| Tweet |
Hospice Care of the Lowcountry helps in a variety of ways.
I had no idea,” is a phrase often heard when staff and volunteers talk about Hospice Care of the Lowcountry.
Lynn Brooks, executive director of the nonprofit agency, said she frequently hears the same comment when talking about various programs.
“When we tell folks that we have provided hospice care for children as young as 6 days old, some are utterly amazed,” she said. “Many people think hospice is just for older adults.”
Another common misperception is that hospice is just for people with cancer. In fact, Brooks said, hospice care is available to people who have been diagnosed with any of several terminal conditions.
“We care for people who have end-stage renal failure, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and many other diseases,” she said.
Hospice Care of the Lowcountry is the original hospice on Hilton Head Island and has been in continual operation in Beaufort and Jasper counties since 1982. It is Medicare certified, which means it must meet federal standards of care, and it is the only independent nonprofit hospice that is so accredited. There are 18 for-profit agencies licensed to serve this area.
“We are owned by our community,” Brooks said.
As a nonprofit agency, Hospice Care of the Lowcountry staff and volunteers are guided by their mission to care for anyone, regardless of financial circumstance. As long as a persons terminal diagnose meets the criteria for hospice care, the agency will do whatever it takes to provide pain control, symptom management and support for that patient even with no compensation from insurance. For more information, call (843) 706-2296 or visit hospicecarelc.org.
