Shows
Palliative Perspective PodcastEp. 54 - Hospice Highlights from an Alaskan Hospice NurseIn this moving episode of HPNA Palliative Perspective, we welcome Esther Pepper, RN, BSN, CHPN®, a veteran hospice nurse from Alaska whose more than two decades of compassionate service have shaped her debut memoir, My Calling: Chronicles of an Alaskan Hospice Nurse.
Drawing from years on the front lines of end-of-life care, Esther shares what hospice nursing truly looks like—the challenges, the grace, and the profound human connections formed along the way. Together, we explore the emotional and spiritual dimensions of dying that often go unspoken, practical strategies for symptom management, and how caregivers can nurt...
2026-01-0123 min
Hospice Explained141 Navigating Hospice Care: Insights from Helen Bauer BSN, RN CHPN 141 Navigating Hospice Care: Insights from Helen Bauer BSN, RN CHPN In this episode of 'Hospice Explained,' host Marie Betcher RN interviews Helen Bauer BSN, RN, CHPN an experienced hospice nurse and founder of Hospice Navigation Services. Together, they explore the critical perspectives caregivers gain through personal experience, the importance of interdisciplinary hospice teams, and demystify underutilized services like chaplains and social workers. Helen also shares details about her business, offering educational sessions to navigate end-of-life care, and provides a poignant story illustrating the value of open conversations about death. Lastly, Helen discusses the human side of hospice care, emphasizing t...
2025-03-2323 min
Hospice Explained140 Understanding the Heart of Hospice with Helen Bauer RN BSN CHPN 140 Understanding the Heart of Hospice with Helen Bauer RN BSN CHPN In this episode of Hospice Explained, host Marie Betcher BSN, RN interviews Helen Bauer RN BSN CHPN, an experienced hospice nurse and podcaster from the Heart of Hospice. Helen shares her background, the motivations behind starting her podcast, and an impactful first hospice visit that shaped her career. The discussion emphasizes the importance of educating the public about hospice care, the challenges caregivers face, and the concept of 'atomic' self-care for healthcare professionals. Helen also provides insights on sustaining compassion and self-care in the demanding field of hospice work. 00:00 I...
2025-03-1617 min
Hospice ExplainedEmbracing Cannabis Treatment for Hospice Patients with Megan Mbengue BSN, RN, CHPNEp.66 Embracing Cannabis Treatment for Hospice Patients with Megan Mbengue BSN, RN, CHPN Have you ever considered cannabis as part of your loved one's treatment for their end of life? If not, this episode with Megan Mbengue has all the necessary information. Cannabis may have a role in hospice care for symptom management and improving the quality of life for some patients near the end of life. Products containing both THC and CBD have been used by some hospice patients to help manage pain, especially when other pain medications are not effective or cause undesirable side effects. However, Megan...
2023-09-2429 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastHospice Nurse Penny is a TikTok Phenom, Episode 135We're talking with Hospice Nurse Penny about how her TikTok videos about end of life care have become a social media phenomenon. After finding her way to hospice nursing, Penny Smith realized there was a big gap in accurate information about end of life care. She decided to educate people in a unique way, utilizing social media. With videos, reels, and dancing, Penny helps expand understanding of hospice care. She normalizes the dying process and helps people to be more comfortable with someone who’s dying. Penny says she gets the biggest response from videos about end of life visionin...
2022-12-1642 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastWhen You Need an Expert, Empathy.com is Your Friend, Episode 134Empathy co-founder and CEO Ron Gura created the company with one mission in mind: to help families deal with loss. It’s the friend we all need when we’re navigating the death of a loved one. According to the Empathy website, Empathy was “designed to help bereaved families find balance during one of life's most challenging moments.” Combining technology and human support, the Empathy app helps families through all the financial, legal, emotional, and logistical challenges after losing a loved one. Grief and loss cost businesses millions of dollars a year, yet most companies are ill-equipped to support employees af...
2022-12-0949 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastHospice Social Worker Nathan Yemane Honors His Father's Legacy of Service, Episode 133Hospice social worker Nathan Yemane is meeting the needs of his community by opening the first black-owned hospice agency in Washington State and carrying on his father’s legacy of service. Nathan grew up in Washington, has his masters in Social Work, and in 2013 obtained his clinical license in social work. He has worked in healthcare since 2010, primarily in the hospice field. Nathan and his business partner David Turner were awarded a Certificate of Need approval from the DOH to establish the first Black-owned hospice in Washington State. Nathan recognized the end of life needs of people of color in...
2022-12-0649 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastHow to Survive as a Caregiver Warrior with Susanne White, Episode 132Caregiver Warrior founder Susanne White is sharing the many lessons she learned as a caregiver for her dad and mom. According to the Caregiver Warrior website, Susanne offers “advice, helpful tips, and strategies based on the experience, strength, and hope I found while surviving my own caregiving journey. It has become my mission to share my stories and the things I learned about being an empowered caregiver.” Susanne is an advocate for surrounding yourself with your caregiving village, to find support in friends and family to help you do the caregiver job. She realizes the lessons she learned about hersel...
2022-12-0238 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastCreating an Advance Care Plan Series with The Conversation Project, Episode 5We’re wrapping up our Advance Care Plan Series in collaboration with the amazing team from The Conversation Project from IHI, sharing the lessons we learned during our advance care planning process. Creating an advance care plan is not an easy task, even if you’re not in the middle of a serious illness. Family dynamics have a big influence on how conversations about end of life happen. We learned it’s important to set aside a quiet time and place to talk with the ones you want to make your wishes known when you can’t speak for yourself. ...
2022-11-2920 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastJill Johnson-Young Discusses Intimacy at End of Life, Episode 131We’re having an open, honest discussion with hospice social worker and author Jill Johnson-Young about intimacy during a serious illness. Jill’s been widowed twice, and knows the importance of physical intimacy even at the end of life. As a hospice social worker, Jill has seen what it’s like for terminally ill patients and their partners to struggle with physical intimacy. Losing physical intimacy is just another loss of identity and who couples are together. It can be a source of anticipatory grief at a time when intimacy is so important. There are many layers to physical intimacy...
2022-11-2554 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastHow to Create Your Advance Care Plan Series with The Conversation Project Episode 4Kate Debartolo of The Conversation Project is talking with us about advance care planning, and how to talk about what matters most to you. According to The Conversation Project website (theconversationproject.org), Kate “has worked at The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) since 2007. She currently leads The Conversation Project team and operations. Additionally, Kate manages and cultivates relationships with national and state-level organizations that help engage the general public in advance care planning.” Individuals can find the Conversation Starter Guide and use it to have discussions with their families. The Conversation Project also has resources for choosing a healthcare proxy...
2022-11-2224 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastWhat You Need to Know about Conscious Dying with Dr. Aditi Sethi-Brown, Episode 130Dr. Aditi Sethi-Brown, founder of the Center for Conscious Living and Dying, has devoted her career to promoting positive death experiences. She’s a rare hybrid in healthcare, both a hospice physician and an end of life doula. According to the Center for Conscious Living and Dying (CCLD) website, “CCLD has a vision for death, dying, and grief that involves greater community involvement and connection to the mystery of this season of life. Death is a mirror in which our own lives are reflected”. Aditi feels deeply the importance of supporting dying patients with not only medical skills, but with com...
