Tidewell Hospice's video: Tidewell Happenings 2018 March Lakewood Ranch Hospice House Special Edition

Tidewell Hospice opened the new Lakewood Ranch Hospice House to the public with a grand opening, dedication and ribbon cutting on a brilliant day March 9. It was Tidewell’s first hospice house opening since 2007. The day’s festivities began at 10 a.m. with a ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony, attended by about 150 people. Tidewell CEO Gerry Radford remembered standing on the same spot in an empty lot one year earlier during a wind-swept groundbreaking ceremony. He was impressed not only by the beautiful building but also the mature landscaping that makes the house appear it has been part of Lakewood Ranch for years. That’s appropriate, he said, because Tidewell has a long-standing relationship with the people of Lakewood Ranch. Manatee County Commissioner Vanessa Baugh, Tidewell Board Vice-Chair Steve Hall and Chief Nursing Officer Pauline Mailey shared their thoughts about the new hospice house, and volunteer Fernanda Scalera described her experience with Tidewell when her father became a patient while visiting from Colombia. The ceremony concluded with a ribbon-cutting, a dedication from Tidewell chaplain Annette Pace and a Monarch butterfly release that resulted in 120 beautiful creatures filling the skies in a moving finale. After the Grand Opening, the public was invited to tour the hospice house. Tidewell staff members were thrilled to show off the most important features of the 12-bed, 14,900-square-foot hospice house. From the welcome area, where a volunteer will be available to direct visitors to their loved ones, to the nearby reflection room, the front of the house was designed with visitors in mind. A centralized nurses’ station is accessible on either side of the hospice house, making it easy for visitors to get information. That centralized nurses’ station, a first for a Tidewell hospice house, also promotes a team approach for clinical staff who work together in close proximity. The expansive family areas on each side of the hospice house offer visitors a comfortable place to sit and reflect or talk or watch television. Each family area also features a kitchenette and table and chairs. At 330 square feet, the patient rooms are much larger than a hospital room. Each patient room includes state-of-the-art medical equipment, in-room charting capabilities and a centralized oxygen supply. One of the couches in the patient rooms pulls out into a bed, providing long-term visitors extra comfort. Outside, a serene area featuring a fountain and pergola offer patients and visitors an opportunity to relax and reconnect with nature. The hospice house is expected to welcome its first patient in early April and then become a fixture in the Lakewood Ranch community for years to come. Tidewell invites Lakewood Ranch residents to get involved by volunteering at the new hospice house. Get more information at tidewellhospice.org/welcome/tidewell-volunteers. And there are several commemorative giving opportunities to honor the memory of a loved one or as a personal tribute to the giver’s own legacy. Connect with us ================================== Website: https://tidewellhospice.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tidewellhospice/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/tidewellhospice YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/RandComm09 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/149398 Tidewell News https://tidewellhospice.org/home/about-tidewell/news/ Tidewell Events https://tidewellhospice.org/home/about-tidewell/events/ Watch More Tidewell Hospice Videos https://tidewellhospice.org/home/about-tidewell/video-gallery/ Volunteer for Tidewell Hospice https://tidewellhospice.org/home/volunteer/ Donate https://tidewellhospice.org/home/giving/donate-now/ Careers https://tidewellhospice.org/home/careers/ ================================== Stratum Health System https://stratumhealthsystem.org MAR18360