Family lauds hospice during CHP event

Community Health Professionals information

Dispelling some of the common myths that surround hospice care was a theme of the evening at Community Health Professionals’ annual Hospice “Beacon of Hope” event held Thursday night at the Van Wert Banquet Center.

A common myth about hospice is that it is care for the very end, when a person only has days or hours of life remaining. Another common myth is that people only go into a hospice program when they’ve given up all hope.

The family of Nancy Warden-Bachman testified that none of those perceptions was true in the case of their mother’s hospice experience.

Warden-Bachman was admitted to hospice shortly after receiving a terminal diagnosis and remained on the program for several months, using nearly all the services provided by CHP Hospice, including home care and several stays in and out of the Van Wert Inpatient Hospice Center.

While under hospice services, she even went to Columbus to live with her daughter for a while. Community Health Professionals contracted with a hospice agency in Columbus to cover her care while she was there.

“Nancy was always full of life,” said Angie Krall, RN supervisor at the Van Wert Inpatient Hospice Center. “When she was at the inpatient hospice center she was active and enjoyed sharing coffee and cookies with the staff; she was always well-dressed and ready for each day. She had a great sense of humor.”

Bachman was married to Paul E. Warden (who passed away in 1996) and Don Bachman (who died in 2005). She was a homemaker and mother of eight children, many of whom were represented among the crowd of more than 300 at the event.

The Warden family presented a lighthouse in memory of their mother that will be displayed at the Van Wert Inpatient Hospice Center, along with those presented in past years.

The Beacon of Hope dinner/auction is the main fundraising event for CHP’s hospice program and is an evening of remembrance, education and fun. Rick Small of Mix 98.1 FM in Defiance was the emcee and provided many laughs while Bob Gamble of Bee Gee Realty & Auctioneers conducted the auction. Tom Rupert provided entertainment during the meal.

The event also includes a cash raffle drawing. Mike Tow won the $250 prize, Rex Davis won $500, and Kim Klaus won the $1,000 grand prize.