Tami Caruso has joined the Tidewell team as the new Volunteer Coordinator at Southgate. Tami’s career has focused on volunteer services, marketing and event planning. Prior to working at Tidewell, Tami was the Volunteer Services and Marketing Coordinator at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center. Her role at the hospital included all aspects of volunteer services: onboarding, scheduling, retention, annual education and recognition. She really enjoyed working with the hospital’s 120-plus volunteers, and it made leaving her job bittersweet.

Tami moved to Lakewood Ranch five years ago from upstate New York. She was born and raised in Corning, N.Y., and visits regularly to see her family, which still resides there. She has two grown children: a daughter, Cailyn, who is 26, and a son, Christopher, who is 23. Cailyn lives in upstate New York, where she just purchased her first home. Christopher graduated from Florida Gulf Coast University in May and is traveling the world. Since he started his trip in July, he has been to Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Paris, London, Scotland, Italy and India.

Tami says her life isn’t nearly as exciting as her kids’. She has a bachelor’s degree in business. In her free time, she enjoys the water, volunteering, yoga, reading and spending time with friends and family. She is a 200-hour certified yoga instructor and is working on her 500-hour certification. She started yoga training to increase her own self-awareness, but she has taught at several yoga studios. In addition, she plans and hosts women’s retreats, which has allowed her to combine her love of yoga with her event planning and marketing skills.

Being an avid volunteer herself, she understands people with hearts of service get as much as they give from volunteering. “I am excited to be a part of the Tidewell team and to work with each of you! I look forward to forming a relationship with the volunteers, helping the patients and their families, and being a part of Tidewell,” Tami said.

Tidewell Hospice - Newsletter for Volunteers

October 2019

Tami Caruso is the new Volunteer Coordinator at the Southgate Office.

Tami Caruso joins Tidewell as Volunteer Coordinator

BULLETIN BOARDEVENTS AND EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIESTidewell volunteers are welcome to attend events at any site. Meetings are held in administrative offices unless noted otherwise. Please feel free to attend any event or supportive gathering that appeals to you. Contact the local volunteer coordinator for details. Thank you!

OCT2019

October 1Noon – Lunch & Learn at Bradenton Office. Join us for a discussion on ethical wills followed by our monthly potluck. Contact Linda Anderson at landerson@tidewell.org with any questions.

October 811 a.m. – Noon – Volunteer Cafe at the Southgate Office. Welcome back some of our volunteers from the north and share some coffee, snacks and socialization. New volunteers are encouraged to attend! Not only is this a great way to get advice from some of our seasoned volunteers, it’s also a fun way to meet new people. Please RSVP to Marion Stenz at mstenz@tidewell.org.

11:30 a.m. – “Lunch & Learn” at Arcadia Office. Halloween crafts activity. Contact Nancy Vollmer at nvollmer@tidewell.org with any questions.

October 1111:30 a.m. – Lunch & Learn at Port Charlotte Office. Admissions Criteria and Process presented by Amy Lillevold, Clinical Director, South Admissions. Contact Nancy Vollmer at nvollmer@tidewell.org or Tonja Brooks at tbrooks@tidewell.org with any questions.

October 142:30 p.m. – Book Club at Port Charlotte Office. Contact Nancy Vollmer at nvollmer@tidewell.org with any questions.

October 18Noon – 2 p.m. – Lunch & Learn at Englewood Office. Potluck: Bring your delicious dish to share! The movie we will watch is “Love is Listening: Dementia Without Loneliness.”

Noon – 2 p.m. – Lunch & Learn, “Put the TLC in LTC and Learn How You Can Make a Difference,” presented by Linda Burch, Social Worker, at Venice Office. Bring a dish to share. Beverages will be provided. RSVP by calling 941-441-2003 or emailing lpierce@tidewell.org.

