- A new program from the Leon County Sheriff's Office and Big Bend Hospice will help terminally ill inmates find comfort int heir final moments.
- A new room has been established in the Detention Facility, where LCSO said inmates will stay if they have roughly a week left to live.
- Big Bend Hospice will be providing care during that time with additional services like chaplain resources and music therapy
- Watch the video to find out how the program is being rolled out.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
A new inmate comfort care program is giving those who are incarcerated a more dignifying end of life experience, that's through a partnership between the Leon County Sheriff's Office and Big Bend Hospice.
"It's a room that's centralized in the middle of our medical unit, and it's a little bit different than normal inmate cells and stuff," said Chief Craig Carroll of the Detention Unit. "It's designed to be more relaxing, a little bit easier for the person that's in the room."
Chief Carroll said previously, terminally ill inmates were housed in the medical unit and transported to the hospital when needed. This program will streamline that operation, while dignifying the person in their final moments.
Carroll said this is when they have about roughly a week left to live.
"We've dealt with some of them in the past, and we just want to have better treatment and improve our operations," said Carroll.
Big Bend Hospice will be providing end-of-life care.
"When an inmate comes onto our hospice program, they get a whole experience where they get assigned a medical doctor, a nurse, a social worker, a music therapist," said Amanda Gustafson, COO of Big Bend Hospice.
Gustafson added family members of the inmate will get 13 months of bereavement services after the inmate passes. All to ensure the person feels dignified in their final moments.
"Everybody gets this chance to have the gift of hospice, regardless of who they are, what they've done, and ensure everybody has a quality end-of-life experience, because that's what's good for our community," said Gustafson.
LCSO said the new program will not set back taxpayers any more money than what they already pay to house detainees.
Want to see more local news? Visit the WTXL ABC 27 Website.
Stay in touch with us anywhere, anytime.
