enso house news

Fall 2011

Enso House provides physical and emotional support in a home setting to people of all faiths

who are facing terminal illness. Inspire d by traditional Zen Buddhist practice,

we encourage and support personal efforts to deepen spiritually at the end of life.

The Work

Through great community generosity much has been accomplished:

·         Enso House has offered around the clock, comprehensive care to 62 guests, 59 of whom have been Whidbey Island residents.

·         The age range of our guests has been from 40 years to 94. 26 have been women and 36 men.    

·         The average length of stay has been 3½ weeks, with stays ranging from one day to 6 months.

·         16 guests (25%) have been beneficiaries of the Aid Fund. Enso House has been approved to participate in the Washington State Volunteer/ Retired Providers Program whose goal is to improve access to health services for people with low incomes.

·         The majority of our guests have required continuous twenty-four hour bedside care, and the presence of a licensed MD or RN for the management of medications. Because Enso House has an on-site physician and trained core caregivers, we are able to provide appropriate, timely, and effective comfort focused medical care. Hospice Nurses from Whidbey General Hospital or Hospice of the Northwest are an integral part of the caregiving team.  

·         Over 850 friends and family have been in included in the caregiving responsibilities of the staff.

·         More than half of our guests have had a family member or friend stay with them for short or extended stays. Providing a nourishing environment for family and friends has proven to be as important as our attention to their loved one. Massages, meals, music an d beach walks, are part of their Enso House experience .

·         Our referral base has expanded to include Whidbey, Seattle, Port Townsend and Anacortes area hospitals and hospices.

·         Volunteers have organized and conducted 27 community fundraising events, 35 memorial and special gatherings for guests and their loved ones, and 39 one day retreats for professional and lay caregivers in the community.

·         More than 1100 days and many thousands of hours of service have been provide d by volunteer staff and support teams, without whom the work of Enso House would not have been possible. 

Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Shamanic, Episcopalian, Mormon, and Lutheran traditions have been part of the guests’ and their families’ experiences. The monks and community of Tahoma One Drop Zen Monastery, and the spiritual parishes of Whidbey Island, enhance our commitment to integrate spirit with caregiving. Bedside services, silent prayers, after-death ritual bathing, three day bedside vigils, and memorial services have brought families and friends together. Trees and plants honoring guests thrive on the grounds and in the garden. During the September meditation retreat at Tahoma Monastery, a special memorial service is held to honor each person who has died at Enso House. The fifty retreat participants attend the services le d by the energetic visionary of Enso House, Shodo Harada Roshi.

We welcome you to come by for tea and a tour of Enso House. Simply call before coming.

Core Caregivers

Attentive caregivers from Sogenji, Harada Roshi's monastery in Japan, and Tahoma Monastery commit to a six-month rotation at Enso House, during which time they complete the Fundamentals of Caregiving taught by Dr. Cutcher. Their presence makes the care at Enso House exceptional. Renate MyoO returned this September  from a one year sabbatical in Japan and Germany. She is back in the saddle as the energetic glue of our team. Ann Cutcher, MD, provides administrative scaffolding and medical oversight.

Inquiries Invited 

We invite inquiries from licensed professionals, especially RNs, MDs, and DOs who might be interested in a short term volunteer work-stay at Enso House. There is the opportunity for a qualified person to become a temporary member of the Enso House team and experience being part of a seamless practice of tending to the whole person as each Enso House guest prepares to die. Responsibilities include taking regular shifts of bedside care, helping to prepare meals, and participating in the general activity of a small, spiritually oriented, caregiving endeavor. The benefits provided include room, board, accident insurance and a small monthly stipend.

If interested, please contact Ann Cutcher MD: director@ensohouse.org.

Volunteer Support

Enso House volunteers have been instrumental in providing shift relief, delicious meals, and help with all sorts of general tasks. They are invaluable when it comes to fundraising and offering guests a range of amenities from healing touch, to pet and music therapies, haircuts, knitting lessons, and play time for grandchildren. Volunteers meet the second Saturday of every month to touch base, offer support and continue volunteer education.

Volunteer Training

The 2 day general volunteer training program will be offered sometime in 2012. If you are interested in participating in Enso House in any capacity, please contact Cynthia Trowbridge at Cynthia@tinyblue.com, or Ann Cutcher at director@ensohouse.org.

Caregiver Retreats 

Over 450 people have participated in Caregiver Retreats since 2001. The 2012 Caregiver Retreats will be held at Tahoma One Drop Monastery from 9:30 AM to 3 PM on the following Saturdays: March 17th, May 19th, July 21st and October 20th. The retreats are intended to give professional and non-professional caregivers a chance to relax and recharge. There is no fee but donations are welcome. If you would like to receive more information or a registration reminder and are not already on the caregiver retreat email tree, please call (360) 331-4699 or e-mail: caregiver_retreat@hotmail.com.

Gifts and Grants

We want to especially acknowledge the continuing support of the SC Rain Foundation, the South Whidbey Rotary Club, the South Whidbey Eagles Auxiliary, St Augustine’s Episcopal Church, the Estate of Ellen Camin and the Bayview Giving Tree. The beauty and success of Enso House can be attributed to the generosity of amazing people, hours contributed, funds donated, and monies granted since even before the official founding of Enso House.   Enso House thanks you and the whole community for helping us provide exceptional care to our guests and their loved ones.

Please help us raise a new roof! 

The Enso House roof needs to be replaced. Shingles have been blown off; surface has been worn smooth in many places; some areas feel soft and underlayment needs to be checked. A professional has inspected it and given us an estimate: $18,000 to replace the roof, $1300 disposal fee, $3200 for redoing the gutter system around the sun room. The last item is a design change that is needed: years ago when the deck was covered to create the sun room, gutters became sandwiche d between the sun roof and the existing roof - this has resulted in a chronic problem of water leakage; it needs to be redesigned and rebuilt.

Ann Cutcher, MD, Director

Enso House   

6339 Wahl Rd. 

Freeland, WA  98249

Tel: 360-331-4699    Fax: 360-331-1525

director@ensohouse.org       www.ensohouse.org

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