2022-11-1847 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastHow to Create Your Advance Care Plan Series with The Conversation Project Episode 3In the 3rd episode of our Advance Care Plan series, Rosemary Lloyd talks about how faith communities can support Advance Care Plan discussions using resources from The Conversation Project. Rev. Rosemary Lloyd was formerly the Advisor to Faith Communities for The Conversation Project. She’s also a registered nurse, hospice volunteer, and an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister. Rosemary is an outspoken advocate for including our spiritual beliefs in advance care planning. Using resources from The Conversation Project website, faith communities can promote end of life discussions among their members. Resources on TCP’s website include sermon examples for faith leaders...
2022-11-1521 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastHow To Create Treasured End Of Life Memories With The 3 Wishes Program, Episode 129Dr. Thanh Neville is talking with us about the benefits of granting end of life wishes through the 3 Wishes Program at UCLA Health. Dr. Neville joined the faculty in the UCLA Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care in 2012 and is both a clinician and a researcher. In 2017, she co-founded the 3 Wishes Program and is currently its Medical Director. According to the UCLA Health website, clinical staff works with the patient and family, finding favorite memories or special qualities about the patient to celebrate the unique life of the patient. These memories and qualities are turned into special legacy keepsakes o...
2022-11-1143 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastHow to Create Your Advance Care Plan Series with The Conversation Project, Special Episode 2Welcome to the second episode of our Advance Care Plan Series in partnership with The Conversation Project, featuring TCP’s Improvement Advisor for Community Engagement and Learning Patty Webster! Whether you want to have ACP conversations in a group of 5 of 500, The Conversation Project has the resources to get those discussions started. Through shared stories on TCP’s website, users can find examples of how other community groups are utilizing TCP’s resources. There’s a Starter Guide to take to your group, and other tools and resources to help you all available for free. You’ll find guidance on hosting an...
2022-11-0828 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastLearn How GrandPad Can Make Life Better for Seniors with Scott Lien, Episode 128GrandPad founder Scott Lien is talking with us about GrandPad's best features and how it keeps older adults connected. Older adults often feel isolated, and the pandemic separated them even more from family and friends. The GrandPad device is simple for seniors to set up. Customers can access white glove customer support with questions 24/7/365. The best thing about GrandPad’s convenience is the inclusion of 4G LTE, so it doesn’t require the household to have wifi. Offering things like games, video chats, simplified Zoom capability, email, and mood-enhancing apps, the GrandPad has something for every senior. “Connecting families and creat...
2022-11-0446 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastHow to Create Your Advance Care Plan Series with The Conversation Project, Special EpisodeNeed some help with those difficult Advance Care Plan discussions? Welcome to our special Advance Care Plan Series featuring Kate Debartolo and the team from The Conversation Project! Conversations about end of life wishes can happen in different places - in family groups, community groups, or inside communities of faith. No matter where you want to have those ACP discussions, The Conversation Project has a resource you can use. This special series features experts from The Conversation Project team, including TCP Director Kate Debartolo, Improvement Advisor for Community Engagement and Learning Patty Webster, and Rosemary Lloyd, Advisor to Faith Co...
2022-11-0106 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastWhat You Need to Know About Palliative Care From Dr. Arian Nachat, Episode 127Our guest Dr. Arian Nachat is an advocate for palliative care services, informed advance care planning, and optimizing quality of life. As founder of Pallity, Arian guides the organization to focus on “you, the patient, helping you to manage your disease symptoms and treatment side effects while focusing on your quality of life”. According to their website, Pallity can “help you to better understand the options available to manage the symptoms of your disease and the side effects of treatment so that you can live your life to its fullest”. Dr. Nachat has years of experience guiding patients and their careg...
2022-10-281h 00
The Heart of Hospice PodcastHow to Write a Spiritual Care Directive with Rhonda Lopresti, Episode 126End of Life Coach and home funeral guide Rhonda Lopresti is talking with us about spiritual care directives, and their importance as part of an advance care plan. Rhonda Lopresti is a certified End of Life and Life Coach and has been a Holistic Health Practitioner for 30 years. According to her website (peacefully-prepared.com), Rhonda is “passionate in holding and creating sacred space, personal ritual, spiritual practice, and creative choices through dying and deathcare”. She believes advance care planning should be a comprehensive, robust plan for someone’s end of life care, including care of the spirit. Through Rhonda’s organizat...
2022-10-2147 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastWhat to Know About Zen Buddhist Practices at End of Life With Jon Prescott, Episode 125Board Certified Clinical Chaplain Jonathan Prescott is back with us to discuss end of life practices in the Zen Buddhist tradition. Jon is a student of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. Jonathan’s practice as a Clinical Chaplain and Pastoral Counselor is to “support people experiencing illness and end of life, foster effective caregiving and reconnect people with their innate wisdom and compassion”. As co-founder of the non-profit organization Radiant Light Zen, Jon works with a team to “offer contemplative training for people interested in beginning or deepening their meditation practice. [We] host several geographically dispersed online communities, mentor students...
2022-10-1443 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastWhat You Need to Know About the End Well Project with Tracy Wheeler, Episode 124End Well’s Executive Director Tracy Wheeler is talking with us about end of life discussions, transforming how we think about death, and the launch of End Well’s new podcast! End Well’s goal as a non-profit organization is to “bring together a community that unites design, technology, health, policy, and activist initiatives to transform how the world thinks about caregiving, grief, illness and the end of life experience with the ultimate goal of creating a future where ending well becomes a measure of living well”. Whether you’re a patient, a caregiver, an entrepreneur, or working in healthcare, E...
2022-10-0758 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastHow to Manage Disenfranchised Grief with Carol Schoneberg, Episode 123End of life educator Carol Schoneberg is sharing wisdom about disenfranchised grief, the grief that society says isn’t real, but we all experience. There are a lot of reasons someone’s grief might be disenfranchised. Dysfunctional relationships where there was abuse, or former relationships like ex-spouses can be sources of grief that’s not recognized by the people around us. That disenfranchisement makes us feel isolated, even invisible. Carol teaches us how important it is to have supportive friends or family. Creating rituals to acknowledge a loss can be a great coping mechanism. Validating the loss and recognizing its impact...
2022-09-3054 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastSharing CJ's Legacy: A Story About Pediatric Hospice With Kasey Carmona, Episode 122Warning: This episode contains a description of the loss of a terminally ill infant. It may not be for all listeners. Boy mom and advocate Kasey Carmona shares the story of her family’s hospice journey with her son CJ. Using her voice to advocate for her baby’s healthcare, Kasey and her family created quality of life for CJ. What they found were moments of joy and pockets of goodness in a difficult journey. Our gratitude goes out to Kasey for her generosity of heart in sharing their story. We’ll forever remember CJ with her. Connec...
2022-09-2358 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastHow to Make Funeral Planning Easier with The Love Always Project, Episode 121Our guest Dean Lambert of The Love Always Project knows firsthand how difficult it is to make funeral arrangements, even after 30 years working with funeral professionals. According to The Love Always Project website, “Dean Lambert has worked with funeral professionals for nearly 30 years to help them connect and serve the families facing one of the most challenging moments of their lives: the loss of a loved one. As a father who has himself experienced the loss of a child, he knows first hand the grief that clouds the vision needed to honor a life well-lived. Dean is leading the Lo...
