Haven Hospice

Compassionate End-of-Life Care

By Linda Sutherland

Most of us know that hospice care is an essential part of end-of-life support. It focuses on comfort, symptom management, and dignity during a person’s final months. What many don’t realize is that Medicare allows patients to receive hospice care for at least six months, and that care can continue if needed. Unfortunately, families often wait too long to seek hospice services, missing the opportunity for their loved ones to experience the full benefits of compassionate care.

This care extends far beyond medical treatment. Hospice also supports the emotional, spiritual, and social needs of both patients and their families. Services may include counseling, support groups, and access to spiritual advisors. Hospice care honors the patient’s preferences, helping them make informed decisions about their care, while easing the burden on loved ones. The goal is always to keep patients comfortable—often at home—while avoiding the stress and expense of hospitalization at the end of life.

Haven Hospice in Omaha is a vital part of our health care community. They are here to improve the quality of life for people who are facing terminal illnesses and to provide support to their families. The care that Haven Hospice provides is very specialized, providing physical comfort as well as emotional and spiritual support for people who are nearing the end of life. 

Jake Panowicz is the CEO and co-owner of Haven Hospice. He and his co-owners, Melissa Merrit, Director of Marketing; Stacey Fife, Director of Clinical Services; Lisa Keller, Director of Patient Care; and Kasey Harrison, Director of Patient Care; bring nearly 75 years of combined experience in medicine and hospice care to the community. Because Haven Hospice is owned by its employees, not by a corporation, families can expect personalized, compassionate service. 

When Jake’s grandfather passed in 2010, he saw firsthand how much the right kind of care matters at the end of life. It was an experience that changed him—and it’s something many on the Haven Hospice team can relate to. Almost everyone there has been personally touched by hospice in some way, whether it was helping a loved one through their final days or seeing what compassionate care can mean for a family. 

Those experiences are what brought this team together. They understand that hospice isn’t a nine-to-five job—it’s a calling. The staff at Haven Hospice share a deep sense of purpose and take pride in the relationships they build with the families they serve. As Melissa puts it, they all feel truly blessed to be making a difference every day, and none of them can imagine doing anything else.

“Haven” means safe or peaceful place, and that’s just the feeling you’ll get from Haven Hospice. The team partners with medical professionals, physicians, hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living communities, and insurers in order to deliver the care that patients and families deserve. 

The families of hospice patients may need grief counseling, respite care for themselves as caregivers, and guidance on the many end-of-life decisions that will need to be made. Haven Hospice can provide the breaks that caregivers need. They give families time to rest and the space to attend to personal responsibilities without leaving their ailing loved one unattended.

Hospice care can improve a patient’s quality of life, which also offers comfort to the patient’s family; they can rest assured that their loved one had the best possible end of life care. Hospice also allows family and patients to spend their final time together in a comfortable setting—usually, their own home. 

My mother had terminal cancer, and hospice care allowed us to shift the focus from aggressive forms of treatment that were not going to make any difference to keeping her comfortable and managing her symptoms and pain. We were able to focus on enjoying the time we had left with her, and she was able to stay in her own home. We’re glad that we had that opportunity. 

Because of their deep understanding of chronic and terminal illness, the team at Haven Hospice is able to bring remarkably specialized support to their patients. These dedicated employee/owners are literally invested in giving the best care possible to their patients and families. 

And these owners are out in the field every day, not sitting in their offices, crunching numbers. These lovely people have come together to create something that is rare in this age of big corporations and entities. They have a full-time chaplain on staff, as well as social workers. They can provide massages and even can fix hair and nails for their patients. Their compassion and empathy makes such a difference in the lives they have touched!

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Compassion and caring is what you will find at Haven Hospice. If someone you love might soon need hospice care, please reach out at 531-999-2555 or online at havenhospiceinc.com. The caring team at Haven Hospice is standing ready to help your loved one write their last chapter with dignity and peace. 

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