HomeMy WebLinkAbout5/5/2021 Item 3, McOuat
Wilbanks, Megan
From:Shannon McOuat <
To:Advisory Bodies
Subject:HRC Public Comment
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To the City of San Luis Obispo Human Relations Commission:
Hospice of San Luis Obispo County appreciates the consideration of funding from the City of San Luis Obispo Human
Relations Commission. Hospice SLO County is a non-medical, volunteer hospice, serving San Luis Obispo County
residents who are facing a life-limiting illness, end of life or grief. We depend 100% on community donations, grants,
bequests and planned gifts, and the time and talent of volunteers.
Hospice SLO County recognizes death as a natural and personal event. In this spirit, we support the community in
working with those near the end of life and the people who love them by providing in-home support, caregiver respite,
grief counseling, support groups, community response and education. All services are offered free of charge.
Your past support has allowed us to serve more people in the City of SLO, reduce the wait time for receiving services,
train more volunteers and realize financial support to continue our services. This funding has provided supportive
physical and mental health services for those in need particularly for seniors and/or people with disabilities in need.
Because the majority of those we serve are moderate to low income, these services would have been inaccessible for
many of them.
Prior to the start of the COVID pandemic in 2020, HSLO had a wait list for individuals seeking services. The past year of
job and insurance coverage losses, reluctance to seek healthcare and lack of self-care has taken a further toll. While
there was initially a lull in new requests for services with the onset of the pandemic we are again experiencing and
increase with families new to the challenges of seeking support within a healthcare system they are unfamiliar
traversing when their financial resources are declining. Requests for volunteer respite and care management specifically
have inclined thus requiring new volunteers to be trained and supervised to meet the demand.
During the past year, our organization has had to adapt its model to adjust to a pandemic that largely prevented in-
person support of an emotionally vulnerable and already isolated population. We did this with the same creativity and
heart as in all our services. Our counseling and group support shifted to telephonic and virtual through Zoom visits as did
Care Management response, engagement, support and follow up. Our volunteers continued to “visit” clients, caregivers,
and families remotely and when needed were able to make more frequent visits during the week. In person visits were
made with PPE and distance to assist with errands. New clients were engaged, and our organization doors remained
open even when our office door was closed. Because of the agency’s long standing in the community, we often were a
call center for information and referral.
As we look to reopening and healing from the impact of the pandemic on our agency and our community, we are
grateful for your support and optimistic about moving forward and continuing to support our community.
Thank you,
Shannon McOuat
She/Her/Hers
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Executive Director
Hospice of San Luis Obispo County
1304 Pacific Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Office: 805.544.2266
Cell: 805.234.6496
shannonmcouat@hospiceslo.org
www.hospiceslo.org
The end of life deserves the same attention and respect as its beginning.
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