Walk for Hospice Photos

You can view Walk for Hospice Photos on Flickr!

Help others by sharing your story

There are many ways your hospice experience can help others — We are actively seeking hospice families who are willing to help make a difference. To learn more, contact Bob Escher at 607-432-6773 or email bob.escher@cahpc.org

Remember someone special this holiday season

Sunday, November 21, 2010 at 2:00 pm

This holiday season, honor and cherish the memory of your family member, dear friend or even your pet. Our trees, draped with names on heart-shaped ornaments offer a meaningful and special way to remember those near and dear to our hearts.

Tree locations are in Oneonta, Delhi and Cobleskill.

See ornament order card inside For additional information, call 607-432-6773. Ornaments are available all holiday season long.

Short Takes

Helping Hospice Families for Generations to Come

You can assure the future of hospice in our community by making a provision in your will. Your bequest will serve as a timeless legacy for you or your family and provide support to thousands of individuals and families for generations to come. For more information, call Huemac Garcia, Director of Development at 607-432-6773.

Hospice Wish List

There are many ways to support the hospice mission. One way is to donate or help to purchase “Wish List” items. The wish list is always changing and evolving as needs arise. If you would like to support Hospice in this meaningful way, please contact Pamela Finch at 607-432-6773.

Community Events

Many community groups or individuals have created fundraisers to support the efforts of our hospice program. Their efforts are meaningful and essential to the continuity of our services in Otsego, Delaware and Schoharie counties. If your event is not listed below, please let us know and we will publish it in our next issue. If your company or group is interested in fundraising for hospice, please contact Huemac Garcia, Director of Development at 607-432-6773.

We’d like to thank the following groups, their sponsors, volunteers and participants:

• $100: Annual Richmondville Days
• $116.25: Diana Friedell Psychic Readings
• $200: 3rd Annual Antiquarian Books “Private Seller Book Sale”, Hatherleigh Press Ltd, Hobart
• $107.58: Applebee’s July 27th Fundraiser
• $800: Central Catskill Trail Association’s 2010 Poker Run
• $1,000: Delhi Telephone Company’s 2010 Open House Fundraiser
• $48.27: Charles S. Endress – proceeds from Farm and Field Seasonal Decorations Sale
• $100: Gilboa Conseville Central School’s Dress Down Friday “Jeans Day”
• $10,570: 15th Annual Goodyear Lake Polar Bear Jump
• $525: Hudson Highlands Retreat Motorcycle Club’s 2010 Annual Poker Run
• $1,010: Laurine Jennings – 5th Annual “Hotdogs for Hospice and Bake Sale” in memory of Ted Jennings and dear friend Ransom “Carver” Palmer Jr.
• $2,379: MARK Project, Inc’s Catskill Mountain Ride N Bike Cycling Event
• $120: Oneonta Country Club Women’s Golf Association “Beat the Pro Day” in memory of Freda Scavo and Carol Fuller and in honor Golf Director Mitch Milavec
• $5,388: Summit Snow Riders 15th Annual Poker Run
• $27.50: Walgreen’s Customer Appreciation Day

Eleventh Annual Epicurean Better than Ever!

Thanks to everyone who contributed and attended. The Eleventh Annual Epicurean Festival, Food Tasting and Auction was another success this year. Total amount raised was more than $60,000 that will directly benefit local hospice families and children.

Held on April 18, at The Otesaga Resort Hotel, Cooperstown, this was made possible, in part, by our Lead Sponsors: A & D Taxi, A.O. Fox Hospital, Benson Agency Real Estate, Best Wine & Spirits, Clark Companies, Country Club Automotive Group, The Daily Star, Dr. & Mrs. Bryan S. Evanczyk, Gregory Plumbing and Heating, Information Systems Division, Inc. (ISD), Liquor Depot, Dr. & Mrs. James McChesney, MeadWestvaco, and The Shipping Room.

