DELAWARE HOSPICE, INC.
3515 Silverside Road
Wilmington, DE 19810
DATE: October 5, 2006
For Immediate Release
CONTACT: Beverly Crowl
Tel: 302-478-5707 x143; 302-547-1816
Email: bcrowl@delawarehospice.org
Pat Middleton eases into retirement at Bethany Beach through volunteer work at Delaware Hospice
Pat Middleton is a lovely woman, who has retired to Bethany Beach with her husband, Blaine, after a busy and worthwhile career in Washington D.C.
Pat grew up in Baltimore, married, and moved to Washington D.C. with her husband. With her education and training as a Public Health Nurse, Pat worked for a “Well Baby Clinic” in Washington D.C. for many years.
She explained, “The Well Baby Clinic offered many services to mothers in the community. We gave vaccinations to mothers and babies. We taught unwed mothers and refugees how to care for their new infants and how to do necessary things such as making formula. We explained what resources were available and we made appointments for follow-up care. We often went to their homes to see how they were making out and to assess the children as they grew.”
Pat was passionately involved in her role there and felt that she was really contributing something to the community. Meanwhile, in preparation for retirement, Pat and her husband bought a house at Bethany Beach and started to enjoy weekend visits. However, before she could fully appreciate the fact, retirement age was upon them—or at least upon her husband—and the permanent move to Bethany Beach was made.
She remembers the difficulty of those first years. “I wasn’t ready for retirement, but I knew I wanted to be here. Without my job, I felt lost. I had lost my sense of identity. I tried to find a position in my field with various organizations, but always met seemingly insurmountable barriers.
‘I became very upset and was lucky enough to meet Delaware Hospice Counselor Don Hearn. One of the many positive things that Don pointed out to me was that the best way to heal is to give. And, by the way, Delaware Hospice will be offering volunteer training soon…”
“So I became a volunteer at Delaware Hospice and have found it a wonderful place to be. I’ve been involved in patient support; but, more than anything else, I love my week at Camp New Hope each year. Camp New Hope is a magical place where children who have lost loved ones gather to share their grief and learn to smile again.”
“I hold especially fond memories of the early Camps which took place at Trapp Pond. I’ll never forget that wonderful feeling we had as we gathered at the lake in the morning and watched the sunrise. The children used their imagination and collected materials for their craft projects from the woods. And I’ll never forget one family of cousins. They were all at camp, coping with the loss of their grandmother. Since there were several cousins, they were a majority and not at all shy. Well, we had a wild but fun week, which culminated in a turtle attempting to hitch a ride out of Trapp Pond in the backpack of one of the cousins!”
DELAWARE HOSPICE OFFERS FALL TRAINING SESSIONS FOR NEW VOLUNTEERS
Volunteers are needed throughout Sussex County to relieve caregivers, provide grief support, or help with fundraisers, community awareness, and office work. While visiting a patient, a volunteer might offer a listening ear, read a book, share stories or just sit and hold their hand.
Volunteer training will be held on October 17 and 18, from 8:30-4:00 p.m. at the Delaware Hospice’s Georgetown Office. To learn more or to register for training, call Mary Costello, Volunteer Coordinator at 855-2344, ext. 120.
Volunteering for Delaware Hospice has a wonderful way of putting your life into perspective. Life is precious… make the most of yours, and someone else’s.
“I became a volunteer at Delaware Hospice and have found it a wonderful place to be,” said Pat Middleton, Bethany Beach.
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About Delaware Hospice
Since 1982, Delaware Hospice has provided exceptional care and support to nearly 23,000 patients and their families. Its mission is to help each patient, each day, live the fullest, most comfortable life possible. Delaware Hospice is the largest and only licensed, nonprofit, community-based hospice serving New Castle, Kent and Sussex counties in Delaware and southern Chester and Delaware counties in Pennsylvania. For more information about Delaware Hospice and our specialized programs, call 800-838-9800 or visit our website, www.delawarehospice.org.
Delaware Hospice is accredited by JCAHO. Read Statement
