In honor of National Hospice and Palliative Care Month - and National Family Caregivers Month - we’re featuring a special 4-part series with special guest Barbara Karnes, Hospice Nurse and End of Life Educator.  In the first episode of the series, Barbara shares how she got started in end of life care back before the Medicare hospice benefit was established in the 1980’s.

Here are some highlights of this special episode:

• Barbara thinks she should have been a social worker but her mother talked her into nursing.
• She and her fellow hospice nurses learned how to provide their own self care without really knowing what it was.
• Barbara’s aversion to causing patients any pain or suffering made patient care difficult for her.
• She believes it’s important for hospice leadership to truly understand end of life work, and to have a comprehensive knowledge of hospice care.
• Barbara believes sacred rituals and beautiful memories can be created at the time of death.  

Connect with Barbara Karnes:

Website: bkbooks.com

Blog:  bkbooks.com

Shop her products:  bkbooks.com

Socials:    Facebook     Instagram     LinkedIn     Twitter     Pinterest     YouTube

Email: barbara@bkbooks.com

Thank you to our series sponsor The Death Deck!  

Connect with the End of Life Deck and the Death Deck:

Website:  thedeathdeck.comhttps://thedeathdeck.com/

Shop:  End of Life Deck   Death Deck

Socials for the Death Deck:  Facebook   IG   Twitter (X)

Hospice Navigation Services is here for you.  If you have questions about hospice care or need to troubleshoot the care you’re already receiving, book a session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com.  

Connect with The Heart of Hospice Podcast and host Helen Bauer

Website:  theheartofhospice.com

Email:  helen@theheartofhospice.com

More podcast episodes:  The Heart of Hospice Podcast

Death educator Lee Warren believes preparing for death in advance makes a good death possible. 

Over a period of two years, she experienced several deaths in her small community of 125 people, teaching her the best lessons about death as she cared for them.  

Those deaths, and the generous people who experienced them, offered an incredible opportunity for Lee to reweave a more holistic approach to end-of-life than the one generally offered to us in the U.S.  The outcome of stewarding those deaths together as a community,  including after-death care, home funerals, and home burials, was life changing and heart opening for Lee.  She has channeled the wisdom she learned into work as a Death Educator and End-of-Life Preparation Guide.  

Connect with Death Educator and End-of-Life Preparation Guide Lee Warren

Website:  queenofdeath.org/course    reclaimingwisdom.com/about 

Email:  lee@reclaimingwisdom.com

Socials for Lee Warren:   Facebook   IG

Connect with the End of Life Deck and the Death Deck

Website:  thedeathdeck.comhttps://thedeathdeck.com/

Shop:  End of Life Deck   Death Deck

Socials for the Death Deck:  Facebook   IG   Twitter (X)

Hospice Navigation Services is here for you.  If you have questions about hospice care or need to troubleshoot the care you’re already receiving, book a session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com.  

Connect with The Heart of Hospice Podcast and host Helen Bauer

Website:  theheartofhospice.com

Email:  helen@theheartofhospice.com

More podcast episodes:  The Heart of Hospice Podcast

As co-founder of Empowered Endings, Dr. Bob Uslander, is working to shift the paradigm of End of Life Care by supporting, guiding, and teaching an empowered approach to Palliative and End of Life Care.  He became aware of the gaps in hospice and palliative care that cause patients to struggle.  The deaths of his parents and a dear friend provided a personal perspective into caregiving that formed Bob’s determination to meet the needs of people with serious illness in a better way.  

Empowered Endings supports both patients and families through the final stages of life.  Bob, his wife Medical Social Worker Elizabeth, and the Empowered Endings team ensure each person feels heard, held, and whole throughout the end of life journey.  The team utilizes End of Life Doulas, nurses, a chaplain, and a grief and dementia doula.  

Connect with Dr. Bob Uslander: 

Website: https://empoweredendings.com/

Empowered Endings Community: https://empoweredendings.com/community/ 

Empowered Endings Foundation: https://empoweredendings.com/foundation/ 

Social Media for Empowered Endings

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobuslander/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/empowered_endings_/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/empowerendings/

Interested in purchasing a GrandPad to stay connected with a senior loved one?  

Get more information at https://www.grandpad.net/thoh.

GrandPad website: https://www.grandpad.net/

Social Media for GrandPad

https://facebook.com/grandpad

https://instagram.com/grandpad_social/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/grandpad

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuFAJCb7_tTneM_ikABq08Q

Connect with Jodi Clock, author of It’s Complicated! at jodieclock.com

Purchase your copy of It’s Complicated! here and learn what you need to know about: Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Long Term Care, End-of-Life Wishes and more!  It’s Complicated! has a customizable “Family Care Plan” at the end of each chapter. This care plan is also downloadable and free, regardless if you have purchased the book.  

Social Media for Jodi Clock

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/AskJodi/

Twitter (X):  https://twitter.com/jodiclock

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodi-clock-b988908/

Hospice Navigation Services is here for you.  If you have questions about hospice care or need to troubleshoot the care you’re already receiving, book a session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com.  

Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice at The Heart of Hospice Podcast (theheartofhospice.com)

Love Your Life to Death founder Yvonne Heath is teaching us how to just show up for someone who’s grieving. Yvonne has been a Registered Nurse since 1988, working in emergency and ICU settings as well as hospice and palliative care.  According to her website LoveYourLifetoDeath, Yvonne  “witnessed our grief-phobic society and how our reluctance to talk about, plan and prepare for grief, death, and dying causes excessive suffering in life and at the end of life.”  She channeled her experience, both professional and personal, into an award-winning book and a celebrated TEDx talk.  Empowering people to live life to the fullest and show up for each other to diffuse the fear around death, dying, and grief is at the center of Love Your Life to Death.  As Yvonne would say, the most important thing to do is just show up. 

Connect with Love Your Life to Death at loveyourlifetodeath.com.

Read more about founder Yvonne Heath here.

Join the #ijustshowedup movement here.

Watch Yvonne’s weekly vlog here.

Order a care package for someone you love at BeyondWordsCo.com.

Find care packages and workplace gift programs for corporate gifting, employees, co-workers, and clients here. 

