Leon, an 8-year-old black lab is retiring after 7 years of hospice service. He is retiring at the recommended age for his breed, says Alison Wagner, director of volunteer services for Hospice of Michigan and Arbor Hospice. Arbor Hospice of Ann Arbor, Michigan, adopted Leon in 2013 for patient visitations at retirement communities, assisted living […]

When someone is dying, family members and other loved ones are suddenly thrust into the role of caregiver, often with little preparation or knowledge of what to expect. According to the Associated Press-NORC Center’s Long-Term Caregiving Poll, nearly 40 percent of Americans are providing long-term care to an older family member or friend. Caregivers include […]

Whether you’re a caregiver or a health care practitioner, the importance of holding space for the person who’s dying is enormously important. It allows the patient to be able to spend their remaining time in a level of quality end-of-life care that includes non-judgment, allowing explorations of the life they’ve lived and the time that’s […]

The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), which is the oldest and largest leadership organization working on behalf of hospice and palliative care, is reporting that 34.5 percent of patients died or were discharged within seven days of admission to hospice. In addition, 61.5 percent of patients received care for 29 days or less. […]

The recent statement from the Bush family about former First Lady Barbara Bush’s decision to receive comfort care instead of hospitalization has created a surge of interest and questions from the public about what “comfort care” actually means. There are different forms of comfort care, but at its most basic, it’s a plan that focuses […]