Central Wyoming Hospice & Transitions Receives $25,000 Grant

Central Wyoming Hospice & Transitions announced that they have received a grant of nearly $25,000 from the Blue Envelope Health Fund.

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The money given by the Blue Envelope Fund will go towards the purchase of an inpatient bariatric hospital bed, "an extra-wide and long, heavy-duty bed that has a much higher weight capacity than a standard hospital bed," according to a media release from Central Wyoming Hospice & Transitions.

Bariatric beds are typically used for patients who are overweight or obese, because they offer much more strength and durability, and offer easier maneuverability.

“This bed will enable us to comfortably and safely accommodate larger patients who need end-of-life care in our community,” said Mel Baker (RN, CHPN, MBA), the Inpatient Team Lead for Central Wyoming Hospice & Transitions. “Often bariatric patients suffer from pressure ulcers (bed sores) due to their inability to reposition themselves in bed. With the inclusion of an air mattress and alternating pressure pump, the risk of skin breakdown is greatly reduced which ultimately decreases pain and suffering at the end of life. Being able to care for someone in a bed that actually fits them allows us to provide dignity during the dying process.”

Dignity is something that, unfortunately, is all too quickly forgotten about or overlooked when it comes to hospice care in many cases. But at Central Wyoming Hospice & Transitions, it's one of the biggest priorities.

For many people, it's not the dying part that hurts the most; it's the loss of dignity. CWHT is committed to providing a sense of peace during those hard times, and they work hard to make sure their patients are safe and comfortable, and that they still have a sense of worth.

The addition of this bed, due to the funds from the grant, is just another example of that.

The Blue Envelope Health Fund stated that it was founded in 1958 and has always been about community and caring through a unique, all-volunteer, local organization based on healthcare issues.