October 191 – 2 p.m. – Veterans Café at Ellenton Office. Stop by on the third Thursday of each month to meet with fellow veterans. Topics of discussion are open so bring some ideas! You can discuss the most recent Vet to Vet Café as well as upcoming events. RSVP to Jessica Simmons at jsimmons@tidewell.org.

November 11- 2:30 p.m. – Effective Communication Strategies for Volunteers at Ellenton Office (potluck from noon-1 p.m.). Learn to decode the verbal and behavioral messages delivered by someone with dementia and identify strategies to help you connect and communicate at each stage of the disease. RSVP to Jessica Simmons at jsimmons@tidewell.org.

Locations

Administration Sarasota-Rand5955 Rand Blvd., Sarasota, FL 34238941-552-7500

Arcadia917 North Arcadia Ave., Arcadia, FL 34266863-231-3300

Bradenton3355 26th St. W., Bradenton, FL 34205941-782-4900

Ellenton4151 37th St. E., Palmetto, FL 34221941-845-3000

Englewood12034 North Access Road, Port Charlotte, FL 33981941-548-2300

Lakewood Ranch6310 Capital Drive, Suite 100, Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202941-552-5900

Port Charlotte1144 Veronica St., Port Charlotte, FL 33952941-979-4300

Sarasota-Southgate3550 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34239941-487-3100

Venice220 Wexford Blvd., Venice, FL 34293941-441-2000

Caring Touch classes Caring Touch classes will be held at Lakewood Ranch Administration Office once per month, possibly two times per month in the fall. Dates vary, but classes always will be from 9-11:30 a.m. Fridays. If you are interested, please call Shirley Perdisatt at 941-552-5914.

Did you know that Tidewell is a NHPCO We Honor Veterans Level Five partner? As part of our requirements, we provide staff and volunteers with an overview of our veteran-centric practices on a regular basis.

As part of our commitment to care for our veterans, Tidewell uses a Military History Checklist and thorough psychosocial

assessment (initial and ongoing) to develop a plan of care for veterans. These assessments are used to identify any service-related sources of trauma that may be needed to plan for bereavement services as well as services while in the hospice program. Our staff members are appropriately credentialed for their roles and are trained to help families with veteran-sensitive issues such as PTSD. All staff and volunteers have initial training in sensitivity to veterans and are offered ongoing access to programs on specialty topics, inclusive of Soul Injury, PTSD and war-specific dynamics. Chaplains are trained specifically on how to address forgiveness-related conflicts in our veteran patients.

Tidewell is committed to providing a high level of care to our veteran patients based on thorough education and training of our staff and volunteers.

Making decisions under pressure can lead to unintended results. That is why we plan ahead for life’s milestones such as weddings, retirements and a family. Making your decision for end-of-life care should not be any different, but it is a conversation most of us avoid having, according to Nafi Cunningham, director of My Life, My Choice.

My Life, My Choice was created to encourage people to identify what matters most to them and take steps to ensure their wishes are honored by completing their advance care directives, such as living will and healthcare surrogate designations.

The two main elements in an advance directive are a living will and a healthcare power of attorney.

• A living will is a written document that helps you let doctors/family know how you want to be treated if you are dying or permanently unconscious and cannot make your own decisions about emergency treatment.

• A healthcare power of attorney is a legal document naming a healthcare proxy, someone to make medical decisions for you at times when you are unable to do so.

The advance care planning process includes:

• Getting information on the types of life-sustaining treatments that are available.

• Deciding what types of treatment you would or would not want should you be diagnosed with a life-limiting illness.

• Sharing your personal values with your loved ones.

• Deciding who you chose to speak for you – should you be unable to speak for yourself.

There are also other documents that can supplement your advance directive, such as Do Not Resuscitate or organ tissue donation orders. You can choose which documents to create.

The My Life, My Choice presentation assists people in figuring out what they want at end of life. More importantly, it can help prepare friends and family by having a conversation about those wishes before something happens.

For more information or to schedule a presentation, please contact Nafi Cunningham at 941-893-6589 or via email at MLMC@stratumhealthsystem.org.

