Hospice Care Network adds a van plus driver

In order to ensure that its patients’ loved ones are better able to spend more time with them, the Hospice Care Network has a dedicated van driver who provides transportation to those who need it.
Hospice Care Network President and CEO Maureen Hinkelman said that the concept for the van first came about during discussions of having a caregiver center. They wanted to ensure that people who be able to get to the facility. The van was made possible through a donation from Cynthia Marks and officially began serving caregivers in 2003.
“It was really just part of supporting caregivers and helping them to be with their loved ones when they’re not at home,” Hinkelman said.
For the last three and a half years, the van has been driven by Garry Becker. More than 20 years ago, Becker’s father had passed away and Becker saw how hospice took very good care of him.
Becker, who had owned his own business his whole life, got sick in 1999 and decided that when he was better he wanted to devote his life to helping others. He saw an ad from Hospice Care Network seeking a van driver and answered it.
“It’s not a job. This is a calling that I am very fortunate to have found,” Becker said. He continued, “You do it because you love it. Anything that you love in life is not a job.”
The van travels throughout Queens, Nassau County and Suffolk County, putting on as many as 1,000 miles a week. Along with taking people to see their loved ones, it also takes them to bereavement groups. At times, Becker has even delivered supplies to in-home patients when the need arose.
“It’s really a service that helps them to be able to visit with their loved ones,” Hinkelman said. “Their time is limited and we want to make sure they can spend their time together.”
Hinkelman said that since the driver knows that it is a difficult time the service is not impersonal because there is care and understanding. She also said that Becker, who was recently nominated for a North Shore-LIJ President’s Award, explains to them that it is the best place for their loved one to be and helps relieve their worry.
“The family members find him so open and carrying and giving,” Hinkelman said.
For more information on Hospice Care Network, visit www.hospice-care-network.org or call 516-832-7100.