FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 02/15/2024
Greencastle, Indiana.

Putnam County Hospice and Palliative Care Association (“PCHPCA”) has released its 2023 annual report to the community.  Elaine Peck, Director, noted that in 2023, PCHPCA was frequently told how fortunate Putnam County is to have an organization like the Putnam County Hospice and Palliative Care Association.  “Whether it is an individual or family coping with serious illness or providers from other communities seeking information about local resources, they express gratitude for the services PCHPCA provides and for its independent, unbiased, and free assistance,” said Peck.   Peck added that research supports the use of advance care planning, hospice, and palliative care to reduce complicated grief and improve the mental health of those dying, their healthcare providers, and their survivors. 

In a rural community with many people of lower socio-economic and educational status who cannot afford to pay for assistance, the PCHPCA provides an important role in addressing health inequities in Putnam County.  Research documents that these populations are less likely to engage in ACP and to utilize hospice and palliative care, making access to PCHPCA’s free education and resources especially valuable.

In 2023, the PCHPCA reported that it expanded its relationships and collaborations with organizations critical to the long-term success of its mission, including healthcare providers, faith communities and nonprofit organizations.  Many local healthcare professionals are now utilizing PCHPCA-provided resources for their patients.  Greater comfort and involvement with hospice, palliative care, and advance care planning is being seen within local healthcare systems.  More providers are offering community-based palliative care in Putnam County.  Four churches came on board in 2023, supporting educational presentations and distribution of PCHPCA materials to their members in a variety of settings.  PCHPCA expanded its relationship with Dusk to Dawn in 2023, distributing its grief materials in the Serious Illness folders, and collaborating on a Lenten program with Gobin Memorial UMC.  PCHPCA continues efforts to reach under-resourced individuals in Putnam County.  An education table was organized at the Community Connect event this year.  Emergency responders are important partners in this effort, and conversations will continue in 2024 about reaching seriously ill persons in jail and prison. 

Satisfaction surveys received in 2023 provided positive feedback about educational presentations.  On average, participants rated the “importance” of the presentations as 4.7 out of 5.0.  On average, participants rated “learning something new” during presentations as 4.7 out of 5.0.     

In 2023, the Association created and distributed more of its resources in the community.  In addition to posters and other awareness-raising resources, PCHPCA distributed 1052 of the 6250 Vital Medical Files purchased with the ARPA grant award, 78 Serious Illness Folders, and 43 My Advance Directives Folders.  Significantly, the Association is receiving reports that its materials are being utilized by people in the community.  Anecdotal reports have been received from emergency responders and hospice providers that Vital Medical Information Files have been seen and made available on refrigerators in homes. 

Utilization of the PCHPCA website and engagement with PCHPCA social media posts increased in 2023.  The Association’s website was enhanced by increasing the visibility and clarity of its navigation buttons, adding navigation buttons to individual pages, and updating content in the Advance Directives and Advance Care Planning sections.  A “Video Library” section was added and an educational video about hospice and palliative care was developed and added.  Plans are in place to develop and upload more educational videos to the website and YouTube in 2024.  Google Analytics reports 1.3 K visitors to the website in 2023.

The Putnam County Hospice and Palliative Care Association (PCHPCA) seeks to enhance the quality of life for the terminally ill, their loved ones, and caregivers, by educating the Putnam County community about the benefits of hospice, palliative care, and advance care planning.   PCHPCA is a nonprofit, public charity, and operates with the help of donations, financial support from the Putnam County Community Foundation, and fiscal sponsorship by the Putnam County Hospital. For more information, please visit www.pchpca.org.

Contact information:
M. Elaine Peck, Director
Putnam County Hospice and Palliative Care Association
1542 South Bloomington Street
Greencastle, IN 46135
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.