College Scholarship Established for Lory's Place Students

(Southwest, Michigan)  August 30,  2010 – On August 21, 2010 the first Richard Beckrow Memorial Scholarship recipient was announced at the Lory’s Place Lady Skipper Regatta Dinner. Elizabeth Gahan of South Haven was named the first recipient of the scholarship established by Dr. Jason R. and Kathryn C. Beckrow to assist Lory’s Place youth to pursue higher education. 

Elizabeth is attending Ball State and majoring in International Business. She is a graduate of Lake Michigan Catholic High School in St. Joseph. Her parents are Ward and Mary Gahan.  “Elizabeth is a fine young person, poised for success. It is a great joy to be able to provide this scholarship and assist her as she pursues her dreams.” states Dr.  Beckrow. 

The fund was initially established in the Lansing area in 2005 where the Beckrows resided prior to relocating to Southwest Michigan in 2009. The first scholarship was awarded on June1, 2008 recognizing the 20 year anniversary of Richard Beckrow’s passing.  “We feel proud to live in such a caring and supportive community and are especially grateful to our friends at Lory’s Place and Hospice at Home. We look forward to helping these courageous kids achieve their dreams for years to come.”

Richard Beckrow was born in 1946 in Saginaw, Michigan.  Starting from very humble beginnings, he worked hard to provide a better world for his family.  He served in the United States Army from 1966 to 1968 where he learned skills he put to use throughout his life.  He was a millwright at General Motors and a very talented skilled tradesperson.  He built his own home where his wife Janice still resides today.  Sadly, Mr. Beckrow died at the young age of 41; the result of an automobile accident.

Mr. Beckrow’s living legacy is seen in his three children whom he loved with all his heart.  Although never attending college himself, Mr. Beckrow instilled the importance of higher education.  In spite of the financial hardship that stemmed from his death, all three Beckrow children attended college; a testament to his love and guidance. 

“The Richard Beckrow Memorial Scholarship has been created to celebrate the life and memory of this extraordinary man,” states Lisa Bartoszek, Director of Hospice at Home Bereavement and Lory's Place. “This scholarship will be given to an outstanding Lory’s Place participant who has lost a parent and is trying to improve their life and realize their dreams through higher education.” The scholarship fund is open to community donations.

Since opening on November 15, 2004, hundreds of children from Allegan, Berrien, Cass and Van Buren counties in Michigan, as well as from Elkhart and South Bend in Indiana, have taken the courageous step of accessing the bereavement resource services of Lory’s Place, a grief healing and education center of Hospice at Home.   With professional bereavement staff and trained volunteers, Lory’s Place provides regularly scheduled age-appropriate support group sessions that allow children and adults to interact with peers who have suffered similar loss. There is no charge for the services that Lory’s Place provides.

Community Forum on End-of-Life Choices

(Southwest, Michigan) August 25, 2010  The entire community is invited to an educational forum on end-of-life issues on Tuesday, September 14 at 6:00pm at Lake Michigan College – South Haven Campus, 125 Veterans Boulevard, South Haven. This community meeting will focus on answering questions, discussing available care options, and the importance of making plans with family and caregivers.  

A panel of local experts including Stacey Lott, Attorney, Estate Planning and Elder Law; Dianne Carlson, Community Services Director, Area Agency on Aging; Paul F. Hix, Financial Advisor, Edward Jones Investments; and Dr. Jason Beckrow, Associate Medical Director, Hospice at Home will discuss end-of-life planning and care in our community and how we can work to improve awareness and access to this care. This meeting will answer questions and challenge community members to openly discuss what is important to them related to end-of-life planning and care.

This meeting is part of an ongoing public engagement effort by Hospice at Home, the local non-profit hospice provider. “The upcoming community forum is the latest in a series of efforts underway to generate meaningful dialogue in our community on what people want and need when it comes to end-of-life planning and care for themselves and their loved ones,” said Linda Beushausen, Hospice at Home President and CEO. “If we can get people talking about end-of-life issues before these circumstances arise, they will be better prepared to make critical decisions for themselves, their families and friends.”