2022-09-1653 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastWhat You Need to Know About the Messiness of Grief with John Polo, Episode 120Widowhood, caregiving, and the messiness of grief are just some of the topics we’re talking about with guest John Polo. According to his website, johnpolocoaching.com, “John is a coach, author, and speaker. In January of 2016, John became a widower after his amazing wife, Michelle, died of cancer. From the rubble of everything that he once knew, consumed by desperation and despair, John held on long enough until he found his hope. And he slowly rebuilt. Today John helps others through his social media, books, coaching, workshops, speeches, and podcasts. From grief to dating, self-growth, and everything in between...
2022-09-0951 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastTalking about The Narrative Initiative with Dr. Lorraine Dickey, Episode 119We’re honored to talk with Dr. Lorraine Dickey about The Narrative Initiative and the benefits of its Write-Read-Reflect method for both patients and staff. Dr. Dickey is an innovator and activist for a better experience of care within the healthcare system. She is a healthcare entrepreneur and a motivational speaker as well as a board-certified Neonatologist, board-certified Pediatric Hospice and Palliative medicine physician, and certified in Pediatric Bioethics. Lorraine is also the CEO and co-founder of The Narrative Initiative, which focuses on helping healthcare professionals decompress and remain resilient, and makes communication between patients and providers efficient and effec...
2022-09-0246 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastA Conversation with Judy Cornish, Creator of the DAWN Method for Dementia Caregivers, Episode 118Our guest Judy Cornish is the founder of the Dementia & Alzheimer’s Wellbeing Network and the creator of the DAWN Method, a method for working with people who have dementia that helps them develop and retain a sense of security and wellbeing. As an elder law attorney, Judy had no experience with people with dementia until she met a new neighbor and began to help her lead a full life. Judy identified that the medical model doesn’t work well when it comes to managing life with dementia. She created the DAWN Method, a system that’s simple enough to be us...
2022-08-2653 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastThe Heart of a Hospice Administrator with Zaundra Ellis, Episode 117Our guest Zaundra Ellis believes in servant leadership and has practiced it for over 20 years serving in hospice care. Zaundra has held many positions in hospice agencies, from executive director to her current role as Vice President of Hospice Solutions for Axxess Solutions. Through the years, she’s learned lessons about leadership and the importance of caring for the hospice team while they care for patients and families. She is a nationally recognized hospice thought leader and member of the NHPCO Regulatory Committee. In her interview with The Heart of Hospice, she shares wisdom acquired through years of dedicated servic...
2022-08-1942 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastA Death Perspective with Rabbi Steve Leder, Episode 116In this episode, our guest Rabbi Steve Leder shares his perspective on dying and how the death of his father forever changed him. Steve Leder is the senior rabbi of Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles. After receiving his degree in writing and graduating cum laude from Northwestern University, and spending time studying at Trinity College, Oxford University, Leder received a master’s degree in Hebrew letters in 1986 and rabbinical ordination in 1987 from Hebrew Union College. He is the author of five books: The Extraordinary Nature of Ordinary Things, More Money Than God: Living a Rich Life Wi...
2022-08-121h 01
The Heart of Hospice PodcastWhat You Need to Know about Advance Care Planning with Dr. Jim deMaine, Episode 115Dr. Jim deMaine is with us to talk with us about advocacy in serious illness and his book Facing Death: Finding Dignity Hope and Healing at the End. Dr. deMaine is a retired Pulmonary and Critical Care physician, an accomplished public speaker, and an outspoken advocate for end-of-life decisions. In his book Facing Death: Finding Dignity, Hope and Healing at the End, Jim shares numerous stories that serve as cautionary tales about completing advance care planning discussions prior to a serious illness or health crisis. The book illuminates the weakness of the healthcare system, managing to also highlight the l...
2022-08-0554 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastWhat You Need To Know About Medical Aid In Dying: A Discussion with Author Anita Hannig, Episode 114Anthropologist Anita Hannig is talking with us about Medical Aid in Dying, misconceptions about assisted dying laws, and her new book The Day I Die: The Untold Story of Assisted Dying in America. Every end of life professional should be informed about what medical aid in dying really is. MAID laws, otherwise known as Death with Dignity laws, have been passed in ten states across the U.S. as well as Washington, D.C. Regardless of whether their state has a law permitting MAID, it’s important that healthcare providers are able to answer questions that might arise from se...
2022-08-0156 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastWhat You Need to Know About Comfort Feedings, Heartbeat Episode 296We’re talking about comfort feedings today, how they work and the benefits they hold for hospice patients and their caregivers. Comfort feeding, (also pleasure feeding, is the practice of feeding the patient only what the patient likes and wants. It might not be considered particularly healthy. It’s more about enhancing quality of life for the patient. The focus of food intake is on comfort rather than good nutrition. The choices about food and drink are driven by the patient’s ability to swallow, of course. If a patient’s ability to swallow is impaired, he might just take the food...
2022-07-2914 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastEmpathy.com Supports Grievers When They Need It the MostNavigating the maze of responsibilities following a death can be overwhelming. Empathy.com can help. The Empathy founders know that loss-related tasks are many, ranging from writing an obituary to closing out business accounts and subscriptions. On the Empathy website, you’ll find resources to help with choosing a funeral home and celebrant, writing a eulogy, and dealing with issues related to the will. Empathy Care Specialists are available to offer guidance and services to walk through the items that need to be completed after a death. They can even help with writing an obituary. On the Empathy app, there...
2022-07-2212 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastHow to Do Death Better with Dr. BJ Miller, Episode 113We’re honored to feature hospice physician and innovator BJ Miller in an amazing discussion about strengths, trends, and the future of end-of-life care. Dr. Miller is an advocate, thought-leader, and leader on the front lines of end-of-life care. He has been a physician for 19 years and has counseled over 1,000 patients and family members. This vast experience has led him to understand what people really need when dealing with difficult health situations. His TED Talk, What Really Matters at the End of Life has had over 11 million views. He’s the co-author of A Beginner’s Guide to the End: Prac...
2022-07-1558 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastKnow Your Patient Rights Series 5, Heartbeat Episode 294In the final episode of our Patient Right series, we’re talking about the right to choose medications, equipment, and who makes visits to the home. The care that’s provided for a hospice patient is collected into something called a Plan of Care. That Plan of Care includes every intervention the hospice team provides, including medications, any medical equipment that’s needed, and which disciplines on the hospice team will make visits with the patient. There’s a lot of information in a Plan of Care and should be individualized to the patient’s and caregiver’s needs. Medications are...
2022-07-0822 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastHow to Care for Your Team Beyond the Ordinary with Dr. Michelle Owens & RN Keisha Jones, Episode 112Meet RN Keisha Jones and Dr. Michelle Owens of Hospice Austin and hear how they take extraordinary care of their hospice team with a debriefing program. . After seeing signs of accelerated compassion and moral fatigue in their hospice clinical team in 2021, Keisha and Michelle realized there was more needed beyond pizza parties. They put their heads together to create a debriefing program. As director of the clinical team, Keisha saw that nurses and other clinicians were deeply involved with patients, and the grief of not having families with dying patients was severely affecting the team. A safe space to discu...