Read more about how Catherine Hinz founded BeyondWords here. 

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end of life care, and self care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

Certified Grief Coach Jenny Dilts is helping people to find the calm inside the grief storm.  Jenny finds incredible meaning in supporting people going through a loss.  Jenny defines grief as a loss, change, or absence of connection.  Whether it’s from a death, a relationship, or a life role, she guides clients to find both the sadness and joy inside the grief experience. Loss of identity, trauma, independence, finances, unmet expectations and dreams are all sources of grief.  Hospice patients and their caregivers deal with grief long before a death occurs. Anticipatory grief includes so many different types of loss. Jenny believes in finding the joy that exists along with the sadness of grief.  

Listen to Jenny Dilts’ podcast Sharing Your Story: Exploring Humanity One Heart at a Time on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or Anchor FM.

Connect with Jenny’s resources at Grievingcoach.com. 

Follow Grieving Coach on Facebook here. 

Sign up for Jenny’s newsletter here.

Check out Reimagine here.

Order a care package for someone you love at BeyondWordsCo.com.

Find care packages and workplace gift programs for corporate gifting, employees, co-workers and clients here. 

Read more about how Catherine Hinz founded BeyondWords here. 

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end of life care, and self care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice at The Heart of Hospice Podcast (theheartofhospice.com)

We'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 visioning (seeing dead people or pets) and the dancing videos.  Her video about eating at the end of life has over a million views.  Using a fun medium, Penny Smith is making a difference in end of life care. 

Penny Smith's bio -

Penny Smith is a nationally certified hospice and palliative care registered nurse. She has been a hospice nurse for 17 years and worked in a variety of care settings and roles within hospice including inpatient, home case management, education, quality and regulatory. She currently works as a hospice quality manager.  Penny is a passionate advocate for hospice education with a mission to normalize the end-of-life process to remove the stigma and fear around hospice care, death and dying. During the pandemic Penny found her way to social media and discovered a unique way to utilize her death care expertise to provide education to a worldwide audience at a grassroots level. Using a variety of teaching styles including Tiktok trends, dark humor, dancing and storytelling, she has gathered over 450,000 followers on Tiktok and 100,000 on Instagram as @hospicenursepenny.

Connect with Hospice Nurse Penny’s on social media.

Facebook     IG     

Order a care package for someone you love at BeyondWordsCo.com.

Find care packages and workplace gift programs for corporate gifting, employees, co-workers and clients here. 

Read more about how Catherine Hinz founded BeyondWords here. 

Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak for your podcast, event, or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com. 

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end of life care, and self care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice at The Heart of Hospice Podcast (theheartofhospice.com)

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Empathy 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 after a loss.  Ron and the team at Empathy partner with individuals, employers, and hospice agencies to help them navigate the many challenges and unknowns after a death. Through the website and an award-winning app, Empathy provides both administrative and emotional support. 

Connect with Empathy’s resources for individuals here.  

Find Empathy’s resource for supporting an employee through a loss here. 

If you’re a hospice agency wanting to partner with Empathy’s services, click here. 

Read more articles on Empathy’s Knowledge Base. 

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end of life care, and self care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice at The Heart of Hospice Podcast (theheartofhospice.com)

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com. 

Hospice 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 King County.  Studies show African Americans have the highest mortality rate from 3 of the most common 4 hospice diagnoses, and yet utilization of hospice is reduced. As an agency owner, Nathan is serving his community in a unique way. Opening a hospice agency in Washington State takes numerous steps, resulting in the awarding of a Certificate of Need by the state. It’s a grueling process, but Nathan and his team were patient and persistent.  He’s passionate about educating and serving the people of King County and correcting the racial disparity among hospice patients.

Read more about Nathan Yemane’s agency here. 

Connect with Nathan’s agency Heart ‘n Soul Hospice at heartnsoulhospice.com. 

Interested in purchasing a GrandPad for a loved one?  Click here.

Get information about GrandPad purchases for your facility or agency here.

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end of life care, and self care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice at The Heart of Hospice Podcast (theheartofhospice.com)

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com. 

Caregiver 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 herself, her mom, and how they communicated.  Through her caregiving experiences and a lot of hard work, Susanne came to a place of self-awareness in her interactions with her mom.  She’s sharing all she’s learned with others who are walking someone else home. Caregiving changed her life, and changed who she was. 

Read more about Susanne’s story here.

Order your copy of Self-Care for Caregivers here. 

Find Susanne on social media:     Facebook    Twitter   Instagram

Connect with Susanne at caregiverwarrior.com.

Interested in purchasing a GrandPad for a loved one?  Click here.

Get information about GrandPad purchases for your facility or agency here.

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end of life care, and self care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice at The Heart of Hospice Podcast (theheartofhospice.com)

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.  

We’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, not just the sexual component.  After the death has occurred, it can be important for the partner to be involved in providing postmortem care, to bathe their loved one’s body.  Hospice professionals can support and encourage the desire of patients and their partners to be physically intimate.  Humans need connection to thrive, and that doesn’t stop in the presence of a serious illness.

Connect with Jill Johnson-Young and her work at jilljohnsonyoung.com.

If you’re interested in booking Jill to speak at your event, connect with her here. 

Buy Jill’s book The Rebellious Widow by clicking here. 

Purchase your copy of Jill’s workbook Your Own Path Through Grief here.

Interested in purchasing a GrandPad for a loved one?  Click here.

Get information about GrandPad purchases for your facility or agency here.

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end of life care, and self care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice at The Heart of Hospice Podcast (theheartofhospice.com)

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.  

Dr. 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 compassion and empathy.  She started volunteering in hospice at age 17, realizing early in her career that she wanted to work in end of life care. Aditi has a beautiful dedication and philosophy that guides the work she does with seriously ill patients and their families. 

You can connect with Dr. Aditi Sethi-Brown on her website.

Find the Center for Conscious Living and Dying on Facebook. 

Watch The Last Ecstatic Days move here.

Interested in purchasing a GrandPad for a loved one?  Click here.

Get information about GrandPad purchases for your facility or agency here.

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end of life care, and self care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice at The Heart of Hospice Podcast (theheartofhospice.com)

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.  