Tidewell committed to care of veterans

Make your wishes known with My Life, My Choice program

If you are interested in helping with sewing or creating fidget mats and/or creating various ongoing sewing and non-sewing projects, please contact Shirley Perdisatt at 941-552-5914 or sperdisatt@tidewell.org.

Fidget mat/sewing get together

Nafi Cunningham

VP of Specialized Services:Stacy Groff941-894-1753sgroff@tidewell.org

Volunteer Services North Manager:Lakewood RanchMaria Paliotta941-894-1770mpaliotta@tidewell.org

South Manager:RandSusan Evans941-552-7653slevans@tidewell.org

Onboarding Specialist:Sue Forbes941-441-2061sforbes@tidewell.org

Coordinator:Gloria Overholt941-552-5944goverholt@tidewell.org

Complementary Services:Shirley Perdisatt941-552-5914sperdisatt@tidewell.org

Bradenton:Linda Anderson941-782-4903landerson@tidewell.org

Ellenton: Jessica Simmons941-845-3002 jsimmons@tidewell.org

Englewood:Pamela Maren941-548-2336pmaren@tidewell.org

Port Charlotte/DeSoto County:Nancy Vollmer941-979-4304 or 863-231-3307nvollmer@tidewell.orgTonja Brooks941-979-4324tbrooks@tidewell.org

Sarasota/Southgate:Marion Stenz941-487-3156mstenz@tidewell.orgTami Caruso941-487-3184tcaruso@tidewell.org

Venice:Linda Pierce941-441-2003lpierce@tidewell.org

CONTACT INFORMATION

VOL19856

Annual clown training

Reiki classes announced

This once-a-year opportunity is only a few months away!

Clown training begins Jan. 11 for six consecutive Saturdays from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Rand. Graduation will be held from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, also at Rand.

Training is $50 and includes classes, manual, balloons and balloon pump, make-up kit and much more. If you have any questions or want to sign up, please contact Shirley Perdisatt at 941-552-5914 or sperdiatt@tidewell.org.

To sign up for Reiki class as well as Reiki review or Reiki shares, please contact Shirley Perdisatt at 941-552-5914 or sperdisatt@tidewell.org:

All Reiki I and II classes are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday with one hour for lunch held at Rand. The cost is $80 both days.

• Reiki I class: Sept. 14-15, Oct. 5-6, Dec. 7-8.

• Reiki II class: Nov. 16-17.

Reiki review classes are $20 and held at Rand.

• Reiki I review: 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26.

• Reiki II review: 1:30-4:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26.

• Reiki III review: 1-4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23.

For Reiki shares, please contact Judy Wallace/Reiki instructor at wallgold@verizon.net.

• Reiki share: 1:30-4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28 at Rand.

• Reiki share: 1-3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15 at Venice.

The 2019 Tidewell Hospice Turkey Trot 5K is set for Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019, and

Tidewell volunteers will receive a $5 discount when registering for the event. Walkers are welcome.

For the third year in a row, the 5K run/walk fundraiser, which also includes kids races, will be held on Lakewood Ranch Main Street. When registering at runfortidewellhospice.org, volunteers receive a $5 discount by entering the discount code TWVOLUNTEER.

Volunteers are encouraged to recruit friends and family and/or coworkers to register for the 5K as a team. Each team will have the opportunity to raise additional funds on a team web page. The Run for Tidewell Hospice Turkey Trot is part of the Lakewood Ranch Road Runners Triple Challenge. The other races are the Centerstone Life;Story 5K and 10K, which was held Sept. 22, the Boo Run on Oct. 27 and The Jingle 5K on Dec. 21. Runners who complete three of the four races will receive a special prize.

The Tidewell event will begin at 7:15 a.m. with kids races. The 5K run/ walk will start at 8 a.m., followed by a one-mile run/walk.

Save the date if you are interested in volunteering. Stay tuned for more information.

Register for the Turkey Trot 5K, get $5 discount