2022-07-0156 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastKnow Your Patient Rights Series #4, Heartbeat Episode 293Hospice patients have the right to start and stop hospice care. Your hospice, your choices. After a physician determines that a patient has a “terminal prognosis” - a six-month life expectancy, a patient can be admitted to hospice if the patient chooses to start, or “elect”, hospice. The patient might still refuse to start hospice. There are numerous reasons why that might happen. Feeling like hospice is giving up hope, waiting for test results, or wanting to pass a milestone anniversary or holiday are all reasons people delay starting hospice care. Sometimes people have had a bad experience with hospice for...
2022-06-2413 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastKnow Your Patient Rights Series #3, Heartbeat Episode 292In episode 3 of our Patient Rights series, we’re talking about the right to choose a physician to manage a patient’s care while on hospice. When receiving hospice care, the patient or decision-maker has the right to choose which physician will manage care. The hospice agency is required to let the patient know he can choose an “attending physician”, a doctor who works alongside the hospice medical director and the hospice interdisciplinary team. Patients often ask a doctor who’s been their primary care provider, someone who knows them well. Hospice teams are required to include that attending physician in c...
2022-06-1708 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastHow to Be the Best Caregiver for Your Loved One with Alzheimer's or Dementia, Episode 111Caregiving for someone with Alzheimer’s or dementia holds its special challenges. Jennifer Fink of the Fading Memories Podcast is with us to share her caregiving experience. Jennifer became the caregiver for her mom after the death of her dad. Experiencing all the frustration and challenges, Jennifer looked for podcasts that could help. After not finding what she needed, Jennifer launched the Fading Memories podcast. The podcast content is designed to help anyone who is providing care for someone with Alzheimer’s or dementia. According to the Fading Memories Podcast website, “Jennifer is the daughter, granddaughter & great-granddaughter of women who suffere...
2022-06-1551 min
2022-06-1013 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastKnow Your Patient Rights Series #1 - Heartbeat Episode 290A common myth about hospice is that patients and families don’t have any choices once hospice care starts, so we’re talking about all the rights patients really do have. Don't miss this 5 part series! It’s vital that both consumers and providers of hospice care know what rights the patient (or the responsible decision-maker) has. Those rights are real and every agency serving seriously ill patients should provide a list to their patients and caregivers. We’re highlighting some of the most important rights - the right to make a complaint, the right to choose a physician, the right...
2022-06-0308 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastHospice Nurse Julie is the New TikTok PhenomenonWho knew that TikTok videos about death and dying would gain 800,000 followers? Hospice Nurse Julie is our guest, talking about why her hospice videos have gone viral, and what she finds meaningful about working in end-of-life care. RN Julie McFadden started making the videos, never dreaming that four days later so many people would connect with her content. As a hospice nurse, Julie has heard all the questions from patients and families dealing with serious illness. Topics of her videos include the dying process, end of life medications, visioning, and what a natural death looks like. The average age of a...
2022-06-0143 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastWhat You Need to Know About Bereavement Services, Heartbeat Episode 289Bereavement care is part of hospice, but what exactly is it, who does it, and what should it look like? Hospice agencies in the U.S. are required to offer bereavement services to families and loved ones of patients who die on hospice service. For up to 13 months after the death, families receive support for their grief. It can come in many different forms, depending on the individual needs of the family. The Bereavement Plan of Care is written according to how the family is coping with the death. Hospice team members do a Bereavement Risk Assessment, factoring in situ...
2022-05-2716 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastGetting Back to the Basics of Quality Self Care, Heartbeat Episode 288How's your self-care these days? We're getting back to the basics of care of body, mind, and spirit. Maybe your self care got off track during the pandemic, but it’s always a good time to do a care inventory. It’s important to ask yourself 5 things about your self care: 1) Is it affordable? 2) Is it sustainable? 3) Is it enjoyable? 4) Is it flexible? 5) Is it actionable?
Here’s what we know about self care. You have to like what you choose to do (enjoyable). You might need to change it at a moment’s notice (flexible). It needs to be somethi...
2022-05-2016 min
2022-05-1816 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastHow to Create Meaningful Care with CareStory, Episode 109Certified Dementia Practitioner Nicole Shute is talking with us about CareStory and its mission to make caring a collaborative effort between caregivers and families. According to the CareStory website, CareStory is “a non-medical digital solution approach to bridge the gap between aging populations, their families, and caregivers. It provides individualized holistic person-centered care for senior residents and just-in-time support to caregivers by engaging families through the use of smart devices. Each resident’s profile has a quick fact page, personalized music, life stories, and video messages that can greatly facilitate caregivers’ daily jobs.” Nicole and the CareStory team provide a multi-fac...
2022-05-1541 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastHow to get the Best Hospice Care with Therapies, Heartbeat Episode 287We’re clearing up the confusion about using therapies (physical, speech, and occupational) for hospice patients. It’s one of the confusing issues in hospice - whether therapy modalities can be used in end of life care. The truth is that PT, ST, and OT can be utilized in hospice. The goal of these therapies is not rehabilitation or long-term strengthening. The real goal for each of these therapies is enhancing quality of life, focusing on education of the patient and caregivers, and teaching safe practices for patient care. Physical therapists can teach safe transfer techniques, good body mechanics, turning a...
2022-05-1315 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastHow to Make Solo Caregiving Easier, Heartbeat Episode 286Solo caregiving is a complicated job. Creating a caregiving village can make it easier. Over 54 million people across the U.S. are unpaid caregivers. They might provide care for a spouse or partner, child, friend, or parent. They might also be providing that care by themselves - a solo caregiver. One person caring for another is often a full time job, especially if there’s a serious illness or terminal diagnosis. So many factors come into play: health issues of the caregiver, physical demands of the seriously ill person, financial demands, additional responsibilities or a full time paying job, aroun...
2022-05-0619 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastBenjamin Kintisch Talks About Life Review: The Hospice Musical, Episode 108Humor and compassion overflow in our guest Benjamin Kintisch, hospice chaplain and director of Life Review: The Hospice Musical! Working with hospice patients as a spiritual counselor inspired Benjamin to tell his patients’ stories in songs that captivate the audience. Benjamin holds a Masters in Sacred Music and Cantorial degree, and has completed his fourth year of chaplaincy training, having served in both hospice and eldercare facilities. He serves in his community as a middle school chorus teacher. According to the Life Review: The Musical website, the show celebrates “life, love and loss through three seasons at a residential hospic...
2022-05-011h 11
The Heart of Hospice PodcastHow to Respect & Honor Other People's Hospice Choices, Heartbeat Episode 285Choosing hospice care can be a very difficult decision, whether it’s for yourself or someone you are about. It’s important to respect those choices. Most people who decide to utilize hospice care have experienced a serious illness. Sometimes there’s been a catastrophic health event that limits someone’s life expectancy. It’s easy to judge someone else’s choices from an outsider perspective. Even hospice and end of life professionals criticize the choice not to accept hospice care when the referral is made by the healthcare community. It’s important to remember that we might not have all the inform...
2022-04-2923 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastLearning How to Interpret the Language of Hospice, Heartbeat Episode 284Words, terms, and acronyms - it’s important to know how to speak the language to get the best quality hospice you can. When you’re in an unfamiliar situation, understanding the terms that are being used will help you to manage things better. There’s a lot of stress when someone is experiencing a serious illness, starting hospice, or communicating with a hospice interdisciplinary team. Professionals should use words that patients and caregivers understand, not leave them with more questions and increased anxiety. Listen to the whole episode for examples of the common terms you might hear in end of li...