Dr. 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 or events.  While creating these special memories for families and patients, the 3 Wishes Program team at UCLA health finds comfort and meaning for themselves.  The staff is reminded why they work with seriously ill patients and feel their work is elevated by granting these end of life wishes. 

If you’re interested in learning more about the UCLA Health 3 Wishes Program, click here. 

Communicate with Dr. Thanh Neville, director of the UCLA health 3 Wishes Program by clicking here.

Interested in purchasing a GrandPad for a loved one?  Click here.

Get information about GrandPad purchases for your facility or agency here.

Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.  

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice at The Heart of Hospice Podcast (theheartofhospice.com)

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end of life care, and self care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

GrandPad 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 creating rich communication has always been at the heart of what we wanted to do at GrandPad”, reports GrandPad co-founder Scott Lien.  With guidance from their advisory group of super-seniors, GrandPad has created an easy to use, safe tablet that reduces isolation and loneliness.  

Interested in purchasing a GrandPad for a loved one?  Click here.

Get information about GrandPad purchases for your facility or agency here.

Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.  

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice at The Heart of Hospice Podcast (theheartofhospice.com)

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end of life care, and self care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

In part 2 of our grief series with Grief Coach Shelby Forsythia, Shelby talks about identifying your grief allies, different grief styles, and how to create continuing bonds with the ones you’ve lost.  As founder of Life After Loss Academy, she uses what she’s learned in the years after her mother’s death to help other grievers make their way through a grief journey.  Shelby uses mindfulness techniques and open-ended questions to guide her clients to welcome grief as a teacher.  Shelby’s work has been featured in Huffington Post, Bustle, and The Oprah Magazine.  Her heart and compassion is palpable in her book Your Grief, Your Way. 

Connect with Shelby Forsythia:

Website: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shelbyforsythia/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shelbyforsythia/

Free Podcast: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/dear-grief-guide-podcast

Free Workshop: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/free-workshop

Book, Your Grief, Your Way: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/your-grief-your-way

Hospice Navigation Services is here for you.  If you have questions about hospice care or need to troubleshoot the care you’re already receiving, book a session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com.

Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice at The Heart of Hospice Podcast (theheartofhospice.com)

Our 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 caregivers through difficult conversations for advance care planning. She advocates for comprehensive end of life planning, with frequent review so the ACP reflects who we are in space and time. 

Get more information about services from Pallity by clicking here. 

Find out more about the Pallity team here.  

Interested in purchasing a GrandPad for a loved one?  Click here.

Get information about GrandPad purchases for your facility or agency here.

Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.  

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice at The Heart of Hospice Podcast (theheartofhospice.com)

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end of life care, and self care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

End 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 organization Peacefully Prepared, you can create a directive for your spiritual care, no matter your faith or spiritual beliefs.  Directives for Buddhists, non-theists or those who have mainstream religious beliefs can be a vital component of an advance care plan.  

If you’d like to talk with Rhonda about the services she provides, book a Discovery Call by clicking here. 

Connect with Rhonda Lopresti via email at rhonda@peacefullyprepared.com.

Find out more about Rhonda’s services at peacefullyprepared.com.

Interested in purchasing a GrandPad for a loved one?  Click here.

Get information about GrandPad purchases for your facility or agency here.

Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.  

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice at The Heart of Hospice Podcast (theheartofhospice.com)

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end of life care, and self care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

We’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.  There were emotional impacts to the advance care planning conversations as well.  Maybe it was awareness of our own mortality, or the recognition that we might not get the time we want with kids and grandkids.  There was even some concern that no one in the family feels like a good fit to be a healthcare proxy.  As healthcare providers, we gained a new perspective on patients’ and caregivers’ experience with end of life planning.  Maybe everyone who works in end of life care should gain this valuable insight into what our patients go through to make their wishes known. 

Check out The Conversation Project website here.

Get resources to get your conversation started here.

Follow TCP on Facebook here.

Connect with TCP on Twitter here.

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end of life care, and self care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice at The Heart of Hospice Podcast (theheartofhospice.com)

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.  

In 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, posters that can be printed, handouts, and a Starter Guide - all available for free.  

Find all the resources The Conversation Project has to offer for faith communities:

• Coaching the Conversation Guide
  • A guide from The Conversation Project on how to facilitate the conversation in groups.
• Guide to Organizing Faith Based Events
  • An introduction to hosting events and tips for getting started.
• How Faith Communities Facilitate Conversations Around End-of-Life Concerns
  • Interviews show the benefits of training and engagement on advance care planning.
• Post-Event Surveys template.
• Example Programs
  • New! Thoughtful Endings, a five-part, nondenominational series of events held by The Conversation Project in Boulder County.

• Conversation Sabbath
  • An invitation to clergy to teach and preach about the importance of having The Conversation. Rather than specify certain dates, we encourage you to pick a time frame that works for your community to host a Conversation Sabbath. 

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice at The Heart of Hospice Podcast (theheartofhospice.com)

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end of life care, and self care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.  

Welcome to The Heart of Hospice podcast! You might be having to think about hospice care for yourself or someone you love. It's a big decision. Navigating end of life care can be challenging. You'll need to be an advocate for yourself and the person you care about. You're not alone. We care about your end of life experience.

Need 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 Communities.  During the wrap-up episode of the Series, Jerry and Helen will be sharing some of the lessons they’ve learned while creating their own personal advance care plans.  Stay tuned for some great discussions and tons of advance care plan resources!

Find all the resources you need for starting advance care plan conversations in your faith community here.

Need resources for ACP discussions in your community group?  Click here.

Get those ACP conversations started for yourself by clicking here.

If you need to talk with your healthcare team about your Advance Care Plan, use this resource.

Connect with all the resources from The Conversation Project here.

Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.  

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice at The Heart of Hospice Podcast (theheartofhospice.com)

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end of life care, and self care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

Kate 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, being a healthcare proxy, and what to consider if you’re dealing with a serious illness. The TCP resources come in multiple languages and forms, easily accessed and edited. All the resources and workbooks are available at no charge. Take advantage of all the free guides The Conversation Project has to offer!

Check out The Conversation Project website here.

Get resources to get your conversation started here.

