East Texas Quarterly Magazine Spring 2014 | Page 24

joy. Clown Ministry has always been a special type
of communication, and the group travels around
east Texas bringing love and joy to many people in
nursing homes who need a little spark in their lives,
according to Jones.
Hospice is a compassionate way of caring for patients
with severe illnesses and providing support for their
families. The primary emphasis is on the patient’s
comfort, allowing them to remain in their home as
long as possible.
Hospice care is provided by a team of professionals,
including nurses, hospice aides, counselors, chaplains
and physicians. The team supports home care provided
by the family on a regularly scheduled basis with

Lakes area Hospice Mission Statement
Our mission is to enhance the quality
of life of our patients and families
by providing hospice care guided
by the values of dignity, compassion
and charity.
24-hour on-call service. “We are extremely proud of
the fact that if a client calls, regardless of what time it
might be, within 15 minutes we are able to respond
to those calls,” points out Coffield.
LAH is Medicare and Medicaid certified to provide
end-of-life care to their beneficiaries. Lakes Area
Hospice maintains memberships in the Texas
Non-Profit Alliance, Texas-New Mexico Hospice
Organization and National Hospice and Palliative
Care Organization.
Through its membership in the Texas Non-Profit
Hospice Alliance, Lakes Area Hospice has contracts
to provide care to the insured of almost all major
insurance companies operating in Texas. The Alliance
is a statewide network of not-for-profit agencies that
directs patient referral to the appropriate member
hospice based on geographical location.
“Lakes Area Hospice is also unique in that we provide
care regardless of ability to pay,” says Coffield.

22 East Texas Quarterly