Living With Serious Illness

A Day of Caring at Hospice at Home

(Southwest, Michigan) January 13, 2010 - Hospice at Home volunteers offer warm hearts, listening ears, and compassion to our patients and their families. Our trained patient care volunteers serve patients and their families by offering respite, friendly visits, writing letters, running errands, providing transportation, and so much more. Other volunteers help with clerical tasks, special events, and other interesting projects. Volunteers choose how much time to give to Hospice at Home based on their ability.

To introduce our community to hospice volunteering, Hospice at Home will host a “A Day of Caring” on Saturday, February 27th from 8:30am-Noon in the community room of the Saint Joseph office, 4025 Health Park Lane.  This event will help celebrate Disney’s “Give a Day. Get a Disney Day” program where people can celebrate the spirit of giving by volunteering and in return receive a free ticket to a Disney park. To register for this event and the Disney program, people must go to www.disneyparks.com and complete the three-step process. 

“Many of our volunteers choose to serve their community providing care and respite for our patients and families, other help with errand and office assistance,” states Rachel Arent, Volunteer Recruiter and Trainer, Hospice at Home. “Our volunteers provide an empathetic ear and a friendly face for the patient and their families. There are just so many ways to get involved,” continues Arent.

Volunteers help in a variety of unique ways. They contribute to patient well-being through pet therapy, art, music, remembrance-life review, providing flowers, baking meals, and more.

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 those 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.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, or for more information, please call Rachel Arent at Hospice at Home, (269) 429-7100 or toll free at (800) 717-3811; or go to www.hospiceathomecares.org.

Are you Caring for a Friend or Relative?

(South Haven, Michigan) February 1, 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 South Haven Nursing & Rehabilitation Community, 850 Phillips Street, South Haven, from 1:00 – 3:00 pm on Tuesdays for three weeks beginning on March 9. 

Respite care and transportation are available if necessary. For more information or to register, call 1-800-717-3811. 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.

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

Feeling Stretched Caring for an Older Adult? Balance Your Life With “Powerful Tools for Caregivers”

(Southwest, Michigan) January 27, 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 the Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital, 420 West High Street, Dowagiac, from 1:30 – 4:00pm on Tuesdays for six weeks beginning on March 2, 2010. 

Respite care and transportation are available if necessary. For more information or to register, call 1-800-717-3811. 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.

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

Hospice at Home Hospice Aide Wins Scholarship Award

On Friday, September 18, local Hospice at Home Hospice Aide, Abby Baxter, won the Sondra Seely Scholarship Fund award during the 17th Annual Michigan Hospice and Palliative Care Association Hospice Aide Conference. 

“Abby embraces the mission of hospice and seeks to improve patients’ lives constantly,” states Tricia Johnson, Hospice at Home Clinical Team Manager. “She is always willing to go above and beyond the call of duty and is a true advocate for patients.”

To be selected for this prestigious award, a person must be credentialed as a Hospice Aide, recommended by their supervisor, completed required in-service hours, exemplify quality and compassionate care to patients and families, and be actively caring for hospice patients.

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

Hospice at Home Publishes Cookbook

(Southwest, Michigan) January 20, 2010 - Hospice at Home has collected the best recipes from staff, volunteers, and community members and compiled them into an attractive keepsake cookbook. The one-of-a-kind cookbooks are on sale now for $15 and make a wonderful Valentine’s Day gift.

“The cookbook is called Recipes of Love because Life is Precious,” states Bobbie Roloff, creator of the cookbook. “All proceeds benefit Hospice at Home. It is a wonderful way to try new recipes and support our special care at the same time.” The cookbook contains 460 well-loved recipes including appetizers, main dishes, desserts and many others. The recipes are contained in a padded 3-ring binder with a laminated cover to provide extra durability and resistance to stains, spills, and scratches. It also comes with a unique bookstand that securely holds the cookbook open and upright for hands-free cooking.

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 those 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.

