One Monticello Life: Brenda Jacobs, Hospice Home Care
Published by Joe Burgess January 27th, 2008 in Feature: OML.
When Brenda Jacobs left an encouraging comment for last week’s “One Monticello Life” person, Lyle Welch, she had no idea that we were thinking about featuring her in the near furture.
Brenda is the Patient Care Coordinator at Hospice Home Care of Monticello.
Actually, her office is located just across Hyatt Street from Lyle’s office.
Mrs. Jacobs is responsible for the coordination of care for patients of all ages with terminal diagnosis. Brenda says, “I consider it a great privilege to work with a talented group of people who get up every day and focus on helping patients add quality to life. Hospice Care is not about dying, but living.”
She has been at Hospice Home Care since May of 2007.
Brenda told me, “The death of a very close friend allowed me to appreciate and understand the hospice experience.” She added that feeling loved and appreciated by families experiencing loss is the most rewarding part of her career. She also said, “Working with professional people who are able to balance professionalism and crying with a family member when they lose a loved one” is an important part of the service that Hospice provides.
Brenda will graduate on May 10, 2008 from Delta State University with a graduate nursing degree and will be eligible to sit for the Nurse Practitioner Certification Exam.
Brenda was born and raised in Monticello. She graduated from MHS and UAM, before continuing her education at Delta State.
She has been married to Carl Jacobs for 16 years. Carl is a service technician for United Medical.
They have 2 sons, Zachary and Kevin, ages 3 and 27, and 2 beautiful little girl grandchildren.
Carl and Brenda are both active in Holmes Chapel Presbyterian Church.
Northside Baptist Church of Monticello’s Pastor, Sanders Brooks is a Chaplain for Hospice Home Care. Bro. Brooks said of Mrs. Jacobs, ”I’m impressed with how she is able to make people who are in a troubling situation feel that they are not alone.” He continued, ”Brenda is also espicially able to encourage the staff to continue to maintain a positive atmosphere, in what many people would feel is not a positive environment.”
She is a member of the Arkansas State Nurse’s Association, Drew County Single Parent Scholarship Board, and the Arkansas State Hospice and Palliative Care Association.
Brenda’s favorites list includes:
SPORTS-Football
HOBBIES-Reading
PETS-Yellow Lab
PHRASE-“Nobody gets to live life backward. Look ahead-that’s where your future lies. (Ann Landers)
RESTAURANT-Leon’s
TV SHOW-HGTV House Hunters
MOVIE-Message in a Bottle
ACTOR-Denzell Washington
MUSIC-Christian
SONG OR HYMN-We Shall Behold Him
BOOK-“The Battle is the Lord’s (Tony Evans)
SPORTS TEAM-Billies and Weevils
When I asked Brenda for a closing thought, she responded, “My role model as a child was my mother. Her perseverance through many trials taught me the importance of never giving up. Life is 100% of what you make it. My life is so blessed!”
Brenda Jacobs, thanks for sharing your One Monticello Life.
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Thanks for being a part of our community. I can’t say enough good things about Hospice Home Care. You, Tammy and Kim will always have a special place in mine and my family’s hearts. Thanks again for all that you and your team did for my mom before her passing.
This is great and so are you! I’m very proud of you. I did want your favorite quote to be “let’s keep it at a 5″, though.
I am truly proud of you and all that you have accomplished. God has blessed you and those you serve in a very special way. Continue to honor Him in all that you do. Love ya and God Bless.
Great job Brenda, I have learned alot about Hospice since Kim began working there. I hear all the time that it takes special people to work on an ambulance, but I believe it takes a very special person to do what the hospice staff does for their patients and families.
Brenda is a wonderful person and awesome nurse. She is a very positive person and always has just the right words to say. I have truly been blessed to know her and work around her for several years. (yes, jan that keep it at a five made me laugh)
Brenda is truly doing the work of our Lord. She and others from the Hospice Staff are just wonderful. I can’t even think of enough good things to say about them. My mother died this summer, and thankfully with their help, she died peacefully with dignity. After all she had been through that, was the easiest and painless. It was these wonderful angels, if you will that pulled us through. My mom, is at peace and, i thank you for helping me and my family find ours.
I am so proud and please keep up the great work. You have to have a loving spirit to be a nurse and you all don’t get the recognition that you all deserve. Is is so pleasing to see a young, african american female being seen for what they really are… MAGNIFICENT. As you see, your work is getting notice. God bless you.