For more information on the upcoming community forum, please call Hospice at Home at 1-800-717-3811, or go to www.hospiceathomecares.org.

Community Forum on Pain

The entire community is invited to an educational forum on chronic pain issues on Wednesday, September 29 at 6:00pm at Hospice at Home, 4025 Health Park Lane. This community meeting will focus on answering questions, discussing issues related to chronic pain, and the importance of understanding treatment options.  

Pain is a universal problem that affects millions of people regardless of social, economic and cultural considerations.  In a 2009 public telephone survey, 24.3% of Michigan residents have sought treatment from a health care professional for a chronic pain condition in the past year. The survey results also showed that 28.2% of Michigan residents have sought treatment from a health care professional for an acute pain condition in the past year. The American Academy of Pain Medicine estimates that over 75 million Americans live with serious pain (Michigan.gov/pm). September is National Pain Awareness Month. The Community Forum on Pain will raise awareness about chronic pain, the issues and effects of pain, and treatment options. Speakers on the topic include: Dr. Christopher Strayhorn, Associate Medical Director and Palliative Care Specialist; Dan Scheid, Spiritual Care Coordinator; Deb Webb, Social Worker; and Claudia Mierau, Certified Massage Therapist.  After the speakers have presented their material there will be opportunity for the audience to ask questions and participate in an open discussion. Light refreshments will be provided.

This meeting is part of an ongoing public engagement effort by Hospice at Home, the local non-profit hospice provider. “The upcoming community forum is the latest in a series of efforts underway to generate meaningful dialogue in our community,” said Shelley Whitaker, Education and Triage Nurse, Hospice at Home. “If we can get people talking about pain issues before these circumstances arise, they will be better prepared to make critical decisions for themselves, their families and friends.”

Entering the Caregiving Zone

(Southwest, Michigan) August 12, 2010 – Being a caregiver can be both rewarding and stressful. This program will give you the tools to make caregiving more meaningful and efficient, and give you ways to take care of yourself as well.

Hospice at Home, in partnership with and funded by Area Agency on Aging, provides this program to help caregivers learn how to obtain needed community resources, manage caregiver stress, organize important documents, monitor safety and risk, develop an increased sense of personal effectiveness as a caregiver, and decrease the sense of caregiver burden.  

Classes consist of three 2-hour sessions held once a week. Two experienced class leaders conduct the series. Interactive lessons, discussions and brainstorming will help you take the “tools” you choose and put them into action for your life. There is no charge to attend, though donations for materials are gratefully accepted.

Classes will be held at the Whitcomb Senior Living Community, 509 Ship Street, St. Joseph, from 6:00 – 8:00 pm on Tuesdays for three weeks beginning on September 7.  

Respite care and transportation are available if necessary. For more information or to register, call 1-800-HOSPICE. Class size is limited and pre-registration is required.

Hospice at Home is the non-profit community hospice focusing on the patient and family regardless of the patients' diagnosis, treatment choices, or ability to pay.  It provides quality care to people adjusting to living with a serious illness, as well as to people facing death, anticipating the death of a loved one, or healing their grief after the death of a loved one.  Hospice at Home places an emphasis on the emotional, social, and spiritual needs of those who need care and those receiving support services in Berrien, Cass, Van Buren, and Allegan Counties.

Area Agency on Aging is a private, not-for-profit agency serving Berrien, Cass and Van Buren counties.  It offers comprehensive and coordinated systems of services to assist older persons, those who care for them, and other vulnerable adults.  Their mission is to help this population maintain independence in their homes and communities for as long as possible.

Fall Bereavement Programs

Each person’s grief is as individual as a fingerprint. Coming together with others who have experienced the loss of a loved one is often a comfort. Grief support groups create a safe and confidential atmosphere for all participants with educational and support materials provided to help guide participants.