If you are interested in purchasing a cookbook, or for more information, please call Bobbie Roloff at Hospice at Home, (269) 429-7100 or toll free at (800) 717-3811; or go to www.hospiceathomecares.org.

Hospice at Home Staff Honored for Excellence

On Thursday, November 5, three Hospice at Home staff members were honored for excellence in care of people with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia diagnoses. Hospice aide Carol Black from the South Haven Team, nurse Liz Mai from the St. Joseph Team, and social worker Connie Burrus from the Buchanan Team were recognized during the Excellence in Caring Program by the Dementia Consortium and the Tri-County Connection. 

“These employees embrace the mission of Hospice at Home and exemplify our caring excellence,” states Linda Beushausen, President and CEO of Hospice at Home. “They are always willing to go above and beyond for patients and their families. They are passionate and dedicated professionals that I am proud to work with.”

Research has demonstrated that hospice care increases the quality of life for patients living with advance dementia. It can also spare patients and their families from futile and expensive medial treatments.

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

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

Hospice Employee Awarded the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) Designation

CFRE International has named Melinda Graham as a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE). Melinda Graham, Director of Development and Strategic Initiatives at Hospice at Home, joins over 5,400 professionals around the world who hold the CFRE designation. Individuals granted the CFRE credentials have met a series of standards set by CFRE International which include tenure in the profession, education, demonstrated fundraising achievement and a commitment to service to not-for-profit organizations. They have agreed to uphold Accountability Standards and the Donor Bill of Rights. Initially, candidates must pass a rigorous written examination testing the knowledge, skills, and abilities required of a fundraising executive.

“The CFRE process was developed as a way to identify for the public and employers those individuals who possess the knowledge, skills and commitment to perform fundraising duties in an effective, conscientious, ethical and professional manner,” states Susan Davies Goepp, CFRE; Chair of CFRE International. “Achievement of the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential demonstrates the level of commitment on the part of Melinda Graham to herself and the profession as a whole.”

“Melinda’s perseverance during the time of intense study and her dedication to the completion of the requirements necessary to successfully achieve the CFRE credential is further evidence of her strong development and leadership skills,” states Linda Beushausen, President and CEO of Hospice at Home. “Melinda is a multi-talented leader and adds tremendous value to our team.  We are very grateful for Melinda’s expertise, knowing this expertise is one of the critical success factors to achieving our strategic initiatives focused on continued expansion of programs and services for all of those we are privileged to serve.”

CFRE International is an independent organization whose sole mission is dedicated to the certification of fundraising executives by setting standards in philanthropy. This single, universal, baseline organization works in cooperation with leading philanthropic associations. More information about CFRE can be found on their website, www.cfre.org.

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

Hospice Excels at Providing Pain Relief

September 2009 has been proclaimed Pain Awareness Month in Michigan by Governor Jennifer Granholm.  Long known as experts in pain management, hospice treats many different kinds of pain to relieve the suffering of the individuals they serve. 

Hospice philosophy respects the patient’s perspective in defining pain, a notion best described by pain management pioneer Margo McCaffery, RN:  ‘Pain is whatever the patient says it is and exists whenever and wherever the patient says it does.’  Pain can be rooted in the disease process, in emotional turmoil or in spiritual angst.  Hospice’s holistic nature treats the whole person.

Pain is assessed according to its intensity, location, type, duration and anything that brings relief.  The nurse may ask a patient to rate his or her discomfort on a 0 to 10 scale, 0 being no pain and 10 being the worst pain imaginable.  Once pain is measured, it is treated aggressively until the patient and family are satisfied. 

Pain treatment is determined by the type of pain experienced; these include muscle, bone, nerve and visceral.  Relief may come in the form of medication, hot or cold compresses, repositioning, massage or other physical means.  Pain that stems from emotional or spiritual difficulty may be relieved by a visit from the social worker or the chaplain.

“Because hospice is so good at pain management, other health care professionals often look to us for expertise in this arena,” states Jeff Towns, President/CEO of the Michigan Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. 

