Bristol Hospice and Stanislaus County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services
Hello everyone. My name is Senator Marie Alvarado Gil and as we observe Mental Health Awareness Month, I am honored to share with you an important initiative. The Assyrian Wellness Collaborative in partnership with Stannislos County Behavioral Health Recovery Services Prevention and Early Intervention is steadfast in its commitment to reducing the stigma of mental health and raising awareness of the significance of well-being in the Assyrian community. Their approach emphasizes cultural competency and sensitivity to guarantee access to care is available when needed. The hope is to identify these barriers and work together to create meaningful solutions to serve individuals who are at risk of serious mental health issues and their families as well. Thank you for your participation and willingness to make a positive difference in our community. She was my mom. The legacy that she left me was a lifelong love. My mother had dementia. when you reach a point in life where your loved one has reached that stage in my case a 95 year old mother that you need to turn someplace and it’s a it’s wonderful that there is a place to turn to and that is a place like Bristol Hospice. The staff with Bristol Hospice are angels. They’re very caring, loving individuals that care about your loved one. Having been a nurse for over 20 years, I’ve had a lot of different experiences. I’ve worked the acute. I’ve worked skilled nursing and of course hospice. Being chosen to be involved in someone’s care during their last days. For me, um there’s no bigger honor. Without hospice, I would have been lost. It was a trying experience to begin with. The journey with hospice was very positive. You felt like you had a support group and you had all these people to take care of your loved one. My husband Paul Leonardo passed away after about a three-year battle with cancer. I knew my daughters and I wanted grief counseling. So, I found it at Bristol and it has completely changed my life. It is exactly what I needed. My name is Audrey Art passed away in March of 2013. Then I found myself being very sad. I called, made a reservation, and it was just the best thing I’ve ever had. People were so professional and so loving. I mean, it was a personal thing. Great opportunity to heal. And that’s ma basically what our loved one would like is for us to heal. I would definitely recommend Bristol Hospice. I had the ability to take care of my mom at her latter stage of her life and that was a real blessing. She’ll always be my mom. I love her then and I love her today. Bristol Hospice. Fore. Hello dear. Uh my name is Janet Danis and I would like to welcome you from Assyrian Wellness Collaborative. Please introduce yourself to our audience so we can start asking you some questions. Thank you. Thank you for having me. My name is Bridget Lee. Okay. And I am the executive director of Bristol Hospice here in Modesto. Okay. Okay. Yeah. So I have so our company has been here at least you know um I would say about 10 years and I have been with this company about three years. So uh our service um is really um the the goal of care is really to provide care for patient who have terminal illness and keep them comfortable at home. Okay. a nursing facility um or assisting living care. So all all kind of venue. Okay. Wonderful. Uh we have never talked about the end of life and uh in my opinion it’s a very important subject to talk about and to be familiar with the end of life and the choices that we make for our loved ones or ourselves. So I’m very very pleased to come here. You have a wonderful facility in here. I’ve never uh heard about the facility because I live in Turlock. But it’s a blessing that we have such place for our loved ones. Uh if there is a need that will exist one way or another, we all going to end up somehow at the end of life that we need to be aware. So our um goal is from Assyrian Wellness Collaborative to learn and to teach. the members of our community that there are choices and there are places that are available for our loved ones when the time exists. So I really truly appreciate that. If you want to give me in conclusion few other words of wisdom that you have we would greatly appreciate that and then uh I will speak with Johnny in Assyrian. Okay. So um as we say the um end of life the discussion of end of life has is never easy um who can coping with death and dying u it it’s it’s very difficult for all of us so um we have a group of nurses chaplain social worker um uh CNA you know and we when we provide care you know we just not only provide just not only physical but also emotional support, right? Uh spiritual support because ultimately at the end of everyone’s life, you know, um what do we have left? We have only faith, right? And that is something that’s going to help us go through the journey not alone but with someone else that helping us that be there for us. So hospice services I I I think is is a great great service and I think it’s it’s a blessing that um this country offer this service to everyone you know and it’s for free and so uh yeah for free it’s for free it doesn’t cost you anything. Wow. And so and and you get all of the support from all level and you have nurses you know stand by 24/7 for you. You have a doctor also stand by 24/7 for you and you know um social worker and you know chaplain um clergy you know you have all kind of discipline that’s always available for you 24/7. It’s it’s a wonderful service and I I cannot say enough of this. Mhm. I really appreciate that because I believe that the end of life is integrity, compassion, kindness and understanding. Yes. Just as you mentioned because it’s so difficult for someone to go through this process. But it’s something that we were all born one day and one day we have to leave this world. Yes. And what a blessing it is that you have mentioned you have uh chapency and uh the care of nurses. I respect highly respect all the nurses cuz I worked in surgery myself for surgical prep for 20 30 years. So I’m very aware of that. Uh but it’s a blessing to have this much care to be given at the end of life to anyone. Yeah. Uh who is in need of it. Yeah. So again, uh I feel that it’s it’s honor for us to have met you and hopefully if there is any need for us or if we have any loved ones that are um that have the need to be contacted or to be brought to your facility, we will contact you and then you can we can together we can share this uh love