2022-04-2222 min
Ask Nurse AliceThis is What It's Like To Work as a Hospice Nurse (with Beth Cavenaugh, RN, BSN, CHPN)So many times healthcare workers are focused on life-saving interventions for their patients. But what happens when the goals of care shift to providing comfort care only? What does that really mean? Do you clearly understand the difference between palliative care and hospice care? Do you know what a POLST is? This is a topic we don't talk enough about until we're in those situations. In this episode Nurse Alice speaks with Beth Cavenaugh, RN, BSN, CHPN who knows all too well what nurses are up against, not only during this overwhelming era but always. With over t...
2022-04-1935 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastAre You Ready for National Healthcare Decisions Day?, Heartbeat Special Episode April 16, 2022In recognition of National Healthcare Decisions Day 2022, we’re talking about advance care planning. What’s your plan for your healthcare and who have you told it to? National Healthcare Decisions Day was started in 2008 by attorney Nathan Kottkamp to encourage people to complete their advance care planning. Every year on April 16 (the day after Tax Day), National Healthcare Decisions Day is observed. It’s the perfect day to make your end of life plans. Develop your plan - think about your beliefs, wishes, and wants for healthcare during a serious illness. Document your plan - put your plan into the le...
2022-04-1611 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastSharing Meaningful Rituals with Hospice Nurse Pepper Cappuccio, Episode 107Hospice nurse and author Pepper Cappuccio is talking with us about his book “Warm Water: The Last Act of Compassion”, and how he creates meaning for patients and their families in their last moments. Carl “Pepper” Cappuccio has been a nurse for over 15 years, and a hospice nurse for 10 years. According to his website peppercappuccio.com, “he became a registered nurse more than 15 years ago, however, it was not until he experienced the death of his own mother that he realized his true calling. Hospice nursing is what brings him joy and satisfaction.” Due to his personal experience with his mom, Pepper...
2022-04-1547 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastHow to Avoid Labels and the Damage They Cause, Heartbeat Episode 283Using labels for people can be evidence of our implicit bias. Hospice providers can enhance the quality of care by avoiding labels. If you have a brain, you have a bias. It’s who we are as humans. The key to treating our patients and their families with respect and compassion is to avoid labels that make them less than human. Healthcare providers might not even realize the labels we give our patients are disrespectful or derogatory. It’s possible to describe a patient’s condition or status without using a term that is demeaning. It’s also possible to report beha...
2022-04-0816 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastDaryl Cady, CEO of Hospice of Southern Maine on the 2022 Thresholds Conference, Heartbeat Special EpisodeDaryl Cady, CEO of Hospice of Southern Maine is sharing details about the 2022 Thresholds Conference. What an amazing opportunity to unite for conversations about end of life! The conference features keynote speaker Elizabeth Gilbert, #1 New York Times best selling author of Eat, Pray, Love. Additionally, the conference includes singer/songwriter Michelle Zauner, author of Crying in H Mart. The theme for the 2022 Thresholds conference is “Grief is Individual and Universal”. Both speakers have experienced their own losses, and will share the stories of their unique grief journeys. Anyone who has experienced a loss can relate to the message of Thresholds...
2022-04-0514 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastFrom Grief to Growth with Paula Stephens, Epi. 106Today’s guest is a chaplain in the Buddhist tradition and author of “From Grief to Growth: 5 Essential Elements of Action to Give Grief A Purpose and Grow From Your Experience”. You’re going to love our conversation with Paula Stephens!! Paula has a Master's Degree in Exercise Physiology and studied Buddhist Chaplaincy at Upaya Institute and Zen Center. She’s a Certified Wellness Coach, Mindfulness Teacher, Clinical Hypnotherapist, a Yoga Instructor and a hospital chaplain in the Buddhist traditions. She brings professionalism and compassion to her work by recognizing the importance of healing the whole person, mind/body/spirit. Afte...
2022-04-011h 04
The Heart of Hospice PodcastHow to Manage the Financial Aspects of Caregiving, Heartbeat Episode 282Financial burden is a real problem for over 55 million caregivers across the U.S. What money issues do people need to consider before they take on the caregiving role? Often a caregiver has many roles, including being a full time wage earner and other family caregiving responsibilities like kids. Caregivers spent an average of $7000 of their own money in 2017 for things like medical expenses, legal fees, and paid caregiving help. It’s important to stay informed, and to think about the financial needs in advance if you can. Keep in mind the financial health of both the one needing care a...
2022-03-2514 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastHelp for Your Grieving Heart Series Wrap Up with Gabby Jimenez, Heartbeat Episode 281We’re wrapping up our Grief Series in collaboration with Gabby Jimenez of The Hospice Heart, featuring social workers Isabel Stenzel and Lisa Pahl of The Death Deck. After discussing prolonged grief, helping children manage grief, and dealing with grief for someone while still providing care for someone else, we’ve grown in our understanding of how grief affects our lives. Gabby says that being stuck in grief really hit home with her. The situation of being unable to move through grief is very real. For Helen, Isabel’s guidance about how children grief was so helpful. As Isabel said, “If y...
2022-03-1812 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastDiscussing Memorial Tattoos with Deborah Davidson of The Tattoo Project, Episode 105Memorial tattoos have become a popular way of remembering loved ones. Our guest today is Deborah Davidson, creator of The Tattoo Project. Deborah has done some amazing research and work into how we express our grief through tattoo body art. Tattoos have become more mainstream than ever. As a sociologist, Deborah has researched deeply into death and dying, bereavement and grief. She had her own personal grief experiences as well. Working as a volunteer for a bereavement families organization, she began seeing more and more tattoos in memory of loved ones who had died. Historically, tattoos have been used for s...
2022-03-1546 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastHelp for Your Grieving Heart with Lisa Pahl and Gabby Jimenez, Part 5, Heartbeat Episode 280In episode 5 in our Grief Series in partnership with Gabby Jimenez of The Hospice Heart, hospice social worker Lisa Pahl of the Death Deck is back to talk with us about managing grief for a loved one while still providing care for someone else. Multiple losses can be overwhelming, and Lisa reminds there’s no magic answer. It’s important to assess whether you can step back from current caregiving responsibilities and let someone else take on some of the work, even if it’s only temporary. Hospice professionals have to ask themselves the same question as they move from pati...
2022-03-1118 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastHelp for Your Grieving Heart with Isabel Stenzel and Gabby Jimenez of The Hospice Heart, Part 4, Heartbeat Episode 279Part 4 of our Grief Series with Gabby Jimenez of The Hospice Heart features bereavement social worker Isabel Stenzel, with a focus on grief in children and young adults. Younger people navigate grief differently. As hospice and bereavement professionals, it’s important to remember to respect the instinct and wishes of the parents. There are numerous ways children can be connected to someone who’s dying - writing letters and cards or drawing pictures. If we’re old enough to love, we’re old enough to grieve. A time of loss is an opportunity to teach a child how to navigate a g...