For more information, please contact your local hospice – Hospice at Home at 269-429-7100 or 1-800-717-3811, or go to www.hospiceathomecares.org or to learn more about the hospice providers in your area go to www.mihospice.org.

Look Good…Feel Better

(South Haven, Michigan) January 12, 2010 – Look Good…Feel Better provides information and cosmetic advice to women battling cancer. Offered free of charge, the sessions take place on Monday, February 15 from 5:30 – 7:00 pm at the Shoreline Rehabilitation & Wellness Center, 950 South Bailey Avenue, South Haven.

This program includes hands-on instruction on make-up, skin care, and suggestions for using wigs, turbans, and scarves. It also includes tips on nail care while undergoing treatment. Cosmetics are provided for personal makeovers by trained cosmetologists.

 
“We are proud to offer this service to our community with the help of our community partners – South Haven Community Hospital and the American Cancer Society,” states Terri Dotson, Community Relations Representative, Hospice at Home. “This program can make a huge difference in a woman’s life during a very difficult time. It provides loving care, compassionate advice, and camaraderie at a time when a woman needs it most,” continues Dotson.

Participants must register by February 1 by calling the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345.

If you are interested in more information, please call Terri Dotson at Hospice at Home, (269) 637-3825 or toll free at (800) 637-3820; or go to www.hospiceathomecares.org.

Lory’s Place Participates with South Haven One Book One Community

(South Haven, Michigan) January 20, 2010 – Pets are a special part of our lives. The South Haven Memorial Library is celebrating reading and the love of pets by encouraging people in the community to read Marley & Me by John Grogan and participate in related activities in January, February, and March. One of these activities involves Lory’s Place, a grief healing and education center of Hospice at Home.

On Wednesday, February 24 at 6:30 pm, Lisa Bartoszek, Director of Bereavement and Lory’s Place, will lead a discussion on preparing for and dealing with losing your Marley. “A pet is often a member of the family.  With the death of that pet, the family experiences a significant loss.  A difficult problem is that society often denies us the need to grieve for our pet.  We are all entitled to express our feelings and thoughts related to the death of our beloved pets, and open, honest sharing creates the model for healthy grieving,” states Bartoszek.

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.   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.


To receive more information about Lory’s Place call 269-983-2707 or 1-800-717-3812, or go to www.lorysplace.org. To learn more about One Book One Community or the South Haven Memorial Library, call 269-637-2403, or go to www.shmlibrary.org.

New Guys-n-Grief

Are you a man who is grieving the death of someone in your life recently or long ago?  Grief is an experience in life like no other. People live out the process of grief as uniquely as their own being.  Grief is a time of need where support can offer comfort that goes beyond words.  It claims no gender because Guys do Grieve.

Through sharing concern and support for one another, we often find the courage, patience and compassion to grieve in our own way and at our own pace.  Grief can be a point of connection and we invite men of all ages to become a part of Guys–n-Grief, a Grief and Social Support Group of Hospice at Home and Lory’s Place.  Men, come share conversation and encouragement as you adjust to life’s “new normal.”

The monthly groups are being offered at four locations:

1st Tuesday of each month from 10:00 -11:00 AM at Lory’s Place, 445 Upton Drive, St. Joseph

1st Tuesday of each month from 10:00 -11:00 AM at the South Haven Hospice at Home Office, 05055 Blue Star Highway, South Haven

4th Wednesday of the month from 10:00 – 11:00 AM at the River Valley Senior Center, 13321 Red Arrow Highway, Sawyer

4th Thursday of the month from 4:00 – 5:00  PM at the Buchanan Hospice at Home Office, 4017 Chamberlain, Buchanan
 

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. New this year is a suicide loss support group. All community bereavement services are provided free of charge thanks to local community contributions.

For more information about Hospice at Home call 1-800-717-3811 or go to www.hospiceathomecares.org.

