Caring for Communities in Need

Hospices can play a significant role in supporting communities in the aftermath of natural disasters and other tragic situations. This program will feature speakers from western North Carolina, who will share lessons learned and response strategies they employed to support families, patients, staff, and first responders while faced with death, flooding, mudslides, property destruction, and communication and power outages caused by Hurricane Helene.

Objectives:

1. Describe the immediate needs of on hospice patients, staff and volunteers after the initial impacts of Hurricane Helene.
2. Discuss the challenges and solutions that hospices may face after a natural disaster, including coping with communication and infrastructure challenges, staffing and supply chain issues in the face of critical patient needs.
3. Explore the long-term impacts that a community will face after a natural disaster or tragedy, including financial impacts and psychosocial effects.