Follow TCP on Facebook here.

Connect with TCP on Twitter here.

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end of life care, and self care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice at The Heart of Hospice Podcast (theheartofhospice.com)

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.  

Welcome 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 ACP event, tips for promoting your message and engaging your community, and ways to network with others. Bring those all-important end of life conversations with your group!

Connect with The Conversation Project at theconversationproject.org

Find TCP’s community resources here. 

Follow The Conversation Project on social media:

Facebook - TheConversationProject

Instagram - Convo Project

Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.  

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice at The Heart of Hospice Podcast (theheartofhospice.com)

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at helen@theheartofhospice.com.

We’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 or liquid into his mouth and then spit them out.  The best guidance about comfort feedings is this:  don’t eat or drink anything that’s going to make symptoms worse.  Shortness of breath, blood sugar fluctuation and fluid retention (edema) can all be made worse by certain foods.  Quality of life depends on managing those symptoms to the patient’s comfort level.  Because managing those symptoms is often the job of the caregiver, how comfort feedings are handled affects the caregiver, too.  So finding a good balance in comfort feedings is important.  The patient, caregiver, and the hospice team can help make that happen.

Connect with The Love Always Project by clicking here and accessing their Resource page for more support.  

Interested in anthropologist Anita Hannig’s book The Day I Die: The Untold Story of Assisted Dying in America?  Purchase your copy here or here.

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end-of-life care, and self-care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice here: https://theheartofhospice.libsyn.com/

Connect with podcast host Jerry Fenter at jerry@theheartofhospice.com.

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at helen@theheartofhospice.com.  

Navigating 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’s grief and bereavement support to ease the hard emotions that come with a loss, including a grief journal.  On the days when grief feels overwhelming, listen to Empathy’s brief mindfulness-based guided meditations that support grievers through those hard emotions.  Empathy offers services for individuals, insurers, and employers.  

Interested in anthropologist Anita Hannig’s book The Day I Die: The Untold Story of Assisted Dying in America?  Purchase your copy here or here.

Connect with The Love Always Project by clicking here and access their Resource page for more support.   

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end of life care, and self care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice here: https://theheartofhospice.libsyn.com/

Grief Coach Shelby Forsythia is teaching us how it’s possible to grow through grief.  As founder of Life After Loss Academy, she uses what she’s learned in the years after her mother’s death to help other grievers make their way through a grief journey.  Shelby uses mindfulness techniques and open-ended questions to guide her clients to welcome grief as a teacher.  Shelby’s work has been featured in Huffington Post, Bustle, and The Oprah Magazine.  Her heart and compassion is palpable in her book Your Grief, Your Way. 

Connect with Shelby Forsythia:

Website: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shelbyforsythia/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shelbyforsythia/

Free Podcast: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/dear-grief-guide-podcast

Free Workshop: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/free-workshop

Book, Your Grief, Your Way: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/your-grief-your-way

Find all the resources that Barbara Karnes has to offer at bkbooks.com.

Purchase the End of Life Guideline Series Bundle here.

Find Barbara’s new booklet Always Offer, Never Force:  Food at the End of Life here. 

Read Barbara’s blog here. 

Connect with Barbara Karnes on social media:    Facebook    Insta     LinkedIn   Twitter   Pinterest  YouTube   

Order your copies of The Hospice Care Plan: A Path to Comfort here, now available in English and Spanish!  

Check out the free library of video tutorials from the creators of The Hospice Care Plan hospice nurses Nancy Heyerman and Brenda Kizzire here.  

Read more about Nancy and Brenda and their mission to improve hospice care here.

 Find Odonata Care on social media:  Facebook   YouTube  IG   TikTok   

Hospice Navigation Services is here for you.  If you have questions about hospice care or need to troubleshoot the care you’re already receiving, book a session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com.  

Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice at The Heart of Hospice Podcast (theheartofhospice.com)

In 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 a big part of the Plan of Care.  The doctor orders what is needed and decides what’s contraindicated (not a good idea to take), but the patient or responsible caregiver gets to determine which meds will be taken.  Medications that are related to the patient’s terminal prognosis or diagnosis should be paid for by the hospice agency.  Medical equipment that is used to help seriously ill patients is also part of the Plan of Care.  The cost of that equipment is covered by the hospice agency, but the agency decides which equipment they’ll cover.  Not every patient needs every piece of equipment that’s offered.  Sometimes the patient or caregiver doesn’t want bulky equipment in their home.  It’s the patient’s right to choose what equipment gets brought in.  When it comes to which members of the hospice team make visits with the patient, the patient is the decision-maker here as well.  Except for the nurse, visits from the other team members can be refused by the patient. The nurse visits are mandatory to meet regulatory requirements.  It’s always best to allow a visit from every discipline on the team (nurse, social worker, chaplain, aide, volunteer) to make the most of the care opportunities.  Listen to the other episodes in the Know Your Rights series to get a complete picture of the rights of hospice patients! 

Find the full listing of Patient Rights here:

Patient Rights Document from the National Association of Home Care and Hospice

The hosts of The Heart of Hospice podcast would be honored to speak at your event or conference.  Send an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com or jerry@theheartofhospice.com.  We’d love to partner with you!

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end-of-life care, and self-care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice here: https://theheartofhospice.libsyn.com/

Connect with podcast host Jerry Fenter at jerry@theheartofhospice.com.

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at helen@theheartofhospice.com.  

Hospice 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 a family member, and they’re concerned about receiving poor care.  It’s a legitimate fear; mistakes happen.  Sometimes hospice just isn’t a good fit.  After hospice care is started, it’s the patient’s right (or his decision-maker) to stop hospice.  It’s called a revocation.  Only the patient or decision-maker can revocate a patient.  That right lies with the patient and could happen for several reasons.  The patient might decide to resume treatment or wants to enroll in a study.  The right to choose when to stop and start hospice belongs to the patient.    

Find the full listing of Patient Rights here:

Patient Rights Document from the National Association of Home Care and Hospice

The hosts of The Heart of Hospice podcast would be honored to speak at your event or conference.  Send an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com or jerry@theheartofhospice.com.  We’d love to partner with you!