Good Grief is a seven-week program offered by Hospice at Home. The program covers topics such as why you feel the way you do; how to cope with loss, guilt and regret; and finding a sense of peace. The latest sessions begin in mid-September and will be held weekly at your local Hospice at Home Office:

• Hospice at Home, 4025 Health Park Lane, St. Joseph begins on Tuesday, September 14th 3:30 – 5:00 pm
• Hospice at Home, 4017 Chamberlain, Buchanan begins on Tuesday, September 16th 1:30 - 3:00 pm
• Hospice at Home, 05055 Blue Star Highway, South Haven begins on Tuesday, September 14th 1:30 – 3:00 pm

The hour and a half sessions provide an opportunity for participants to connect with others who are experiencing the loss of a friend or family member. The support group is facilitated by an experienced Hospice at Home Bereavement Coordinator. Space is limited, please RSVP at any of our locations or call 1-800-717-3811.

Hospice at Home also offers ongoing groups that meet during the evening for adults and children at Lory’s Place Grief Healing and Education Center. The groups include regularly scheduled age-appropriate support group sessions that allow children and adults to interact with peers who have suffered similar loss. Groups for children and adults who are anticipating a loss or who have experienced a loss through pregnancy are also available, as well as educational and workplace grief programs. All community bereavement services are provided free of charge thanks to local community contributions.

Hospice at Home is the non-profit community hospice focusing on the patient and family regardless of the patients' diagnosis, treatment choices, life expectancy, or ability to pay. It provides quality care to people adjusting to living with a serious illness, to people facing death, to people anticipating the death of a loved one, or to people healing their grief after the death of a loved one. Hospice at Home places an emphasis on the emotional, social, and spiritual needs of those who need care and those receiving support services. Serving Berrien, Cass, Van Buren, and Allegan Counties, the care is coordinated by a team of physicians, nurses, hospice aides, social workers, spiritual care counselors, bereavement coordinators, and trained volunteers. Extending this care, Lory’s Place, a bereavement and education center that builds hope and strength for every grieving family, is available to anyone in Southwest Michigan or Northern Indiana.

Fashion with Compassion, Kids Helping Kids

St. Joseph, MI –  Fashion with Compassion, Kids Helping Kids is a back to school fashion show, organized and directed by students from Saint Joseph High School and Lakeshore High School. This year’s event will be held at the Veranda at the Whitcomb in downtown Saint Joseph on Saturday August 28^th at 6pm.

 “Last year I was a model for Fashion with Compassion when Claire Knebel started it. I had a lot of fun being a model and I realized what a great way this was to get other students in the community to help support Lory's Place,” states Megan Mcnitt, one of the students coordinating the event this year. “Knowing that Claire was going to be graduating I let her know that I was willing to take over Fashion with Compassion for her if she needed me. I didn't want something that benefited such a great cause, Lory's Place, to end when I knew it could have much more success in the future. This event is such a great thing for our community not only benefitting Lory's Place but also the local stores by allowing their merchandise to be seen in a fun way.”

Youth from area schools will showcase apparel available in Saint Joseph and Benton Harbor stores on Saturday, August 28th, 2010 at the Veranda at the Whitcomb, 509 Ship Street, Saint Joseph, MI at 6:00 pm. The fashion show will benefit Lory’s Place - a Grief Healing and Education Center of Hospice at Home. Its mission is to provide a safe, comforting atmosphere for children and adults in which grief healing can take place following the death of a family member or an important friend. The services of Lory’s Place are free and available to all who need them. The event is a benefit for Lory’s Place, the area’s only grief healing and bereavement resource center for children and their families.

There is a $5 entry donation for this event and the option to reserve a table for you and your friends/family is available for $40. For more information on table reservation or the event itself please call Maggie VanWinkle at (269) 325-2342.

There are also opportunities to support the services of Lory’s Place through sponsorships and donations.

For more information about the Fashion with Compassion, Kids Helping Kids event please call  Maggie VanWinkle at (269) 325-2342. For more information about Lory’s Place, go to www.lorysplace.org or call Lory’s Place at (269) 983-2707.

Michigan Works to Change Attitudes about Pain

(Southwest, MI) August  2010 - September is National Pain Awareness Month, and Michigan’s efforts to better understand and educate about pain relief have earned it some well-deserved recognition.

The Alliance of State Pain Initiatives is a network of state organizations that are working to change attitudes about pain and pain relief.  Michigan has received top grades from the Alliance for its effort to advance knowledge about pain. 

