It was an “outta sight” night of peace, love, and rock-n-roll September 28 at Talbot County Club that raised more than $187,500 for hospice, palliative care, and grief support services in Talbot County. More than 175 guests attended the groovy fundraiser which was chaired by Susie Dillon and Susie Granville with the help of Hynda Dalton and Sheila Monahan.
According to Dillon, the theme was chosen with the thought of transporting guests back nearly 60 years to the ‘60s and ‘70s and creating a fun, carefree world of chilling out, hippies and flower power, and the “Mad Men” and disco era. “We were thrilled with the enthusiasm and energy of our guests who embraced the theme in their “groovy” outfits and wigs,” said Dillon. “We are profoundly grateful to all those who so generously supported us with their presence, donations and sponsorships.”
Events like this, and fundraising in general, have become an even more critical component of the Talbot Hospice budget, according to Executive Director Vivian Dodge. “This year our goal is to raise $1 million or about a quarter of our budget,” said Dodge. “Many of theservices and programs provided by Talbot Hospice are not reimbursable by Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance, or they only reimburse a portion of the cost.This past year, Talbot Hospice provided almost $650,000 in uncompensated care.”
Talbot Hospice provides more than end-of-life hospice services. A community home-based palliative care program focuses on alleviation of symptoms and stress associated with a chronic, serious illness in order to improve quality of life for patients so that they can maintain independence. Thebereavement program offers individual counseling and groups for a variety of losses including traumatic loss from suicide, overdose, or accident; pet loss; child loss; as well as weekly yoga therapy and caregiver support. New in 2019 was Talbot Kid’s Grief Camp, which served 13 children ages 6-12 who have suffered the loss of a loved one. All grief support services are free of charge and open to the public regardless of whether or not your loved one was served by Talbot Hospice.
“We care for patients regardless of their insurance or financial standing,” said Dodge. “We have a sliding scale fee for room and board in Hospice House, and because many of our patients can’t afford the fee, we provide that care at little or no cost. This can be one of the most difficult times in life for individuals and families, and we are there first and foremost to ease the journey.”
Founded in 1981, Talbot Hospice was named the 2019 Outstanding Nonprofit by the Talbot County Chamber of Commerce and won What’s Up Eastern Shore Magazine’s Reader Poll for Best Hospice Care for the past two years. To learn more about Talbot Hospice, visit TalbotHospice.org or call 410-822-6681.
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