Dignity Health | Be well | Spring 2018

How hospice helps We believe that people near the end of life are often most comfortable at home. That’s why our Mercy Hospice team provides a range of home- based services, including nursing care, physical therapy, spiritual care, and family support. “Music has a way of healing people’s spirits, even those who are dying.” —Rosana Slezeviciute, MMCMS Chaplain desire to hear their favorite hymns. “But all I could do was search You- Tube for the songs and play them on my smartphone,” she says. Now she has a far better alternative. Spreading comfort While the group sings hymns exclu- sively, “we’re not trying to teach or preach,” Patti Guthrie says. “We’re just trying to offer comfort.” Clearly, they’re successful. “Often when we enter a room or home, there are tears on people’s faces,” she says. “But when we sing, it just brings people together, and those tears can turn into smiles.” “This music is such a wonderful gift,” confirms one 80-year-old area resident. Her husband, a Mercy Hospice patient, is termi- nally ill with Alzheimer’s disease. The group has sung for them twice— and like many of our patients and families, they join in. Though they can no longer sing together in church, they have the next best thing. “Singing together truly lifts our spirits,” she says. LIFT YOUR VOICE To join the singing group, call Rosana Slezeviciute at 530.926.6111, ext. 614, or Patti Guthrie at 530.925.4329 . TO LEARN MORE about how hospice can help, call 855.401.2285. 19 Dignity Health North State