737-5279.

Orange City Area Health System provides over two million dollars in community benefits annually to residents in Northwest Iowa, according to an assessment of those programs and services completed this spring. That amount includes uncompensated care, as well as free or discounted community benefits that OCAHS specifically implemented to help area residents.

Community benefits are activities designed to improve health status and increase access to health care. According to CEO Marty Guthmiller, “Along with uncompensated care — which includes both charity care and bad debt — community benefits through Orange City Area Health system include programs such as health screenings, support groups, community health education programs, babysitting classes, emergency services, and scholarships.”

While businesses generally consider bad debt as simply a cost of doing business, according to the Iowa Hospital Association (IHA), hospitals differ from other businesses in that other businesses can refuse to provide a service or product to a person who cannot or will not pay, no matter what the reason. “Nonprofit hospitals are the safety net of Iowa’s healthcare system and do not deny access to care to anyone, no matter what their ability to pay,” reports the IHA.

In fact, Iowa’s community hospitals provide uncompensated healthcare valued at more than $1.2 billion per year. They also, like Orange City Area Health System, invest in the health of their communities by increasing access to needed healthcare services to the tune of $147 million in reduced-fee or free programs and services.

“Being an integral part of the communities we serve is simply the right thing to do,” adds Guthmiller. “We value the opportunity to make the region we serve a better place to work, live and raise a family.”

Do you enjoy spending time with seniors?  Do you have a few hours a month to give to the elderly in our community?  Consider becoming a volunteer Resident Advocate at Orange City Area Health System’s Long Term Care Unit or Heritage House Nursing Home.

Volunteers are asked to visit residents three hours a month and attend quarterly committee meetings.  During visits, volunteers assist residents to understand and exercise their rights.  They also work as a team to find solutions to resident and/or family concerns.   Beginner orientation and on-going education are provided.

People who live in long-term care facilities need to speak with compassionate and objective adults who care about their rights.  You may be eligible to serve even if you have a relative who is a resident of Orange City Area Health System’s Long Term Care Unit or Heritage House.

For an application or more information on becoming a volunteer, contact Katie Mulford, Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman at 800-532-3213.  Or visit www.state.ia.us/elderaffairs/advocacy/rac.html.

Become a volunteer today and see how you can make a difference with our senior citizens.