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end-of-life care, and self-care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice here: https://theheartofhospice.libsyn.com/

In 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 coordinating care.  Some physicians may choose not to be an attending physician when they’re asked.  There are several possible reasons a doctor might not want to be an attending physician.  Maybe symptom management is not their skill set, or they’re not familiar with the kind of care that’s needed at the end of life.  Nurse practitioners can also serve as attending physicians for a hospice patient.  If there isn’t an attending physician the patient would like to continue providing care, the patient can simply choose the hospice medical director as his/her attending physician.  It’s your right!  

Find more Patient Rights here:

Patient Rights Document from the National Association of Home Care and Hospice

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end-of-life care, and self-care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice here: https://theheartofhospice.libsyn.com/

The hosts of The Heart of Hospice podcast would be honored to speak at your event or conference.  Send an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com or jerry@theheartofhospice.com.  We’d love to partner with you!

Connect with podcast host Jerry Fenter at jerry@theheartofhospice.com.

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at helen@theheartofhospice.com.

A 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 to start and stop hospice care, and the right to choose what’s included in your own plan of care.  Hospice patients and their caregivers should feel empowered to manage the care they receive.  Listen to all the Patient Rights Series episodes to learn about these all-important rights!

Patient Rights Document from the National Association of Home Care and Hospice

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end-of-life care, and self-care for both personal and professional caregivers here.  

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice here: https://theheartofhospice.libsyn.com/

Connect with podcast host Jerry Fenter at jerry@theheartofhospice.com.

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Bereavement 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 situations and stressors that might elevate the level of grief.  Sometimes grief is complicated by poor coping skills, dysfunctional relationships, mental illness, or limited education.  Grief is also influenced by the age of the person because children and teens have different ways of dealing with grief.  There’s a wide variety of items that can be included in bereavement services, including phone calls, letters, resources or handouts, agency memorial services, grief support groups, and individual in-person bereavement visits.  Agencies have to provide bereavement care, but families or caregivers do not have to participate in it - it’s their choice.  Check out the bereavement services your agency offers!

Don’t forget to register for the California Hospice and Palliative Care Association conference coming up June 6-10 by visiting calhospice.org!  Be sure to tell them you heard about it on The Heart of Hospice podcast.

The hosts of The Heart of Hospice podcast would be honored to speak at your event or conference.  Send an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com or jerry@theheartofhospice.com.  We’d love to partner with you!

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice here: https://theheartofhospice.libsyn.com/

Connect with podcast host Jerry Fenter at jerry@theheartofhospice.com.

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end-of-life care, and self care for both personal and professional caregivers here.  

How'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 something you can do for the long term (sustainable). Your activities must be within your budget (affordable).  Self-care activities have to be realistic for you, something you can actually do (actionable).   

Start your self-care - get an accountability partner and get started taking care of your whole self.  Mind, body, and spirit, all of your Self matters!  

Don’t forget to register for the California Hospice and Palliative Care Association conference coming up June 6-10 by visiting calhospice.org!  Be sure to tell them you heard about it on The Heart of Hospice podcast.

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice here: https://theheartofhospice.libsyn.com/

The hosts of The Heart of Hospice podcast would be honored to speak at your event or conference.  Send an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com or to jerry@theheartofhospice.com.  We’d love to partner with you!

Connect with podcast host Jerry Fenter at jerry@theheartofhospice.com.

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end-of-life care, and self-care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

We’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 and repositioning, and use of mobility assist devices.  Occupational therapists can help with fine motor issues, including education on techniques for managing Activities of Daily Living.  Speech therapists assist with education about communication systems, minimizing choking hazards, and preventing aspiration of foods and liquids. All of these interventions are about keeping the patient safe and enhancing quality of life.  In hospice, ST, OT, and PT are used very sparingly and only when the patient will benefit from visits from these disciplines.  If you’re a hospice professional, it’s important to know that your agency might need to provide a few therapy visits.  If you’re a caregiver for a hospice patient or a hospice patient, be sure to ask your interdisciplinary team if you think some therapy visits might be beneficial.  

Register for your place at the California Hospice and Palliative Care Association conference coming up June 6-10 by visiting calhospice.org!  Be sure to tell them you heard about it on The Heart of Hospice podcast.

The Heart of Hospice cares about your hospice caregiving journey.  If you have a question about hospice philosophy and care, send an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com or jerry@theheartofhospice.com.  We’re here to help!

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice here: https://theheartofhospice.libsyn.com/

Connect with podcast host Jerry Fenter at jerry@theheartofhospice.com.

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Send your questions and comments to host@theheartofhospice.com.  We’d love to hear from you!

Solo 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, around the clock duties,  isolation, or safety concerns.  Sometimes caregivers need to manage the care of more than one person.  Solo caregiving has both pros and cons.  As a solo caregiver, you become an expert in the patient, knowing routines, needs, history, and the details of care. Information is easier to manage, too, because it only flows to one person.  Being a solo caregiver can also provide great meaning and purpose.  While there are some positive qualities to solo caregiving, there are also drawbacks.  Caregiver burnout, information overload, and isolation can stress the caregiving situation.  There are ways to make it easier.  Creating a caregiving village can be a huge help.  Enlisting the assistance of friends, faith community members, and relatives and friends who are out of town and in-person can dilate the caregiving responsibilities.  Providing support if someone lives out of town - remote caregiving - can be helpful with tasks like ordering groceries or keeping the family group informed about current events or changes in the patient’s condition.  Dividing the duties reduces the burden on the primary caregiver.  You can check out devices or app that available for help with managing a caregiving village - Caregiven, the GrandPad, Caring Bridge,  physician patient portals, and CareStory. 

Looking for a speaker for your event or conference?  Send an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com or to jerry@theheartofhospice.com.  We’d love to partner with you!

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice here: https://theheartofhospice.libsyn.com/

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end of life care, and self care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

Send your questions and comments to host@theheartofhospice.com.  We’d love to hear from you!

Don’t miss the amazing Thresholds Conference sponsored by Hospice of Southern Maine on Tues., May 10 1:00pm - 3:30pm EST featuring Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love.  All virtual over Zoom, and only $35! Get your tickets by clicking here.