2022-03-0429 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastFinding Refuge in Grief with Reid Peterson, Episode 104Reid Peterson of Grief Refuge brings a serene energy to our conversation about grief support, self care, and finding your normal inside a grief journey. Thanks for connecting with The Heart of Hospice! Reid is the founder and creator of the Grief Refuge app. He holds a masters degree in transpersonal psychology, and is certified in death and grief studies by the Center for Loss and Life Transition. Reid lost his biological father to suicide, and his stepfather to cancer. His personal experience helped him identify the need for grief support after a loss. He created the Grief Refuge app...
2022-03-0146 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastHelp for Your Grieving Heart with Lisa Pahl of The Death Deck, Part 3, Heartbeat Episode 278Social worker and Death Deck co-creator Lisa Pahl is with us for part 3 of our Grief Series in collaboration with Gabby Jimenez of The Hospice Heart. Lisa is sharing tips for grief that lasts for years. We can’t take away the grief of someone else, but we can provide support and comfort through presence and touch. Something as simple as holding a hand and being quiet with someone can be helpful. Lisa also encourages participation in grief support groups. It’s important to engage in groups, resources, or even apps that work for the griever’s needs and ability to...
2022-02-2519 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastHelp for Your Grieving Heart with Isabel Stenzel and Gabby Jimenez, Part 2, Heartbeat Episode 277In collaboration with Gabby Jimenez of The Hospice Heart, we’re featuring social worker Isabel Stenzel in Part 2 of our Grief Series. Isabel specializes in grief and bereavement, and she shares guidance about how to cope with grief in healthy ways. Identifying when extra support is needed during a grief journey is really important. Talking with a close friend who listens well, or a professional grief counselor is a good way to get help. Isabel offers that it can be helpful to focus on the grief during a talking session, and then set it aside for a while to relie...
2022-02-1822 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastLife After Child Loss with Peggy Green, Episode 103Grief coach Peggy Green is with us talking about her journey through child loss, the lessons she’s learned, and her book “Life After Child Loss: A Mother’s Guide to Survival”. Peggy became a grief coach after experiencing the loss of two children, a nine month old daughter and her 24 year old son. Her wisdom is invaluable for anyone who has experienced the death of a child. Her mission according to her website theegriefspecialist.com is to “bring hope to mothers who are grieving the loss of a child and support to those who feel they can't find hope for the fu...
2022-02-1545 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastHelp for Your Grieving Heart Series, Part 1, Heartbeat Episode 276Welcome to our series on grief in collaboration with Gabby Jimenez of The Hospice Heart, featuring grief experts Isabel Stenzel and Lisa Pahl of The Death Deck. Gabby, a hospice nurse, began noticing an increase in questions about grief on her Facebook group for The Hospice Heart. She’s partnered with us at The Heart of Hospice to bring you this six part series on grief. We’re going to be talking about numerous topics related to grief, including grief that seems to last for longer than it should, when to seek professional help for your grief, grieving for one per...
2022-02-1110 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastSelf Care Series for Caregivers, Wrap Up, Heartbeat Episode 275With over 50 million caregivers caring for loved ones across the U.S., self care has become an urgent need. We’re wrapping up our Self Care Series, helping you take care of body, mind, and spirit. Caregivers use their whole “selves” - body, mind, and spirit - to provide care for loved ones, family, and friends. If you’re a hospice professional caring for those who provide unpaid care for those with serious illness, it’s important to provide education on self care. Personal caregivers have reduced quality of life due to the demands of caregiving responsibilities. Isolation, sleep deprivation...
2022-02-0411 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastA Discussion with William Peters, Author and Psychotherapist, Episode 102Author William Peters is a licensed psychotherapist and author of At Heaven’s Door. In our discussion he describes his own personal experience with a Shared Death Experience (SDE) as a volunteer at the Zen Hospice Project in San Francisco. That experience, along with previous life events, motivated William to spend the next 20 years researching and gathering stories of other people’s “shared crossing” experiences. He’s the co-founder of The Shared Crossing Project (sharedcrossing.com), an organization “dedicated to raising awareness and educating people about shared crossings, which are transformative and healing experiences reported by dying persons as well as their...
2022-02-0157 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastA Self Care Series for Caregivers, Part 4, Heartbeat Episode 274In episode 4 of our Self Care Series, we’re talking about nurturing your spirit, supporting hope, and sustaining your spirit while providing care for someone with a serious illness. Just as you care for body and mind, it’s important to provide care for our spirits as well. While caregiving might create isolation for the caregiver, it’s possible to maintain practices that will support spiritual health. Music, nature, connecting to a faith community, and continuing personal faith rituals at home can provide positive influence on the human spirit. Be sure to connect with your faith leader or hospice chaplain f...
2022-01-2813 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastA Self Care Series for Caregivers, Part 3, Heartbeat Episode 273Providing care for a loved one can have long-term effects on mental health. In part 3 of our Self Care Series for Caregivers, we’ve got tips for self care of the mind. When it comes to self care, we have to care for body, mind, and spirit. Caring for one of the parts of our Self means we’re also caring for the other two. If you’re an unpaid caregiver, you put in a lot of work to meet the needs for your loved one. It’s important to remember to care for yourself. When the overwhelm starts to affect men...
2022-01-2113 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastWriting Your Final Chapter with Author Kimberly Best, Episode 101RN and author Kimberly Best is the author of “How to Live Forever: A Guide to Writing the Final Chapter of Your Life Story”. Kim talked with us about her career spent in nursing and conflict management, and the value of mediation for end of life decisions. Kim has a master’s degree in Conflict Management, and is trained in Transformative Mediation and Healthcare Mediation. Her passion for resolving conflicts without litigation is evident in her work and her wisdom. According to her website BestConflictSolutions.com, Kim’s book “provides you with tools that can help you have the difficult co...
2022-01-1550 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastA Self Care Series for Caregivers - Part 2, Heartbeat Episode 272Caregiving can take a toll on the physical health of a caregiver. We’ve got some tips in episode 2 of our Self Care Series for Caregivers! Of course, it’s important to get clearance from your doctor before you start any physical regimen. Then start out low and low. Listen to what your body is telling you. Make your exercise regimen affordable, reasonable, sustainable, and mostly importantly - fun! Do an activity that’s enjoyable for you. Make it a social activity and invite a friend. Having someone to exercise with, having company in the form of an accountability partner is a...
2022-01-1412 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastA Self Care Series for Caregivers, Part 1 - Intro, Heartbeat Episode 271Welcome to part 1 of our series on Self Care for Caregivers! 53 million people across the U.S. are unpaid caregivers for a loved one, and they need intentional self care every single day. Caregiving responsibilities affect the caregiver in almost every aspect of life, taking a big toll on body, mind, and spirit. It’s a hard job, sometimes very solitary, and affects quality of life for the caregiver. Because the caregiving system of a terminally ill or seriously ill person is so fragile, it’s important that the caregiver practice self care on a daily basis. Self care that care...
2022-01-0707 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastEnd of Life Insights from Hospice RN Beth Cavenaugh, Episode 100Hospice nurse Beth Cavenaugh is talking with us today about her passion for end of life care and her book, Some Light at the End. As a Hospice and Palliative Care Certified RN, Beth has 15 years experience in hospice nursing. In her book Some Light at the End, Beth shares the wisdom she’s acquired through the years working with seriously ill and dying patients. Her personal story includes end of life care as well through the care of her mother as she journeyed through a lung cancer diagnosis. Beth was inspired by that personal journey to go into hospi...
