CRESTVIEW — Saturday's Blue Jean Ball is more than a night of gourmet food, desserts and dancing.
The benefit is a chance to help friends, family and neighbors receiving Covenant Hospice’s end-of-life care.
The Rev. Sherrell Compton, administrative pastor at the Crestview New Life International Worship Center, Church of God, knows the value of Covenant’s services.
In May, her sister, Lisa Paterson Douglas, died of renal kidney failure.
“When they said we have to call in hospice, I said, 'Call Covenant,'” Compton said. “A covenant is an important word. They make a promise to do all they can to help the person. They made a covenant to take care of my sister.”
'GREAT EXPERIENCE'
Compton, a member of Covenant Hospice’s community advisory board, was familiar with its services and commitment to care.
“It was a great experience for me because I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of their organization,” Compton said. “This gave me the opportunity to see what it’s like on the inside.
Covenant Hospice’s focused attention benefited family members almost as much it did her sister, Compton said.
“The 24-7 care really impressed me,” she said. “They wanted to make sure she was comfortable as possible and was pain-free.
“And not only did they make sure she was comfortable, but for family members who visited, they brought snacks and drinks. They made sure the family members were taken care of as well.”
Covenant Hospice’s team of physicians, nurses, social workers, chaplains, home health aides and trained volunteers makes regular visits to deliver medical care, help with personal care or facilitate legacy-building or reconciliation with family and significant others, senior development and communications manager Jenni Perkins stated.
EXTENDED LIFE
Care doesn’t end when a loved one has died, Perkins said.
“We also provide support for survivors as they move through bereavement to renewal,” she stated in an email.
Compton’s appreciation for her sister’s care and what Covenant Hospice does for the community led her to pay it forward.
Beautiful Ones, her church’s Women of Valor young women’s ministry, partnered with Moulton’s Pharmacy to provide personal care products for hospice patients.
“We adopted Covenant as our community outreach program,” Compton said. “I feel like Lisa’s life was extended because of the care that was given to her.”
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WANT TO GO?
WHAT:“Arabian Nights” Covenant Hospice Blue Jean Ball
WHEN:6 p.m. Saturday
WHERE:Crestview Community Center, 1446 Commerce Drive
COST:$60 each
NOTES:Tickets available at Covenant Hospice, 4100 Ferdon Blvd. S., 682-3628 or www.covenanthospice.org
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FAST FACTS
In 2013, Crestview's Covenant Hospice office:
•Served 200 patients and their families; 35 percent had cancer
•116 Covenant Hospice volunteers provided 2,142 hours of service
•Crestview and Fort Walton Beach Covenant Hospice staff members delivered 36 end-of-life care programs worth 272 credit hours to 429 healthcare professionals
•10 full-time and three part-time staff members serve the Crestview office
Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview pastor says hospice's care extended her sister's life