Tidewell Foundation Awards $4.5 Million in Grants

January 18, 2023 – Sarasota

Tidewell Foundation is pleased to announce $4.5 million in grants were distributed in 2022 to support programs of Tidewell Hospice and Empath Health. Programs funded by these grants provide compassionate care across Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties. 
“Thanks to the generosity of donors, Tidewell Foundation can ensure that people living in our region have access to free hospice care and grief services,” said Delesa Morris, Interim President, Tidewell Foundation. “In addition, by supporting workforce programs, we are developing a talented, dedicated team of caregivers to serve the community now and into the future.” Many Tidewell programs, including free grief care and complementary services, are made possible only because of donor support. Tidewell Hospice is an entity of Empath Health, a not-for-profit integrated network providing full-life care for those living with chronic or advanced illness, and the largest not-for-profit homecare and hospice provider in the country.  The following programs were funded by grants made by the Tidewell Foundation in Fiscal Year 2022: 

Charity Care – $950,000

At the heart of Tidewell’s mission is the belief that everyone deserves access to world-class hospice care, regardless of their ability to pay. Tidewell has a special fund to ensure that compassion, comfort and care are available to all who need it.

Grief Education and Support Services – $676,351

Tidewell Hospice is the most significant provider of free grief counseling programs in its four-county service area. These grief services are offered for free to members of our community, whether or not their loved one was a Tidewell patient.

Blue Butterfly Program – $621,824

Tidewell’s Blue Butterfly is an evidence-based community outreach program for children aged 5-18 and their caregivers who have experienced the death of a significant person in their lives. This program brings expertise in counseling and mental health to the young people in the community who need it most.

Community Grief Center – $602,492

The Tidewell Family Grief Center in Ellenton is a first-of-its-kind facility in the region that provides holistic grief support for individuals, families and the community. Tidewell Family Grief Center clients have access to opportunities to meet their own grief needs through one-on-one sessions, groups, art therapy, meditation or alternative therapies. 

Nurse Residency Program – $511,530

This unique training course launched in 2018 provides newly licensed Registered Nurse graduates with a year-long, in-depth training program in hospice nursing. Created in response to the national nursing shortage experienced in the area, this program provides comprehensive, one-on-one training, allowing nurse residents to understand the complex specialty of hospice nursing. 

Complementary Services – $415,957

Tidewell Complementary Services offers a full array of special programs that bring quality of life to those with advanced illness through stress reduction, pain relief and distraction, opportunities for joy, and healing of psycho-social issues for patients and their families.

Cardiac Care Program – $146,135

The Advanced Cardiac Care Program caters to patients with end-stage heart failure and helps them manage symptoms and concerns from the comfort of their homes. The program is a combination of clinical protocols and patient/family education resources, including evidence-based tools that improve care quality and save patient families stress and unnecessary expenses.

Humanitarian & Wishes Fund – $90,000

The Tidewell Humanitarian Fund grants emergency, non-medical financial relief, alleviating that burden on a patient or caregiver and allowing them to focus on their medical care. The Tidewell Foundations’ Wishes Fund fulfills a last wish for Tidewell Hospice and patients and their families.

Pediatric Care Services – $60,795

Tidewell Hospice provides free care to children with advanced illness, including support to help their families navigate the most difficult days of their lives.

Tidewell Honors Veterans Program – $53,749

This comprehensive program focuses on respectfully celebrating veterans and providing care that recognizes the unique challenges that may exist in military families.

Home Health Aide Training Program – $38,240

This program trains home health aides in the hospice specialty, helping to fill a community need amid nationwide workers shortages. 

Charitable gifts made to Tidewell Foundation help people in our region receive the care and support they need. To make a donation to Tidewell Foundation and guarantee that high-quality hospice care and grief support services are available to all in our community, visit tidewellfoundation.org/donate or call 941-552-7546.