2022-01-0150 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastA New Year Brings New Possibilities, Heartbeat Episode 270We’re on the brink of the near year and the possibilities are endless. What do we hope 2022 will bring for the hospice industry? Looking at the year ahead, we hope for good things to come. Above all, we hope for a resolution to the pandemic that has brought so much suffering around the world. Jerry and Helen will be connecting with some awesome guests in the new year- experts in the hospice industry who’ll share their professional experiences along with their personal journeys in end of life care. We’ll be introducing you to new industry trends and reconne...
2021-12-3109 min
The Heart of Hospice Podcast2021 - The Year in Review, Heartbeat Episode 269We’re looking back on 2021 and all the changes it brought for the hospice industry. Some of the changes were good, and some of the changes were challenging. Staffing shortages, waiting lists for patients to be admitted to hospice, regulatory changes, and shortages of PPE were a few of the obstacles hospice teams all over the country face. 2021 also brought some changes that improved the care we provide. Learning to use technology to keep our team members updated and keep patients connected with their loved ones became a strength for end of life professionals. The Heart of Hospice podcast feature...
2021-12-2412 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastHow Professional Boundaries Keep Everybody Safe, Heartbeat Episode 268The professional boundaries that hospice teams should maintain help to keep everyone safe - patients and caregivers, as well as the end of life professionals providing the care. It’s important that the boundaries between care providers and care consumers are established from the start of care and continue until the last day care is provided. Unhealthy or blurred boundaries can cause patients or their caregivers to have unrealistic expectations about the kind of care an interdisciplinary team will provide. Connection through social media, engaging deeply within the family life of the patient, or disclosing personal issues to patients and c...
2021-12-1726 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastChasing Life Author Robert Pardi Shares His Story of Life, Love, and Caregiving Lessons, Episode 099Life coach and author Robert Pardi joins us in this episode to share his extraordinary caregiving story. Robert cared for his wife Desiree for 11 years after she was diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer. He became her caregiver, coach, advocate, and eventually her hospice. His book Chasing Life is about the resiliency and meaning they built throughout her illness, and how Robert created meaning in his life after Desiree’s death. As a caregiver, Robert felt honored to be trusted with Desiree’s care. He became a unique advocate for her, receiving all the medical information and test results on his wife...
2021-12-1559 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastSelf Care Lessons We Learned From the Pandemic, Heartbeat Episode 267The pandemic has taught us some lessons in self care. In this episode, we’re talking about what worked, the mistakes we made, and what we should have done differently. Having to change our self care for body, mind, and spirit made us realize how important it is to maintain healthy habits. The stress and restrictions caused by the public health emergency forced changes in our workouts. It was difficult to be consistent in healthy activities. We created a small workout group to increase our accountability and keep each other safe in the summer heat. Self care of mind and spi...
2021-12-1020 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastJerry and Helen Recommend the Fading Memories Podcast, Heartbeat Episode 266The Fading Memories podcast is a great resource for Alzheimer’s and dementia caregivers. Host Jennifer Fink provides information, inspiration, and even some giggles. According to the Fading Memories podcast website, Jennifer interviews people who have some of the answers and families currently on this journey. The website features links to the podcast, a blog, even recipes for people caring for loved ones with memory loss. You can listen to the podcast at https://fadingmemoriespodcast.com/category/episodes/ or find it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. If you’re caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, remember you’re not...
2021-12-0312 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastA Conversation With Remembering.Live Founder Dave Kerpen, Episode 098Our guest today is Dave Kerpen - serial entrepreneur, NY Times best-selling author, and founder of Remembering.Live. When Dave lost his mom during the pandemic lockdown of 2020, Dave and his team created a virtual memorial service and memorial website to honor her memory. Through the Remembering.Live website, families can honor their loved ones with virtual memorial services, create a tribute website, so families can focus on being with friends and family. An edited recording of the service can be uploaded as a last memorial. Remembering.Live serves people all over the world, providing a virtual platform and ou...
2021-12-0139 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastCreating Meaning With a Memorial Tattoo, Heartbeat Episode 265Remembering a loved one with a memorial tattoo is a unique way of creating meaning out of loss. Memorial tattoos, also known remembrance tattoos, can be a meaningful part of a grief journey. Many people who’ve experienced the loss of a loved one get tattoos in memory of someone special, a friend or loved one, or even a pet. Sometimes it’s a name, sometimes it's a symbol or custom design. These types of tattoos benefit our grief journey, and honor the experience of loss. It’s a unique and last way of making meaning during a grief journey. G...
2021-12-0110 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastAll About Hospice for Hospice and Palliative Care Month Part 3, Heartbeat Episode 264In episode 3 of our series in honor of National Hospice and Palliative Care Month, we’re sharing what we think hospice will look like in the future, along with our wishes for end of life care. The large Baby Boomer population is going to require skilled clinicians, and a lot of them! The use of telehealth has become a valuable tool for hospice teams and will probably be used even more in the future. Hospice professionals, regardless of what discipline, will need to be skilled communicators to provide education to seriously ill patients and their caregivers. When we think about...
2021-11-1916 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastThe A to Z Healing Toolbox for Those Who Grieve with Susan Hannifin-MacNab, Epi. 097Episode 097 - The A2Z HealingToolbox for Those Who Grieve (Mon. 11-15-2021) Susan Hannifin-MacNab is the creator of the A to Z Healing Toolbox, a great resource for navigating grief and trauma with practical tools and resources. Susan became a widow when her husband was killed in a car accident, leaving her with a young son. Using the wisdom she gained through her experience, Susan wrote the A to Z Healing Toolbox to help others who have similar experiences begin to restore, renew, and rebuild their lives. As an educator and social worker, Susan recognized the ne...
2021-11-1544 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastAll About Hospice for Hospice and Palliative Care Month, Part 2, Heartbeat Episode 263In part 2 of our series in celebration of National Hospice and Palliative Care Month, we’re discussing current trends in hospice in the U.S. Hospice has changed through the years. While we still take care of cancer patients, we also see patients at end of life with other diagnoses - cardiac, dementia, respiratory, stroke, and kidney (renal) conditions. According to NHPCO Facts and Figures report from 2020, Over half of hospice patients in the US are on service for 30 days or less , and a quarter of hospice patients receive care for 7 days or less. Staffing is a challenge for hospic...
2021-11-1215 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastAll About Hospice for Hospice and Palliative Care Month, Pt. 1, Heartbeat Episode 262November is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month! We’re talking about the history of hospice, including medieval hospice houses, Dame Cicely Saunders, Florence Wald, and the modern hospice movement. The rich history of hospice began in medieval times as monks and nuns of the religious orders of the time created hospice houses where travelers along the road who were ill or injured were cared for until they died. Through the founding of St. Christopher’s Hospice in London, Dame Cicely Saunders launched the modern hospice movement. Florence Wald helped to get hospice started in the U.S along with c...
2021-11-0511 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastDr. Jessica Zitter Talks About Caregiver: A Love Story - Episode 096 We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Jessica Zitter back to the podcast to talk about her new documentary “Caregiver: A Love Story”. As a critical care and palliative care physician, Dr. Zitter has seen the true struggles of caregivers of loved ones with serious illness. Dr. Zitter is also the author of Extreme Measures: Finding A Better Path to the End of Life, a book that offers an insider’s view of intensive care in America and its impact on how we die. Her work is featured in the 2017 Oscar- and Emmy-nominated short-documentary “Extremis”. Her new documentary, “Caregiver: A Love Story” exam...
