Families of North Oaks Hospice Patients Decorate Memory Tree

North Oaks Hospice held its 21st annual Hospice Memory Tree gathering on Thurs., Dec. 5 in the E. Brent Dufreche Conference Center in Hammond. The Memory Tree event is attended by family members and caregivers of former patients as part of North Oaks Hospice’s Bereavement Program.

Guests are invited to hang ornaments on the tree in memory of their loved ones and receive support from Hospice staff members.

Mary Cameron of New Orleans was among Memory Tree guests. Mary attended the event in memory of her late mother Willie K. Landrew, who was a Hospice patient for 8 days before passing away on July 30, 2013. Mary, along with her daughter Roslyn Edwards of Hammond and sister Ruthie Jackson of Amite, helped trim the tree with a red globe ornament hand-painted with Landrew’s name.

“The Hospice staff was so helpful and compassionate,” Cameron shares. "They knew exactly what we needed without us even asking and were with us every day.”

The Memory Tree can be viewed in the lobby of the E. Brent Dufreche Conference Center, located within North Oaks Diagnostic Center, through January 6, 2014.

Hospice is a special kind of care given in the home that provides support in a sensitive manner for patients with a life-limiting, progressive illness. The North Oaks Hospice team of professionals focuses on the patient’s emotional, physical and spiritual needs and emphasizes the importance of the patient’s quality of life.

Since 2007, North Oaks Hospice has consistently ranked in the top 5% nationally for patient and family satisfaction, according to national, independent Press Ganey surveys. North Oaks Hospice offers complimentary evaluations with no obligation. For more information about North Oaks Hospice or to volunteer, read more.