and kindness and compassion and try to make it easy for the family. Yeah. My husband Paul Leonardo passed away after about a three-year battle with cancer. I knew my daughters and I wanted grief counseling. So, I found it at Bristol and it has completely changed my life. It is exactly what I needed. Executive Director of Bristol Hospice. Bristol Hospice packet. Bristol Hospice. Yes. Okay. for the spy spy resource situation. The end of life. We’re speaking about the end of life. I appreciate. for it. I’m in the Hospice, your hospitals, Foreign speech. Foreign speech. Foreign speech. compassion. Integrity help kindness. How did they contact you uh financially, physically? Uh what are the situations and how to go about that please? Bush problem solution. Okay. Hospice. for Mhm. Shavep. Sure. Integrity. Yes, there’s a sexuality. This is reality. So that’s wonderful resource packet. Yeah. So the the idea Okay. wheelchair oxygen prescribed train. Okay. social worker. Okay. Social worker familyenefits hours. Okay. That’s really financially that’s that’s very importants. Yes. IHSS in fact social work hours. Wow. for you know 247 okay sohs out of pocket families okayare social worker okay so addition Medicare and they qualify for hospice care. Well, everybody insurance wise qualify if if clinically qualify. I see. So if clinically appropriate. Oh okay. Automatically depending on company. Bristol. No out of pocket, but it’s clinically you have the patient has to be clinically qualified. Qualified for hospice care and that includes at any age. Yes. Any age? Good question. Catastrophic accident, you know, 10 year old. clinically under six months less of life. I see really because months. Yes. Qualified. as long as qualified hospice services and in hospice care you oxygen to be to be kept alive. Yes ma’am. Yeah. Yeah. So, um, great question. Hospital bed, wheelchair, walker, um, over bed, table, oxygen, um, duran, supplies, um, and briefs, of course. So, Of course, you know, you do your job. Integrity patient. They are still with us. Yeah. organ donation organ donors to be able to say I’m an organ donor in hair, men, kidneys, men, lungs, men, heart. burn patience. Yes. Um, hospital for organ donations. Um, Yeah. Yeah. Okay. DNR. Okay. Important topic. Yes. Also explain because I didn’t you know give you example. Yes. Okay. CPR. Yeah. Family resuscitation. Of course. So, yes. Because they think it’s the right thing to do. You know, they have to be educated. Um, so we’ll talk about donor we’ll talk about DNR full code so family can make organized decision we support donors because miracles yes it is a miracle and it’s like yeah so there’s a blessing you yes you know wow Pride. This is a wonderful topic. Our community, it’s a faith-based community big time. Absolutely not because you’re giving a gift of life blood donation with your blood. You can save so many lives. So definitely organ donors and there is a need that it comes into existence. How do we contact you directly? Yeah. Yeah. 2095965066. Yes. Johnny Bad. Johnny. Honestly, I am really really blessed to have met you. Me too. Because you that field even I know how it is. It’s it’s time for uh compassion again, integrity, kindness, help help for and it’s at no cost. I love it. Yes. Fore in closing, do you have anything to add in English as well? Yeah, it’s misconception about hospice. Yeah, thank you. um hospice aggressive pain management. That’s it. The job is to keep patients out of the hospital for something the hospital can no longer treat. Okay. Another thing is transition process. Okay. I see. So a misconception pulling the wire a time of death is between you and God. We don’t mess with that. Okay. All we want to do is keep you comfortable between now and that time. It’s comfort care all the way to the end. That’s it. Nothing more, nothing less. Okay. Well, again, we will um meet you again. Yes. And if there is a need, we will call you. Thank you for Thank you so much. Thank you so much. She was my mom. The legacy that she left me was a lifelong love. My mother had dementia. When you reach a point in life where your loved one has reached that stage, in my case a 95year-old mother, that you need to turn someplace. And it’s a it’s wonderful that there is a place to turn to. and that is a place like Bristol Hospice. The staff with Bristol Hospice are angels. They’re very caring, loving individuals that care about your loved one. Having been a nurse for over 20 years, I’ve had a lot of different experiences. I’ve worked the acute. I’ve worked skilled nursing and of course hospice. Being chosen to be involved in someone’s care during their last days for me um there’s no bigger honor. Without hospice, I would have been lost. It was a trying experience to begin with. The journey with hospice was very positive. You felt like you had a support group and you had all these people to take care of your loved one. My husband Paul Leonardo passed away after about a three-year battle with cancer. I knew my daughters and I wanted grief counseling. So, I found it at Bristol and it has completely changed my life. It is exactly what I needed. My name is Audrey Art passed away in March of 2013. Then I found myself being very sad. I called, made a reservation, and it was just the best thing I’ve ever had. People were so professional and so loving. I mean, it was a personal thing. Great opportunity to heal. And that’s ma basically what our loved one would like is for us to heal. I would definitely recommend Bristol Hospice. I had the ability to take care of my mom at her latter stage of her life and that was a real blessing. She’ll always be my mom. I love her uh then and I love her today.
Join us for a special Assyrian Wellness Collaborative program: Embracing a Reverence for Life.
This event brings together leaders from Bristol Hospice and Stanislaus County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services to support the well-being of our seniors and their families. The conversation highlights the importance of physical, emotional, and spiritual care at every stage of life.
Featured guests:
• Janet Atanous
• Johny Beitsayad, Hospice Liaison
• Brigitte Le, Executive Director
They will address pain management, emotional support, family counseling, nutrition needs, safety, memory concerns, and 24-hour hospice care.
Tune in through AGN TV, the AGNSAT app, or our social platforms. Our community deserves compassionate information that helps every family feel supported and prepared.
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