PCHPCA details efforts in 2023

The Putnam County Hospice and Palliative Care Association (PCHPCA) has released its 2023 annual report to the community.

Director Elaine Peck noted that in 2023, the PCHPCA was frequently told how fortunate Putnam County is to have an organization like the association.

“Whether it is an individual or family coping with serious illness or providers from other communities seeking information about local resources, they express gratitude for the services the PCHPCA provides and for its independent, unbiased and free assistance,” Peck said.

Peck added that research supports the use of advance care planning, hospice and palliative care to reduce complicated grief and improve the mental health of those dying, their health care providers and their survivors.

In a rural community with many of lower socio-economic and educational status who cannot afford to pay for assistance, the PCHPCA advocates that it provides an important role in addressing health inequities in Putnam County. Research documents that these populations are less likely to engage in advance care planning and to utilize hospice and palliative care, making access to the PCHPCA’s free education and resources valuable.

In 2023, the PCHPCA reported that it expanded its relationships and collaborations with organizations critical to the long-term success of its mission, including health care providers, faith communities and nonprofit organizations.

Many local health care professionals are now utilizing PCHPCA-provided resources for their patients. Greater comfort and involvement with hospice, palliative care and advance care planning are being seen within local health care systems. More providers are offering community-based palliative care in Putnam County.

Four churches came on board in 2023, supporting educational presentations and distribution of PCHPCA materials to their members in a variety of settings. The association expanded its relationship with Dusk to Dawn Bereavement Services in 2023, distributing its grief materials in its Serious Illness Folders, and collaborating on a Lenten program with Gobin Memorial United Methodist Church.

The association continues efforts to reach under-resourced individuals in Putnam County. An education table was organized at the Community Connect event this year. Emergency responders are important partners in this effort, and conversations will continue in 2024 about reaching seriously ill persons in jail and prison.

Satisfaction surveys received in 2023 provided positive feedback about educational presentations. On average, participants rated the “importance” of the presentations as 4.7 out of 5.0. Participants also rated “learning something new” during presentations as 4.7 out of 5.0.

In 2023, the association created and distributed more of its resources in the community. In addition to posters and other awareness-raising resources, the PCHPCA distributed 1,052 of the 6,250 Vital Medical Information Files purchased with its American Rescue Plan Act grant award, 78 Serious Illness Folders and 43 My Advance Directives Folders.

The association is receiving reports that its materials are being utilized by people in the community. Anecdotal reports have been received from emergency responders and hospice providers that Vital Medical Information Files have been seen and made available on refrigerators in homes.

Utilization of the PCHPCA website and engagement with its social media posts also increased in 2023. The website was enhanced by increasing the visibility and clarity of its navigation buttons, adding buttons to individual pages and updating content in the Advance Directives and Advance Care Planning sections. A Video Library section was added and an educational video about hospice and palliative care was developed and posted. Plans are in place to develop and upload more educational videos to the website and YouTube in 2024. Google Analytics reports 1,300 visitors to the website in 2023.

The Putnam County Hospice and Palliative Care Association seeks to enhance the quality of life for the terminally ill, their loved ones and caregivers by educating the community about the benefits of hospice, palliative care and advance care planning.

The PCHPCA is a nonprofit public charity that operates with the help of donations, financial support from the Putnam County Community Foundation and fiscal sponsorship by Putnam County Hospital.