IF
you had an emergency and
needed a blood transfusion, you'd
expect the hospital to have the blood
you need. But where does that blood
come from?
Hospitals
rely on blood
donations.
Although
blood centers
try to keep
an adequate
supply of
blood on
hand, there’s
always a risk
that supply
won’t meet
demand. at’s why it’s important to
donate blood if you’re eligible. Just
one donation could help save up to
three lives, according the American
Red Cross.
Halifax Regional Hospital invites
you to take time out and give the
gi of life this holiday season. HRH
will host a blood drive ursday,
Give the gift of life
December 22, from noon to 5 p.m.
in the Leggett Auditorium.
Who can donate
Generally, if you’re at least 17
years old, weigh at least
110 pounds and are
healthy enough to per-
form normal activities,
you can probably donate.
To make sure that
you’re eligible to donate,
sta at the donor cen-
ter will ask you some
questions about your
medical history. Your
answers will be completely
con dential.
What to expect
You can expect the whole process
to take about an hour. When you
arrive, you’ll sign in—bring a valid
ID—and you’ll be asked to read
information about blood donation
and to complete a health informa-
tion form. Next, you will undergo a
mini-physical. You’ll answer some
basic questions about your health
history, and you’ll have your tempera-
ture, iron level, blood pressure and
pulse checked.
Once it’s determined that you’re
healthy enough to donate, your arm
will be cleaned, and a needle will
be inserted into your arm to draw
blood. It usually takes about 10 min-
utes for the collection bag to ll with
roughly one pint of blood.
Aer you donate, you’ll be o ered
refreshments and time to rest before
leaving.
To help make your experience as
pleasant as possible:
w
Before donating, drink extra
water, eat iron-rich foods (such as
beans or red meat) and get a good
night’s sleep.
w
On the day you donate, wear a
shirt that can be raised above your
elbow.
w
Avoid heavy liing for about ve
hours aer you donate.
w
Drink plenty of ¨uids for a day or
two aer you donate.
To learn more about donat-
ing blood, visit www.givelife.org.
WELLNESS
6
q
life and health
to make informed decisions about
caring for a loved one wherever they
call home,” Conner says.
According to Conner, numerous
misconceptions related to hospice
care include:
Myth:
Only cancer patients are ap-
propriate for hospice.
Fact:
Hospice can help people with
a variety of conditions when symp-
toms no longer respond to curative
treatment.
Myth:
Hospice requires the patient to
forgo a continuing relationship with
his or her primary care physician.
Fact:
Hospice programs encourage
an ongoing relationship between pa-
tients and primary care physicians.
e primary care physician becomes
part of the team and contributes to
the hospice plan of care.
Myth:
Once a patient revokes the
hospice benet, he or she cannot
receive hospice care again.
Fact:
If a patient wants to return to
hospice care, readmission is allowed
if hospice conditions are met.
Myth:
Hospice patients are denied
treatments because they are termi-
nally ill.
Fact:
If the purpose of any treatment
is to manage pain and/or control
symptoms and is consistent with the
patient’s wishes, it may be included
in the plan of care.
Myth:
Hospice care ends when the
patient dies.
Fact:
Halifax Regional Hospice of-
fers bereavement services for loved
ones for a minimum of one year fol-
lowing the death of a patient.
“We encourage patients and their
loved ones to learn more about
hospice and understand its bene ts,”
says Conner. “We realize what a
tough topic this can be, but we also
know how much it can change the
quality of someone’s life at the end
of life. We simply strive to give them
the compassion and respect that
each person deserves.”
—Continued from front page
Hospice
Learn more about Halifax Regional Hospice. Go to www.hrhs.org
and click on “Hospice” under Health Services.
Sources: American Medical Association; National Hospice and
Palliative Care Organization