After a 2006 study found that pain relief had not improved in the past 15 years, the Michigan Bureau of Health Professions created a pain management position in 2008 to implement a strategic plan.  The goal has been to create a shift that ultimately results in better control for individuals who suffer from pain. 

Michigan’s strategic plan includes a physician survey on knowledge and practices related to pain control.  The survey can be taken when physicians renew their licenses.  Also, in the spring of 2009, 28,000 copies of ‘Responsible Opioid Prescribing’ were distributed to physicians throughout the state, with a total of 80,000 distributed to various health professionals by the end of 2010.  

“Michigan may be ahead of the curve on pain management but that doesn’t mean we’ve arrived. We want to create a paradigm shift in Michigan in the way patients and physicians think and speak about pain management,” said Steve Creamer, manager of Workforce Development Research and Evaluation within the Bureau of Health Professions.

Alternative or complementary therapies are often used in the treatment of pain.  According to Carmen R. Green, M.D., University of Michigan professor and lead author of a U-M Health Systems study on the subject, people have a greater chance of dealing with chronic pain as they age.  This increases the likelihood that they may try alternative therapies.

Pain at the end of life is something Michigan hospices are familiar with.  “Hospices are experts at providing relief from pain,” states Jeff Towns, President of the Michigan Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.  “It’s what we do best.”

“We are pleased that Michigan is in the forefront of changing attitudes about pain management.  Pain is not a normal part of life.  It signifies that something is wrong,” notes Towns.

Hospice at Home is the non-profit community hospice focusing on the patient and family regardless of the patients' diagnosis, treatment choices, or ability to pay. It provides quality care to people adjusting to living with a serious illness, facing death, anticipating the death of a loved one, or healing their grief after the death of a loved one. Hospice at Home places an emphasis on the emotional, social, and spiritual needs of those who need care and those receiving support services. Serving Berrien, Cass, Van Buren, and Allegan Counties, the care is coordinated by a team of physicians, nurses, hospice aides, social workers, spiritual care counselors, bereavement coordinators, and trained volunteers. Extending this care, Lory’s Place, a bereavement and education center that builds hope and strength for every grieving family, is available to anyone in Southwest Michigan or Northern Indiana.

For more information contact Hospice at Home at 269-429-7100 or 1-800-717-3811, or go to www.hospiceathomecares.org.

Powerful Tools for Caregivers

(Southwest, Michigan) August 16, 2010 – Are you taking care of an aging parent?  Does your spouse need help from you on a daily basis for activities of daily living?  Are you overseeing needs of food, finances & more care for your mom?  Is a serious illness of a loved one requiring care from you?

“Powerful Tools for Caregivers” is an educational series designed to provide you with the tools you need to be the most effective caregiver you can.  Hospice At Home, in partnership with and funded by Area Agency on Aging, is offering this program to help family caregivers reduce stress, improve self-confidence, communicate feelings better, balance their lives, increase their ability to make tough decisions and locate helpful resources.

Classes consist of six 2 ½ hour sessions held once a week. Two experienced class leaders conduct the series. Interactive lessons, discussions and brainstorming will help you take the “tools” you choose and put them into action for your life.

Participants will receive a book, The Caregiver Helpbook, developed specifically for the class.  A donation of $25.00 to help defray the cost of the book is suggested, though not required, to attend the class.

The next series of classes will be held at North Berrien Senior Center, 6648 Ryno Road, Coloma, from 12:30 – 3:00pm on September 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, and 24.  

Respite care and transportation are available if necessary. For more information or to register, call 1-800-HOSPICE. Class size is limited and pre-registration is required.

Hospice at Home is the non-profit community hospice focusing on the patient and family regardless of the patients' diagnosis, treatment choices, or ability to pay.  It provides quality care to people adjusting to living with a serious illness, as well as to people facing death, anticipating the death of a loved one, or healing their grief after the death of a loved one.  Hospice at Home places an emphasis on the emotional, social, and spiritual needs of those who need care and those receiving support services in Berrien, Cass, Van Buren, and Allegan Counties.