Suicide Loss Support Group

Lory’s Place, a grief healing and education center of Hospice at Home, is expanding its program services to include offering a peer support group for adults who have experienced the death of a significant person in their lives by way of suicide.  The adult participants will gain peer support while gaining a better understanding of the individual journeys of grief.

As of 2006, suicide was the 11th leading cause of death for all ages.  More than 33,000 suicides occurred in the US.  This is the equivalent of one suicide every 16 minutes.   Among young adults ages 15-24 years old, there are approximately 100-200 attempts for every completed suicide.  Among adults 65 years and older, there are approximately 4 suicide attempts for every completed suicide.  Males take their own lives at nearly four times the rate of females and represent 79% of all US suicides.  During their lifetime, women attempt suicide about 2-3 times as often as men.  These statistics are alarming and are relevant in our communities today.

The program direction for the Suicide Loss Support Group will follow the same direction of the other support groups offered at Lory’s Place.  All of the peer groups are open, allowing new participants to join at any time in their grief story.  The programming is based on the individual participant’s needs and is a model which identifies grief as work to be done, while being supported and nurtured in the process.  All of the services of Lory’s Place are offered at no charge to the participants.

For more information about the newest program service of Lory’s Place, please call 269-983-2707  or (800) 717-3812, or go to www.lorysplace.org. For more information about Hospice at Home and other community bereavement services 1-800-717-3811, or go to www.hospiceathomecares.org.

Hospice Care Provides Families Financial Relief and Saves Medicare Money

(Southwest, MI) – At a time when many families in Michigan are finding it difficult to pay for medications and health care, hospice care provides financial relief to its patients and families.  Medications and equipment related to the terminal illness, visits by medical and nursing professionals, home health aides, short-term inpatient care, and bereavement support for the family following death are all provided by hospice care. Hospice care is covered by Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance, providing a tremendous financial relief to families with seriously ill loved ones.

Findings of a major study of hospice care in America show that hospice services save money for Medicare and bring quality care to patients with life-limiting illness and their families. The study from Duke University found:

•  Hospice reduced Medicare costs by an average of $2,309 per hospice patient.

•  Increasing length of hospice use by just three days would increase savings due to hospice by nearly 10 percent, from around $2,300 to $2,500 per hospice user.

•  Medicare costs would be reduced for seven out of ten hospice recipients if hospice has been used for a longer period of time the study found.

 
“Hospice helps people live with dignity, comfort, and compassion and brings needed support to family caregivers.  To know definitively that it provides a cost savings to Medicare is an additional benefit,” states Jeff Towns, President/CEO, Michigan Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.

Hospice is not a place but a philosophy of care that provides pain management, symptom control, psychosocial support, and spiritual care to patients and their families. To learn more about the hospice providers in your area go to www.mihospice.org.

Hospice at Home Physician Board Certified in Hospice and Palliative Care

Local physician and Hospice at Home Medical Director, Dr. George Drake, recently became Hospice and Palliative Medicine board-certified by the American Board of Family Medicine, one of the certifying boards co-sponsoring the examination.

“Dr. Drake’s passion for end of life care and especially for the mission of Hospice at Home is unquestionable,” states Linda Beushausen, President and CEO of Hospice at Home. “Our patients and families are blessed by having him as part of their care team and I know all of us are blessed by his presence in our lives personally and professionally.”

Certification is a rigorous, comprehensive program for evaluating physicians to assure patients, colleagues, employers and payers that a physician has achieved competence for practice in the field of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Although certification is sought and earned by physicians on a voluntary basis, it is widely recognized as an essential tool to judge that a physician has the knowledge, experience and skills to provide quality palliative care. It is considered the gold standard for assessing qualifications. The first Hospice and Palliative Medicine certification exam sponsored by American Board of Family Medicine and the co-sponsoring boards was held in 2008.

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, home health 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 about Hospice at Home call 1-800-717-3811 or go to www.hospiceathomecares.org.

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

Newsletter Feb/Mar/Apr 2009



Provided as an Educational Service by Your Local Hospice Organization