Hospice Savannah’s President & CEO Dr. Kathleen Deloach Benton says, “The community we serve is our family. Our Mission Statement is ‘Founded by our community, we help people live’, and that is what we do. We have many layers of service to help people live—programs that are available long before our end of life services. There are very few patients that we cannot help, even if we don’t admit them to hospice at all.”

She continues, “This is what differentiates us from other hospices. We are the local hospice because we were actually formed by the community in the 70s. The community is invested in us, and we honor that investment by continually evolving to meet today’s needs.”

More than End of Life

At Hospice Savannah, the Edel Caregiver Institute (ECI) supports caregivers as they support their loved one. ECI can help with finding resources and providing emotional support. The support groups and individual consultations—available at no charge—offer opportunities to share and be heard, as well as to listen and support. Groups and classes are available virtually, and individual support is always available. Call 912.629.1331 for further information.

The Steward Center for Palliative Care assists patients who have been diagnosed with a serious, progressive illness like COPD, kidney disease, cancer, or dementia by using best practice standards for care and implementing strategies to follow patients throughout the continuum of their care. Dr. Benton explains, “When you have a Palliative Physician, you have someone involved with your care and it can make decisions as to pursuing treatment options easier. Palliative care physicians follow some patients for years, and in many cases, palliative care morphs into hospice care.” For further information call 912.354.8014.

Full Circle Grief & Loss provides a team of qualified and experienced bereavement counselors to deal with the emotional and psychological consequences of a loss. They offer a range of bereavement support for anyone—adult, teen, or child—in the four-county area who is having difficulty dealing with loss. Individual and group grief support is available by phone or virtually and is free of charge. Call 912.303.9442 for further information.

Music Therapy, Massage Therapy, and Story Keeping are important complementary therapies offered to patients and their families through Hospice Savannah. These services enhance the quality of life for the patient at all stages of their illness.

The Butterfly Program is focused on hospice services for children and surrounds them with expert medical care and nurturing support. Camp Aloha is a program for children ages 6-17 who have experienced the death of a loved one within the last 24 months.

In It Together

As of press time, Hospice Savannah is finalizing its status as a COVID-19 vaccine distribution site in an effort to do more for our community. “We are in a world where health care corporations are dominant and survival for smaller, non-profit organizations is difficult,” she says. Over the last two years there have been many dynamic changes at Hospice Savannah and Dr. Benton says, “We have accomplished so much and the future is positive.” She says they have been working with local partners more than ever because, “Like families everywhere, we are all in this together!” Call 912.999.3219 for an automated message about vaccinations through Hospice Savannah. 

912.355.2289 
www.hospicesavannah.org
1352 Eisenhower Drive
Savannah, GA 31406