Connect with Hospice of Southern Maine at https://www.hospiceofsouthernmaine.org/.

Register for your place at the California Hospice and Palliative Care Association conference coming up June 6-10 by visiting calhospice.org!  Be sure to tell them you heard about it on The Heart of Hospice podcast.

Choosing 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 information about a person’s illness or disease trajectory.  People usually do a lot of living before they arrive in a situation where hospice is appropriate.  Oftentimes there’s a desire to continue treatment to sustain hope, an unwillingness to let go of even the smallest chance of improvement.  The need to respect a person’s end of life wishes has to be stronger than guilt or grief.  So be supportive of someone’s decision to embrace hospice, or to delay it.  The decision is what the patient says it is. 

Don’t miss the amazing Thresholds Conference sponsored by Hospice of Southern Maine on Tues., May 10 1:00pm - 3:30pm EST featuring Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love.  All virtual over Zoom, and only $35! Get your tickets by clicking here.

Connect with Hospice of Southern Maine at https://www.hospiceofsouthernmaine.org/.

Register for your place at the California Hospice and Palliative Care Association conference coming up June 6-10 by visiting calhospice.org!  Be sure to tell them you heard about it on The Heart of Hospice podcast.

Looking for a speaker for your event or conference?  Send an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com or to jerry@theheartofhospice.com.  We’d love to partner with you!

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice here: https://theheartofhospice.libsyn.com/

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end of life care, and self care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

Send your questions and comments to host@theheartofhospice.com.  We’d love to hear from you!

Dementia practitioner Mary Anne Oglesby-Sutherly is on a mission to transform the landscape of dementia care.  As co-founder of Veranda Ministries, a 501(c)3, Mary Anne has spent two decades telling the stories of people dealing with dementia.  Supporting dementia caregivers is her gift, and helping them to remember their person’s legacy is a top priority.  

Mary Anne got her start as a family practice nurse, and is now a Certified Dementia Practitioner as well as holding a triple certification as a PAC trainer, consultant, and coach in Teepa Snow’s “Positive Approach to Care” (PAC).  As the host of the highly acclaimed podcast, “Aging Angst and Alleluias,” Mary Anne provides invaluable support, education, and encouragement to care partners navigating the intricate journey of dementia care.  The care Mary Anne and her team provide through Veranda Ministries recalls the personhood of their patients, validating who they are and promoting their dignity.  What an amazing work and life legacy Mary Anne is creating for herself and her family. 

Here’s how you can connect with Veranda Ministries:

www.theverandaministries.org

Proactive Perspective in Dementia Care Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553996411093

Veranda Ministries Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/TheVerandaMinistries

Veranda's Hidden Heroes Private Support Group on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1851833391499391

Listen to the Aging Angst and Alleluias podcast here. 

Find all the resources that Barbara Karnes has to offer at bkbooks.com.

Purchase the End of Life Guideline Series Bundle here.

Find Barbara’s new booklet Always Offer, Never Force:  Food at the End of Life here. 

Read Barbara’s blog here. 

Connect with Barbara Karnes on social media:    Facebook    Insta     LinkedIn   Twitter   Pinterest  YouTube   

Order your copies of The Hospice Care Plan: A Path to Comfort here, now available in English and Spanish!  

Check out the free library of video tutorials from the creators of The Hospice Care Plan hospice nurses Nancy Heyerman and Brenda Kizzire here.  

Read more about Nancy and Brenda and their mission to improve hospice care here.

 Find Odonata Care on social media:  Facebook   YouTube  IG   TikTok   

Hospice Navigation Services is here for you.  If you have questions about hospice care or need to troubleshoot the care you’re already receiving, book a session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com.  

Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Words, 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 life care!

Patients and their caregivers should ask questions, and repeat those questions as needed. It’s ok to ask for clarification.  Hospice providers should provide answers in a way that’s understandable, verbal and/or written.  Interdisciplinary team members should never become impatient or irritated when asked for additional information.  It’s important for those persons receiving care to know exactly what’s being discussed.  Knowing the meaning of hospice terms will help enhance the care experience.

Don’t miss the amazing Thresholds Conference sponsored by Hospice of Southern Maine on Tues., May 10 1:00pm - 3:30pm EST featuring Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love.  All virtual over Zoom, and only $35! Get your tickets by clicking here.

Connect with Hospice of Southern Maine at https://www.hospiceofsouthernmaine.org/.

Register for your place at the California Hospice and Palliative Care Association conference coming up June 6-10 by visiting calhospice.org!  Be sure to tell them you heard about it on The Heart of Hospice podcast.

Looking for a speaker for your event or conference?  Send an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com or to jerry@theheartofhospice.com.  We’d love to partner with you!

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice here: https://theheartofhospice.libsyn.com/

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end of life care, and self care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

Send your questions and comments to host@theheartofhospice.com.  We’d love to hear from you!

Using 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 behaviors using descriptive language.  Seriously ill patients and families deserve our respect.  Using labels removes that respect, and desensitizes our ability to have compassion.  Labels give us permission to treat people as less than who they are.  We don’t take care of patients - we take care of people.  So look at your own biases and see their influence on the care you provide.  Give your patients - your people - the best you have to give! Don’t miss the amazing Thresholds Conference sponsored by Hospice of Southern Maine on Tues., May 10 1:00pm - 3:30pm EST featuring Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love.  All virtual over Zoom, and only $35! Get your tickets by clicking here.

Connect with Hospice of Southern Maine at https://www.hospiceofsouthernmaine.org/.

Register for your place at the California Hospice and Palliative Care Association conference coming up June 6-10 by visiting calhospice.org!  Be sure to tell them you heard about it on The Heart of Hospice podcast.

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice here: https://theheartofhospice.libsyn.com/

Connect with podcast host Jerry Fenter at jerry@theheartofhospice.com.

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end of life care, and self care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

Looking for a speaker for your event or conference?  Send an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com or to jerry@theheartofhospice.com.  We’d love to partner with you!