2021-11-0151 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastOur Top 10 Tips for Personal Caregivers, Heartbeat Episode 261We’re sharing our top 10 tips for the over 53 million unpaid caregivers in the U.S.! Caregiving is a hard job. It takes patience, energy, self-awareness, and endurance. We’ve been personal caregivers for family members and friends on hospice, in addition to our work as end of life professionals. To help our caregiving colleagues, we’ve put together a list of tips we think are the most crucial things a caregiver should do. It’s important to remember to take breaks, both short (like a cup of coffee or some deep breathing) and long (like the 5 day respite from your ho...
2021-10-2912 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastGet the Insider Information on Managing Narcotics in Hospice, Heartbeat Episode 260Patients with serious illness frequently need pain management. How do hospice teams manage opioids and the challenges that come with them? There’s often a lack of understanding about how pain medications are used in end of life care. When a patient’s pain is managed, his quality of life is better. Hospice physicians and nurses are responsible for ensuring the pain is adequately and safely controlled. Pain affects many aspects of the patient’s life - sleep, mindset, activity tolerance, social interactions, participation in personal care, and appetite. That’s why everyone on the hospice interdisciplinary team is responsible f...
2021-10-2221 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastFuneral Planning Made Easy With Funeralocity, Episode 095Funeralocity is a great resource for both consumers and hospice professionals when it comes to funeral planning. Funeralocity provides information to help users compare up-to-date pricing and services from funeral homes and cremation providers in their area, get pricing and services for funeral homes enrolled in the Excellence Provider Program, and select a funeral home that feels like a good fit. According to the Funeralocity website, their Excellence Provider Program is “part of our mission to help families make the best choices for their funeral services. Cremation providers and funeral homes across the country apply for this cer...
2021-10-1544 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastSimplifying Medications by Deprescribing, Heartbeat Episode 259It’s a hospice patient’s right to choose how medications are managed. Deprescribing (simplifying or reducing) meds can be a huge benefit to both patient and caregiver. There’s a myth that all the medications will be stopped when a seriously ill patient is admitted to hospice services. Not true!! Medications for hospice patients are reviewed by the doctor and the team when hospice services start. The patient and/or caregiver is part of that discussion. Often the patient reports the number of medications is a burden. In hospice we call it “pill burden”. Too many medications, along with their side e...
2021-10-0818 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastGive A Mile: Giving the Gift of a Good-bye, Episode 94Founder Kevin Long and the team at Give A Mile help to connect loved ones when they need it most. After experiencing the loss of his close friend Ryan, Kevin launched Give A Mile. According to the Give A Mile website, “Give A Mile is a group of dedicated volunteers who believe strongly in the power of visits from loved ones for people in palliative or critical condition.” The organization uses donated flight miles to purchase flights that allow family members to travel to be with critically ill loved ones. 100% of donations go to “flights of compassion” and associated travel fee...
2021-10-0152 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastHome is Where the Hospice Patient Says It Is, Heartbeat Episode 258Hospice interdisciplinary teams provide the best care possible for seriously ill people, no matter where they call home. Whether it’s a long term care facility (nursing home), assisted living facility, private residence or apartment, halfway house, a homeless shelter, or on the streets, end of life care professionals try to meet the needs of the patient in the patient’s own space. Coordinating with other care providers is key. Talking with facility staff or care coordinators should happen with every visit, and every time there’s a change in the patient’s condition. The other key action is communicatio...
2021-09-2414 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastIncluding the Entire Hospice Team in the Care of the Patient, Heartbeat Episode 257Utilizing every discipline on the hospice interdisciplinary team helps to ensure the best outcomes and quality of care. Here 's why. Each member of a hospice team brings unique skills along with specialized training to the care of a seriously ill patient, and their caregivers, too. Nurses (RNs, LVNs/LPNs), doctors, and nurse practitioners manage the clinical parts of patient care. Spiritual counselors (or chaplains) care for the spiritual health of the patient, for all possible faith systems or beliefs. Psychosocial needs (mental and emotional health needs) are managed by the social worker. An aide provides personal care such as a...
2021-09-1719 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastDiscussing the Effects of the Pandemic with Hospice Icon Barbara Karnes, Episode 093Barbara Karnes, author of the iconic hospice guide “the little blue book” Gone from My Sight, talks with Jerry and Helen about ritual, self care wisdom, and thriving as end of life workers. We’re honored to feature our third discussion with Barbara about what she’s seen during the last year. As a hospice RN, Barbara understands how important it is to stay connected to our patients and their families, and to care for our whole selves as we care for seriously ill patients. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way hospice professionals provide care for their patients. To continue...
2021-09-1544 min
The Post-Acute POVDriving operational success in home-based palliative care with Sarah Kivett, BSN, RN, CHPN, Director of Palliative Care Services, Hospice & Palliative Care of Iredell CountyIntroduction
In this episode of the Post-Acute POV, our host, Melissa Polly, director of marketing for home & hospice, sits down with Sarah Kivett, BSN, RN, CHPN, director of palliative care services, Hospice & Palliative Care of Iredell County. The topic for their conversation is driving operational success in home-based palliative care and how to start a palliative care program within your organization.
Join Melissa and Sarah as they discuss the foundation of success for a new palliative care program: ensuring organizational buy-in, understanding payer sources, being patient, and more. This episode will provide a firsthand look...
2021-06-0322 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastConnection Moment with Helen Haddick RN, CHPN, Episode 20Today’s Connection Moment features our wonderful friend, hospice nurse Helen Haddick. She shares a reminder for us to be compassionate not only with patients and families, but also with ourselves. It’s good to remember that everybody is facing his own challenges during this pandemic season. We all need to feel we’re safe. Treating each other with empathy will help us get through the added stress. We need to remember that everyone is just trying to do the best he can. Helen also writes from her heart on her website From Saving to Sending. You can read her blog at f...
2020-06-1711 min
The Heart of Hospice PodcastA Hospice Journey with Jennifer Kennedy of NHPCO, Episode 049Meet Dr. Jennifer Kennedy, Senior Director of Regulatory and Quality for the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization! Jennifer sat down with Helen and Jerry to share her hospice journey, and talk about what we’re doing right in end of life care. According to her bio on the NHPCO website, Jennifer has “more than 30 years of diverse healthcare experience with consistently increasing responsibilities in management, education program development, program operation, staff development, continuous quality improvement, regulatory compliance, utilization management, outcomes analysis, public speaking, and program development and implementation. Jennifer has earned a BSN, a duel Master in Ca...
2019-11-151h 25
The Heart of Hospice PodcastHow to Become a Certified Hospice Professional, Heartbeat, Episode 130National Certified Nurses Day is March 19, and we want to recognize all of those nurses who have gone the extra mile to become Certified Hospice & Palliative Care nurses (CHPN). Thank you from The Heart of Hospice for your outstanding professionalism. Nurses aren't the only ones who can receive the hospice & palliative care certifications. Doctors, aides, social workers, and chaplains can also be certified with a specialty in hospice and palliative care. Here are some links to learn more about the certification in your discipline: Doctors Nurses Aides Social workers Chaplains To...
2019-03-1521 min