Everyone attending thoroughly enjoyed sampling the delicious food provided by more than 25 local restaurants, caterers and educational food programs, including Alex & Ika Restaurant, A Taste of Europe Restaurant, The American Hotel, Bassett Healthcare, Bella Michael’s, Doubleday Cafe, The Farmers Place, The Golden Guernsey, Good Cheap Food, Heidelberg Baking Company, hoffman lane bistro, It’s All Good, Magnolia’s Fudge, McCadam Cheese, Mt. Fuji Japanese Restaurant, The Otesaga Resort Hotel, Palatine Valley Dairy, Patty Cakes, Quarter Moon Café, Redneck Bar-B-Que/Jive Café, Sodexho Education and Stella Luna Ristorante, SUNY Delhi, which donated the ice sculpture, and Undercover Eggplant Company.

The auction items, many and varied this year, were enthusiastically bid on and our raffle, won by three local residents giving winners
$500, $300, and $200 worth of groceries, helped us reach this year’s total. The musical entertainment was by Big Fish Combo and lovely table arrangements were provided by A Rose is a Rose of Cherry Valley. All our attending guests enjoyed a wonderful afternoon. We wish to also thank the Benefactors, Patrons, Supporters, advertisers, auction donators, everyone who attended and The Otesaga Hotel, for their participation. Support of this worthy cause is truly appreciated.

The Charity Event of the Summer!

Thank you to Mark May and all of our celebrities, ESPN’s John Buccigross, SU’s “Voice of the Orange” Matt Park, our golf and party sponsors, party ticket buyers, auction item donors and winning bidders, Craig Gelbsman and all of our wonderful volunteers who made The Charity Event of the Summer a tremendous success!

Hospice Celebrity Party!

Presenting Sponsors

NBT Bank / Mang Insurance Agency

Corporate Sponsors

Venture Sales Group

Participating Sponsors

New York Central Mutual Insurance

Supporting Sponsors

Brewery Ommegang

Central New York Radio Group

College Association at Delhi

Hometown Oneonta

Meridian Group

Northern Eagle Beverages

PJ Green

Randy Mowers - Auctioneer

The Daily Star

Time Warner Cable Media Sales

Tyson

WKTV

Walter Rich Memorial Hospice Celebrity Golf Classic

Tournament Sponsors

Walter Rich Charitable Foundation

Jett Industries

Major Sponsors

Adirondack Combustion

Astrocom Electronics

John Bertuzzi

Energy East

Meridian Group

New York Central Mutual Insurance

Security Mutual Life Insurance Company

Walter Rich Charitable Foundation

Participating Sponsors

Bill Weldon

Catskill Eye Care Associates

Ferguson Enterprises

Lou Holtz

Karine, Stephanie & Derik Rich

Koester Associates

MAMCO

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, Matthew J. Sohns

NBT Bank

New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway

Preferred Mutual Insurance Company

Awards Banquet Sponsors

In Honor of Barbara Ann Jaeger Woods

Lunch Sponsors

Eastman Associates

Golf Cart Sponsors

Weber Oil Company

Family Health Care Decisions Act

June 1, 2010, marked the implementation date for the Family Health Care Decisions Act, a new law that allows family members and others who are closest to the patient to act as surrogates and make decisions regarding medical treatment for a loved one in certain limited situations. The law includes numerous safeguards to ensure sound medical treatment and that decisions are made consistent with the patient’s wishes and best interests. The current law applies only to patients in general hospitals or residents in nursing homes; it does not apply to people at home, in assisted living facilities, or in hospice care. There is, however, a separate section on out-of-hospital do not resuscitate (DNR) orders.

This act establishes a process for determining whether an adult patient without a health care proxy has decision-making capacity. If an attending physician and a consulting physician agree that the patient lacks the capacity to make health care decisions, the law establishes a priority list for choosing a person to be the surrogate decision maker. Anyone lower in the hierarchy (e.g., an adult child instead of a spouse) or in the same category (e.g., another sibling) can challenge the designation. The law also sets out a series of procedural requirements intended to protect vulnerable patients and make sure that the choice of surrogate and the surrogate’s decision are subject to review.

Catskill Area Hospice and Palliative Care is supporting the Hospice and Palliative Care Association of New York State to ensure that this landmark legislation is expanded to include all patients in all settings. If you have any question on this issue, contact Lola Rathbone at 607-432-6773.