Financial 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 and the caregiver. Think about sustainability - how long can you afford to maintain a caregiving system?  Is a caregiving system home feasible?  Caregivers have health care needs, too.  Not all partners or family members are physically able to care for a loved one.  What if you live separately from the one needing care, possibly at a long distance?  The costs of travel can mount.  With the expectation that care needs will expand as a patient’s condition declines toward end of life, a village of caregivers becomes essential.  Be proactive with these discussions, if you have the luxury of time. There are resources available - take time to check them out.  One great option is AARP (American Association of Retired Persons).  Find more caregiver support at theheartofhospice.com. 

**Don’t forget to register for the California Hospice and Palliative Care Organization conference coming up in June 2022!  The hosts of The Heart of Hospice podcast are beyond thrilled to be partnering with end of life educator Barbara Karnes of BK Books, author of Gone from My Sight (also known as the Little Blue Book),  to feature a talk on getting back to the basics at the bedside.  When you register, be sure to tell them you heard about it on The Heart of Hospice podcast!  Grab your spot at the conference by clicking here. 

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice here: https://theheartofhospice.libsyn.com/

Connect with podcast host Jerry Fenter at jerry@theheartofhospice.com.

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end of life care, and self care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

Send your questions and comments to host@theheartofhospice.com.  We’d love to hear from you!

We’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 you’re old enough to love, you’re old enough to grieve”.  Sometimes it’s hard to look beyond our own personal grief to consider the emotions and needs of someone else. Jerry talked about how grief can last for years, and those emotions can wash over us when we least expect it.  The Heart of Hospice was honored to collaborate with The Hospice Heart, and to share the wisdom that Isabel and Lisa have to share.

You can connect with Lisa Pahl of The Death Deck at thedeathdeck.com.

Find out more about Isabel Stenzel’s story by buying her book The Power of Two: A Twin Triumph Over Cystic Fibrosis by clicking here. 

Click here to watch Isabel’s TED Talk on the art of saying goodbye. 

Read The Hospice Heart blog by Gabby Jimenez here. 

Connect with Gabby’s Facebook group for The Hospice Heart here.

Find information about The Death Deck and Lisa Pahl at thedeathdeck.com.

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end of life care, and self care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

Send your questions and comments to host@theheartofhospice.com.  We’d love to hear from you!

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice here: https://theheartofhospice.libsyn.com/

Connect with podcast host Jerry Fenter at jerry@theheartofhospice.com.

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at helen@theheartofhospice.com.

In 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 patient to patient.  Being specific about what’s needed when we’re grieving is helpful as well.  It can be overwhelming for a griever to have to make another decision about asking for help from other people.  When you offer to help a griever, it can help to offer a specific service, task, or support.  Sitting at a bedside, running errands, cooking a meal, babysitting for children are all good ways to ease the caregiving burden.  This can take some responsibility off the griever, and make their burden a little lighter. Connect with Gabby Jinenez and The Hospice Heart at thehospiceheart.net. Find information about The Death Deck and Lisa Pahl at thedeathdeck.com. Find more information about hospice philosophy, end of life care, and self care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

Send your questions and comments to host@theheartofhospice.com.  We’d love to hear from you!

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice here: https://theheartofhospice.libsyn.com/

Connect with podcast host Jerry Fenter at jerry@theheartofhospice.com.

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Send your questions and comments to host@theheartofhospice.com.  We’d love to hear from you!

Part 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 grief journey.  It’s important to prepare the child for what the child might see, like changes in body appearance or abilities to communicate.  Explanations about death should be provided according to the developmental level of the child.  Adults instinctively try to shield kids from experiences with death and dying, but kids can develop healthy coping mechanisms if appropriately involved in the death of a loved one.  How adults cope with grief greatly influence how a child grieves, so it’s vital for adults to care for themselves and get the grief support they need.  Using creative activities to create meaning and providing support that’s age appropriate can enable a child to navigate a loss in a healthy way.   

Resources for grieving children include:

National Alliance for Children’s Grief - childrengrieve.org

The Dougy Center - dougy.org

Sesame Street YouTube videos

Connect with Gabby Jimenez and The Hospice Heart at thehospiceheart.net. 

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end of life care, and self care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

Send your questions and comments to host@theheartofhospice.com.  We’d love to hear from you!

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice here: https://theheartofhospice.libsyn.com/

Connect with podcast host Jerry Fenter at jerry@theheartofhospice.com.

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Send your questions and comments to host@theheartofhospice.com.  We’d love to hear from you!

Social 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 use technology.  Hospice bereavement teams follow with families for up to a year following the patient’s death but sometimes that’s not long enough. How do we care for people who seem to be stuck in their grief for years following the death?  Lisa recommends talking with a grief specialist or counselor. There are so many feelings to process in grief, and having a safe, trusted person to talk to is a huge help.  Remember you’re not alone and there’s help out there for your grief.  

Read more about Lisa Pahl at https://thedeathdeck.com/pages/about-us.

Get a set of Death Deck card for yourself at thedeathdeck.com.  

Connect with hospice nurse Gabby Jimenez at thehospiceheart.net.

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end of life care, and self care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

Send your questions and comments to host@theheartofhospice.com.  We’d love to hear from you!

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice here: https://theheartofhospice.libsyn.com/

In 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 relieve the tension of grief burden temporarily.  Anticipatory grief is real and needs attention as well to deal with the uncertainty ahead.  Healthcare providers, especially those who provide care for seriously ill and dying patients, need to seek help for the secondary grief they experience, too.  After someone experiences the death of a loved one, Isabel advises each of us to trust our own instincts about when we need help.  Oftentimes the busy time just after a death when there are so many tasks to complete might not be the best time to seek counseling.  Getting help for grief might be more productive about two to three months after a death.   Prolonged grief needs attention as well.  Sometimes we’re so busy focusing on survival that we don’t deal with grief until later.  If you feel stuck in your grief, find a trusted friend or grief counseling professional to work with.  Your grief journey matters.  Reach out to your local hospice agency for further grief and bereavement support.

Find grief support at psychologytoday.com

Connect with Gabby Jiminez and The Hospice Heart at thehospiceheart.net. 

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end of life care, and self care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

Send your questions and comments to host@theheartofhospice.com.  We’d love to hear from you!

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice here: https://theheartofhospice.libsyn.com/

Connect with podcast host Jerry Fenter at jerry@theheartofhospice.com.

