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 […]
Help for Caregivers
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 […]
Finding Peace of Mind for Patient’s Pets
Patients in hospice care receive support and help from caregivers such as loved ones and friends, or from professional caregivers, in a care-support facility. But what happens to the pets of those who enter hospice? What happens when their owners die? The strong bond between animal owners and their pets have long been recognized. So […]
Dying in Peace and Why Some People Don’t
Dr. Karen Wyatt, M.D., a hospice physician and death awareness advocate, has seen patients in a variety of settings including hospice, nursing homes, and hospitals – and though the level of physical comfort may vary depending upon the care, the physical death is always the same. However, there are times when it’s a struggle for […]
Holding Space
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 […]
Palliative Care Means Fewer Trips to the ER
A report published earlier this year confirmed that community-based palliative care was associated with a 50 percent reduction in emergency room visits during the last year of patients’ lives. While this isn’t a brand new finding, it did clarify the effectiveness of palliative care and the reduction of emergency room visits associated with 5 different […]
Raising Awareness of the Benefits of Hospice
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. […]
What Does Comfort Care Actually Mean?
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 […]
Promoting Higher Levels of Quality of Care
A new study is underway exploring whether home-based palliative care (HBPC) or palliative care received in clinics is most effective in boosting the quality of life for seriously ill patients. Conducted through the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, and led by Susan Enguidanos, a palliative care expert and a professor at USC Davis, the […]
PCHETA Passes Through The House, Next The Senate
Here is a blog post we wanted to share by Hospiceactionnetwork.org: In the last week, we had over 1,000 ADVOCATES reach out to their Representatives, and thanks to your hard work, Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (H.R. 1676), passed in the House of Representatives today! Research from the American Academy of Hospice […]