Tidelands Community Hospice

09/03/2025

Come join our amazing team of volunteers!
Volunteers started our organization 40 years ago and they continue to be an essential part of the care we provide to our patients and their families in the community.
We would love to have you attend our upcoming volunteer training.

09/01/2025

View our September/October Newsletter using the link below:
https://view.illustratus.com/viewer.cfm?ng=7F45DB3A-0DEF-3AEB-86E2-4E6C25E4C4CF&rk=em

08/30/2025

Today is National Grief Awareness Day. Grief has a way of showing up without warning. It can feel unpredictable, leaving you unsteady and unsure of what comes next. What’s important to remember is that grief is not something you have to face on your own.

At Tidelands Community Hospice, we know how heavy loss can feel. That’s why we offer several different bereavement services including “grief support groups”. This is a place where you can share your story, hear from others, and begin to find steady ground again.

If you or someone you love is struggling, please reach out to our Bereavement Coordinator Rick Yant, 843-546-3410.
https://www.tidelandshospice.org/bereavement-support-groups-and-workshops/

08/28/2025

WE ARE HIRING a CNA Hospice Aide to visit patients in the Myrtle Beach area.
Call us @843-546-3410 for more information.

08/28/2025

Thank you for your kind words. We are here 24/7 to answer all of your questions.

08/27/2025

Hospice care does NOT mean you have to stop all treatments.
Hospice is a shift in focus, and with that shift comes the need to sort through what is helpful, what is no longer needed, and what aligns with comfort and quality of life. Some treatments may stay in place. Others may be adjusted or stopped based on how they affect day-to-day well-being. Spending less time and energy on treatments and tests gives you more time and energy to focus on whatever matters most to you.

08/26/2025

Happy National Dog Day!
Please welcome Miles, who along with his handler Volunteer Tim, bring smiles to our patients in their homes and facilities in our community. Miles is certified through Alliance of Therapy Dogs and spreads love and joy wherever he goes!

08/20/2025

A great article on the history of hospice from Barbara Karnes, RN, an amazing educator in the hospice community.

What is hospice? Where did it come from? What is its history?

The concept of specialized care for the dying originated in England around the 1960’s. Dame Cicely Saunders — an important and influential physician, nurse, social worker, and writer in end of life care — established a specific facility to care for those people that were approaching death. In this specific building, care was different. There was wine. Pets were allowed. You could bring your own furniture. There was socialization. There was dignity; patients weren't left at the end of the hall all alone as was the situation in general hospitals. The hospice movement made it okay to say, “We’ve done all we can now let’s die gracefully."

The concept reached America but didn’t fit into our medical model. England operated under socialized medicine so payment wasn’t an issue there. Here, there was no reimbursement for a special place to die, so hospice care was provided in an individual’s home.

Hospice in the US began as a volunteer movement because as I said, there were no sources for reimbursement. The idea was to give support to people who had a life-threatening illness. This care was for people who were months from death. Interacting with family members was part of the care. The support given was found in the presence of the volunteer. Their availability was their greatest asset.

As hospices began to organize in the United States they usually had a board of directors, a paid director and a volunteer staff. Staff consisted of a RN, social worker, chaplain and a volunteer coordinator. People were recruited from the community to volunteer to assist the program in providing care — time, supplies, fund raising.

In the early-to-mid 80s, our government completed studies showing that hospice was cost effective in caring for people with terminal illness. The hospice Medicare benefit, as a means of reimbursing hospices, was created.

Now, most people in the US know the meaning of the word “hospice” and have access to a local hospice program. HOWEVER, I’m not sure they really understand what hospice does and when to use it. (To learn more about that, read this blog: Hospice Care is for the Patient AND the Family. https://bkbooks.com/blogs/something-to-think-about/hospice-care-is-for-the-patient-and-the-family?_pos=1&_psq=Hospice+is+for+The+patient&_ss=e&_v=1.0)

That’s my brief history lesson on the beginning of a movement, an ideology, that changed how we approach the end of living.

If you want to better understand what to expect at the end of life and how to care for your special person, The Final Act of Living will guide you. I share what I learned at the bedside and include a section on the early days of hospice here in the US. Take a look at The Final Act of Living. Link in comments!

08/19/2025

We celebrate birthdays BIG here at Tidelands Community Hospice. Please join me in wishing our fabulous Patient Care Coordinator, Angel a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY by leaving a comment below!

08/17/2025

Happy National Nonprofit Day! Thanks to our donors, the community and our team, Tidelands Community Hospice cares for ALL in need of hospice, regardless of financial status or life situation.

Thank you for making our mission possible.

08/14/2025

Introducing the Reverie Harp!
Through the generosity of our donors we have purchased two Reverie Harps. These harps are a wonderful tool for our volunteers to take to patients in their homes and facilities. There is absolutely NO musical training needed. Anyone can play!
Yesterday our volunteers gathered for a training and immediately took them to their patients. One patient told his volunteer that it was "the music of angels".

08/13/2025

Thank you for your kind words. It is our goal at Tidelands Community Hospice to make every patient and their family feel nurtured and supported.