Area Agency on Aging is a private, not-for-profit agency serving Berrien, Cass and Van Buren counties.  It offers comprehensive and coordinated systems of services to assist older persons, those who care for them, and other vulnerable adults.  Their mission is to help this population maintain independence in their homes and communities for as long as possible.

Triathlon Helped Raise Funds for Hospice at Home

(Southwest, Michigan) August 12, 2010 - On July 31^st, 2010 Eric Zane from the Free Beer and Hot Wings show participated in the Whirlpool 70.3 Ironman Triathlon in the Benton Harbor/Saint Joseph Area to help raise money for Hospice at Home.

For the past few months Eric has been asking people to sponsor him a per minute pledge to run the race. Eric states that he is helping to raise money for Hospice at Home to “help further their cause to help families in southwest Michigan as they are dealing with loved ones going through the end stages of life”. 

Entering lake Michigan for the swim course bright and early in the morning, nearly 2,000 people competed in this years event. After completing the swim portion, triathletes followed the bike course taking them through scenic northern Berrien and eastern Van Buren counties in southwest Michigan. The triathlon was concluded with the run course bringing the triathletes to the finish line.

Eric completed this incredible 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike and a 13.1 mile run in just 4 hours and 57 minutes.

After crossing the finish line of the triathlon Eric describes the event as “tough, it was a hard race, but did it feel good”. With Eric’s finishing time of 4 hours and 57 minutes or 297 minutes he was able to raise nearly $4000 for Hospice at Home.

For more information about Hospice at Home or ways you can help call(800) 717-3811, or go to www.hospiceathomecares.org.

VOLUNTEER WINS AWARD

(Southwest Michigan) July 20, 2010 – On Thursday, July 15, South Haven Hospice at Home honored its volunteers during a Friends of Hospice luncheon.  “Our volunteers are the heart of our care,” states Beth Fones, Hospice at Home Volunteer Coordinator.  “We have volunteers who have helped us for many years. Some care for patients, some run errands, and others help in our office or bake cookies. There are so many ways that people can help,” continues Fones. In 2009, local volunteers provided nearly 11,000 hours to help support the care of Hospice at Home.

During the event, Judi Ison and her dog Bars were awarded the Helen White Angel of Service Award for their dedication and faithful service to the community. Judi Ison became a volunteer with Hospice at Home in 2007. Since that time she has been involved in the Partners in Care program to expand care in faith communities, community outreach, and fundraising activities. Judi and Bars work together as regular visitors to the local nursing facilities and patient homes. The dynamic duo regularly visit over 30 seriously ill individuals each week. Both Judi and Bars are goodwill ambassadors of Hospice at Home and look for opportunities to educate the community about the benefits of hospice care and pet companionship.

The Helen White Angel of Service Award was established to recognize those individuals who have shown exemplary service in the area of volunteering.  Helen White was one of South Haven Area Hospice founding board members and devoted many hours of service during her association with the organization.  Helen was honored and recognized upon her retirement in June 2004 with the establishment of this award in her name.  She has since passed away.  Betty Bregger received the award in 2005, Elaine Fluck in 2006, Bill Rockhold in 2007, Wesley Stephens in 2008, and Mike Henry in 2009. 

Hospice at Home is the non-profit community hospice focusing on the patient and family regardless of the patients’ diagnosis, treatment choices, or ability to pay. It provides quality care to people adjusting to living with a serious illness, to people facing death, to people anticipating the death of a loved one, or to people healing their grief after the death of a loved one. Hospice at Home places an emphasis on the emotional, social, and spiritual needs of those who need care and those receiving support services. Serving Berrien, Cass, Van Buren, and Allegan Counties, the care is coordinated by a team of physicians, nurses, hospice aides, social workers, spiritual care counselors, bereavement coordinators, and trained volunteers. Extending this care, Lory’s Place, a bereavement and education center that builds hope and strength for every grieving family, is available to anyone in Southwest Michigan or Northern Indiana.

College Scholarship Established for Lory's Place Students

Quality of Life Matters - End of Life Care News & Clinical Findings for Physicians

Newsletter Feb/Mar/Apr 2009



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