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Send your questions and comments to host@theheartofhospice.com.  We’d love to hear from you!

Welcome 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 person while caregiving for another person, and how to support grieving children.  Subject experts Isabel and Lisa will join in the discussions to provide guidance on resources and solutions to honor your grief, as well as the grief of your friends and family.  Subscribe to the podcast to hear this great series on navigating grief and loss.  You can subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, or listen on The Heart of Hospice website.  Don’t miss this great series on grief!   

Connect with Gabby Jiminez and The Hospice Heart at thehospiceheart.net. 

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice here: https://theheartofhospice.libsyn.com/

Connect with podcast host Jerry Fenter at jerry@theheartofhospice.com.

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Send your questions and comments to host@theheartofhospice.com.  We’d love to hear from you!

With 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, deterioration of physical health, forgetfulness, hopelessness, and depression are some of the effects of the caregiving burden. A patient’s quality of life is dependent on the caregiver’s quality of life.  So be intentional about Self Care.  Make your Self Care attainable, sustainable, creative, comfortable, affordable - and fun!  The Heart of Hospice cares about your hospice caregiving journey.  If you have a question about hospice philosophy and care, send an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com or jerry@theheartofhospice.com.  We’re here to help! Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice here: https://theheartofhospice.libsyn.com/

Connect with podcast host Jerry Fenter at jerry@theheartofhospice.com.

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Send your questions and comments to host@theheartofhospice.com.  We’d love to hear from you!

Welcome to Season 9 of The Heart of Hospice Podcast! Occupational Therapists Emilia Bourland and Dr. Brandy Archie are sharing how OTs can improve the quality of life for patients and caregivers on hospice care.  OTs are underutilized in end-of-life care, but they’re an essential part of the hospice interdisciplinary team. 

There’s a lot of support OTs can offer to make caregiving tasks easier, practical solutions to everyday issues for activities of daily living.  Occupational Therapy interventions can include managing equipment, setting up meals, and transfer techniques.  It’s about problem-solving to make caregiving tasks easier and promote independence for the patient.  Caregivers have a big job, so reducing the caregiving burden goes a long way to improving the end-of-life experience for both the person at end of life and the ones who are providing their care.  

Listen to the CareLab podcast here!  

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIieFR9ZQZf4yH59ysOY7aQ or @carelabpodcast 

Socials for Dr. Brandy Archie, OTD, OTR/L, CLVT, CLIPP:

https://www.facebook.com/AskSAMIE

https://www.instagram.com/asksamie

https://www.linkedin.com/in/drbrandyarchie/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/asksamie/

https://www.asksamie.com

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5kNJnPHL2vU1vv1jTksgJQ

https://www.twitter.com/Ask_SAMIE

Social for Emilia Bourland, OTR, ECHM, CFPS:

https://www.facebook.com/HigherStandardsCaregiverTraining/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilia-bourland/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/higher-standards-caregiver-training/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIfN3ImKGD6pVyiVby86zlw or @higherstandardscaregiver

Find all the resources that Barbara Karnes has to offer at bkbooks.com.

Purchase the End of Life Guideline Series Bundle here.

Find Barbara’s new booklet Always Offer, Never Force:  Food at the End of Life here. 

Read Barbara’s blog here. 

Connect with Barbara Karnes on social media:    Facebook    Insta     LinkedIn   Twitter   Pinterest  YouTube   

Order your copies of The Hospice Care Plan: A Path to Comfort here, now available in English and Spanish!  

Check out the free library of video tutorials from the creators of The Hospice Care Plan hospice nurses Nancy Heyerman and Brenda Kizzire here.  

Read more about Nancy and Brenda and their mission to improve hospice care here.

 Find Odonata Care on social media:  Facebook   YouTube  IG   TikTok   

Hospice Navigation Services is here for you.  If you have questions about hospice care or need to troubleshoot the care you’re already receiving, book a session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com.  

Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice at The Heart of Hospice Podcast (theheartofhospice.com)

In 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 for more spiritual care support, and stay connected to those who share your faith system.  Whether your beliefs are centered around Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish, Christian, wikken, or you subscribe to an agnostic or antheist belief system, your spiritual still needs care.  Check out more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice for information about self care of body, mind, and spirit.  We’re here to support your caregiving and hospice journeys - you are The Heart of Hospice!

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end of life care, and self care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

Send your questions and comments to host@theheartofhospice.com.  We’d love to hear from you!

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice here: https://theheartofhospice.libsyn.com/

Connect with podcast host Jerry Fenter at jerry@theheartofhospice.com.

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Send your questions and comments to host@theheartofhospice.com.  We’d love to hear from you!

Providing 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 mental health, it might cause an inability to focus or concentrate.  Sometimes impatience, guilt, and frustration becomes part of the caregiver’s mental health.  How can you offset the mental fatigue that can set in?  First, find someone to talk to.  A friend or family member on the phone or by video chat can be a source of support.  A professional can be helpful as well - a licensed counselor, or the hospice social worker or chaplain can support your mental health.  You’re important and essential to the care of your loved one.  The Heart of Hospice cares about your hospice journey.  Connect with us at theheartofhospice.com and find more podcast episodes at theheartofhospice.com/listen.  We’re here to help you - you are The Heart of Hospice! 

Connect with podcast host Jerry Fenter at jerry@theheartofhospice.com.

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Send your questions and comments to host@theheartofhospice.com.  We’d love to hear from you!

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice on hospice philosophy, hospice basics, self care, and advance care planning here: https://theheartofhospice.libsyn.com/

Caregiving 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 great way to keep the exercise going.  One of the most important things a caregiver can do for the person he cares for is take care of himself.  The quality of life of a person with chronic, serious, or terminal illness is affected by the quality of life of the caregiver.  Stay in touch with The Heart of Hospice for more episodes in our Self Care Series for Caregivers!  You are The Heart of Hospice.

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice on hospice philosophy, hospice basics, self care, and advance care planning here: https://theheartofhospice.libsyn.com/

Connect with podcast host Jerry Fenter at jerry@theheartofhospice.com.

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Send your questions and comments to host@theheartofhospice.com.  We’d love to hear from you!