EMHS establishing comfort care fund

The family of a much loved Montrose community figure has established a comfort care fund in her name at Endless Mountains Health System to help defray costs for those visiting seriously ill patients.

Unadine L. Wiseman of Montrose passed away in July at the age of 89 after a long battle with Lymphoma.  The fund established in her name will provide monies to help with minor expenses experienced by those attending to family members receiving care in the hospital’s medical surgical section.

A former president of the Susquehanna County Republican Women, Wiseman was also active in the United Methodist Church. She enjoyed making wedding cakes and baking cookies – at one time baking 20 different kinds of Christmas cookies totaling 14,000 – and once made replicas of the White House and county courthouse.

“She made many, many people’s wedding cakes in Susquehanna County,” said daughter Beth Lawrence during a recent meeting between family members and nursing staff at a family member’s home.

“My mom was loved by everyone,” said Beth, a retired saleswoman.

“She doesn’t know you but she would go up to you and give you a hug and kiss.  And that was Mom,” said another daughter, Vickie, a local hairdresser.

“When we were in the hospital with my mom, there were times when we wanted to eat.  We were hungry, but we weren’t able to eat because it was 8 o’clock at night,” Beth explained.

 

“We didn’t want to leave Mom and go out and get something because we never knew when her final moment would be,” Beth said.

“We would like the fund to be there for people who come in who just need a little extra help with getting snacks brought in, coffee or tea,” said Beth.

EMHS’s chief nursing officer Mary Mushala said the hospital, like others, provides basic refreshments like coffee or little snacks during stays by family and visitors while patients undergo pain relief or end of life medical care but lack a fund to pay for much beyond that.

“It’s hard to be in that situation. Let’s say you’re from another town and your loved one had an accident and they’re going to be in Montrose hospital for a time and you drop and run,” Mushala said.

“Unexpected things happen and people are in a bind,” Mushala said.

The hospital plans to dedicate Med Surg Room 55 for families and a plaque in Unadine’s name is also in the works.

 “That is typically the room that we dedicate for families,” said Kristi Byham, the nurse manager of the hospital’s medical surgical section.

Details of how the funds will be dispersed are still being discussed, Mushala said.

Contributions to the Comfort Care Fund In Memory of Unadine Wiseman may be made by contacting Mary Mushala at EMHS at (570) 278-5531.

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