Lighting the Path: A New Concept of Hospice Care

One of the many valuable benefits of hospice care are the 4 levels of care provided, depending on what each patient may need.  In this episode information is shared about the 2 most widely used levels of care, Routine Home Care and General Inpatient.  This episode focuses on Inpatient Hospice Care and how it can improve the quality of life for patients and their families.  Our thanks to Amy Killma...

Karen Ferguson is the Director of Volunteer Services for Harbor Hospice and Beacon Hospice.  In this episode she describes the many ways that hospice volunteers bring helpp and hope to patients and families.  Hospice volunteers play a vital and compassionate role in providing invaluable support and care to individuals facing life-limiting illnesses and their families. These dedicated volunteers of...

One of the members of the hospice team that has more patient contact than any other team member is the Nurse Aide or CNA.  The work of the CNA is to help the patient with personal care needs so they feel clean and comfortable.  The guest on this episode is Lee Johnson, a CNA with Harbor Hospice of Gulf Coast.  She shares the many ways that a CNA goes above and beyond to make sure each hospice pati...

Military veterans have unique needs when they come to the end of life.  We Honor Veterans is a specialized program that provides training and education for hospice professionals who care for veterans. Through this unique program, veterans receive the honor and recognition they deserve for the sacrifices they made for our country.  This episode explains how Harbor Hospice and Beacon Hospice use the...

Hospice care and home health care are not the same.  There are some major differences between these two healthcare services.  In this episode, Brenna Rodriguez explains the differences and also the ways home health and palliative care can work together for the benefit of the patient.   For more information about Harbor Home Health, please visit HarborHH.com Follow Harbor Hospice on Facebook . Foll...

"All hospice is palliative care, but not all palliative care is hospice."  If that sounds confusing then this episode with Brenna Rodriguez will provide the guidance you need to understand the differences between hospice care and palliative care.  Brenna is the Vice President of Operations with Harbor Healthcare System and has been instrumental in helping launch the HarborCare and BeaconCare palli...

Changes and transitions are never easy and a person's first day on hospice care can be scary and challenging.  With kindness and consideration for the patient and the family, Kathleen Flanigan, RN, explains in this episode what will happen the first day a person is on hospice.  A great deal of education is provided by the hospice team, in order to mitigate any fears that the person or the family m...

When it comes to creating a positive hospice experience, communication and education are extremely important qualities for the hospice team to practice.  In this episode, Kathleen Flanigan RN, explains the importance of hospice teams providing education to the patients and families receiving hospice care.  Kathleen has been working in hospice for over 20 years and is now the Director of Nursing Or...

National Nurses Week is May 6-12, 2023 and it seemed the appropriate time to celebrate the compassion and professionalism of the nurses who work in the field of hospice.  Kathleen Flannigan is the clincal educator for Harbor Healthcare System and has been working in hospice for over 20 years.  In this episode, she joins host Jerry Fenter to celebrate the many individuals who have made hospice nurs...

It's common for people to be concerned about the costs of healthcare.  However, hospice care is generally paid for 100 percent by the Hospice Medicare Benefit.  In this episode, Brenna Rodriguez shares the details of how hospice care is paid for by Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance.   Follow  Harbor Hospice on Facebook . Follow Beacon Hospice on Facebook .  For more information about Harbor...

The Harbor Foundation 11th Annual Butterfly Release is being held on Saturday, April 22 from 11:00am - 2:00pm at Ford Park in Beaumont, Texas.  This family-friendly event often draws over 2000 people for free food, free activitites for children and adults, and an opportunity to participate in a spectacular butterfly release.   To pre-order your individual butterfly, visit www.harborfoundation.com/...

There's a great deal of misunderstanding about the role of the social worker in hospice, so in this episode Rosalind Hall-Hiner, the System Director of Social Workers for Harbor Healthcare System, and Raymond Turner, the Regional Director of Social Workers for Harbor Hospice in Houston, Texas explain the many critical functions performed by hospice social workers.  Follow  Harbor Hospice on Facebo...

March is National Social Work Month and at Harbor Healthcare we value the work of our social workers. Rosalind Hall-Hiner is the System Director of Social Workers and Raymond Turner is the Regional Director of Social Workers in Houston, Texas.  Rosalind and Raymond joined Jerry to discuss the important work that social workers do and the education that's necessary to provide the best care for pati...

A person with a life-limiting illness may express fear or anxiety related to possible symptoms at the end of life.  "Will I experience uncontrollable pain?" "Will I feel like I'm suffocating?" These fears, and others, are the reasons why hospice care is so crucial at the end of life.  In this episode, Sabina Diebel, RN, will explain the many ways hospice can manage a person's symptoms at the end o...

Choosing a hospice agency for yourself or a loved one can be challenging and overwhelming.  In this episode you will learn what should be considered when selecting a hospice agency that will provide quality care that meets your expectations.   To learn more visit www.harborhospice.com . www.beacon.life, www.myharborcare.com   For the Hospice Compare website mentioned in this episode, you can go to...

Welcome to the introductory episode of the Lighting the Path podcast.  Jerry Fenter and Brenna Rodriguez introduce you to the mission and purpose of the podcast and provide some basic information about hospice and palliative care.  Brenna Rodriguez is the Vice President of Operations for Harbor Healthcare System and Jerry Fenter is the System Director of Spiritual Counselors for Harbor Hospice, Be...

There's a misunderstanding about stopping and starting medications when a patient is on hospice.  Many times the hospice physician or nurse will deprescribe medications that are no longer effective and will start certain medications to help control the patient's symptoms.  In this episode, hospice nurse practitioner Crissy Kicak explains the reasons why certain medications are stopped (called depr...

Some people believe that choosing hospice means "giving up."  What many people discover is that hospice gives them a better quality of life.  In this "Facts and Fears" series we're looking at the many myths and misconceptions that people have about hospice and end of life care.   In this episode, Jerry talks with administrator and hospice  RN, Sabina Diebel about the many ways that hospice can imp...

Lighting the Path is here as a guide to help anyone with a life-limiting illness have a better end of life experience.  Our goal is to provide you with honest, clear, and unbiased information about hospice and palliative care.