Lighting the Path: A New Concept of Hospice Care

In this episode, we explore the vital role of caregiver support groups in helping family caregivers manage the multifaceted stresses of caring for a loved one with a life-limiting illness. Our guest, John Wayland, a spiritual counselor and facilitator for a caregiver support group at Harbor Hospice, shares his insights and experiences on the practical benefits of these groups. Key Discussion Point...

Jennifer O'Brien, author of The Hospice Doctor's Widow , joins us to discuss her experiences and resources for caregivers and those facing end-of-life situations. Key points from the interview: - Jennifer created "Precious Time," a resource to help healthcare professionals communicate effectively about end-of-life situations. - She discusses the concept of the "triad of certainty". - Jennifer's we...

Jennifer O'Brien, author of "The Hospice Doctor's Widow," returns to discuss her free "At Peace Toolkit" in this episode. This essential resource, available at hospicedrswidow.com, guides individuals through simple yet crucial steps for end-of-life planning. The At Peace Toolkit offers: - A streamlined approach to end-of-life preparations - Potential life-saving measures for individuals - Strategi...

In this episode, we delve into the poignant and insightful journey chronicled in Jennifer A. O'Brien's book,  The Hospice Doctor's Widow: A Journal . Jennifer shares her deeply personal experience of caring for her husband, Bob, a hospice and palliative care physician diagnosed with advanced metastatic cancer. This episode is a heartfelt exploration of the challenges and emotional landscape faced...

Rev. Dr. Rodney Bolejack emphasizes that "Companioning" is a crucial quality for hospice professionals. In this episode, he outlines the key principles necessary to be a truly supportive companion for someone nearing the end of life, highlighting that it involves more than just physical presence. Personal caregivers and hospice professionals alike can gain valuable insights into how to provide the...

Learning and growing as a professional  is important in any field, including hospice and palliative care.  In this episode Rev. Dr. Rodney Bolejack shares the messages he presented to a conference of hospice chaplains for Harbor Hospice and Beacon Hospice.  Rodney has been working in hospice for over 30 years and has spent many of those years teaching and training others.  Whether you are new to h...

Elizabeth Uslander is a medical social worker and the spiritual director of Empowered Endings. Elizabeth has also been a bereavement counselor using the concept of "transformational grief" to aid individuals who have experienced losses and help them discover ways of finding meaning.  In this episode she will dive deep into this important concept of transformational grief.  To learn more about Eliz...

Elizabeth Uslander is a medical social worker and a spiritual counselor, and the co-founder of Empowered Endings with her husband, Dr. Bob Uslander. In this episode Elizabeth shares how spirituality and spiritual practices can be medicine for the soul.  She believes this is especially true for someone at the end of life.  She also discusses how spiritual counselors can provide care for a populatio...

In the current culture, conversations about death are often avoided, but Dr. Bob Uslander shines a light on the importance of embracing these discussions with openness and empathy. As the founder of Empowered Endings and a physician of 30 years specializing in end-of-life care, Dr. Uslander brings a wealth of experience and wisdom about how to make these difficult conversations easier. To learn mo...

Navigating the complexities of end-of-life decisions can be daunting.  In this episode Dr. Bob Uslander will shed light on the importance of proactive planning and how it can empower individuals and families during  the critical moments at end of life .  Dr. Uslander brings a wealth of expertise and compassion to the podcast, with over 30 years of experience in emergency, palliative, and end of li...

Since 2005, the Harbor Foundation has been assisting hospice patients and their families through hardship grants. These grants cover essential expenses such as electricity bills, appliances, and rent, all aimed at ensuring the comfort of hospice patients. The Harbor Foundation is expanding its support by offering scholarships to nursing students and high school seniors. Tune into this episode to h...

Despite the fact that most end of life professionals work with people who are nearing death, it's sometimes uncomfortable for them to discuss death and dying with the patient or family.  Lisa Pahl is a hospice social worker and understands the challenge of uncomfortable conversations, so she and her creative partner, Lori LoCicero, created a spinoff game from the Death Deck called the E-O-L Deck. ...

Most of us are uncomfortable talking about death, whether it's our death or the death of someone we love.  Death will eventually affect everyone, however, and it's better to be prepared for it.  If you have difficulty having a conversation with the people you are close to about your end of life wishes, there's a game that can help make it easier.  The Death Deck was developed by a hospice social w...

Hospice does more than just provide care to a person who is facing the end of their life, we also help  those who are close to this person , both before and after the person's death .  Hospice is also there to provide grief support, through grief counseling and grief therapy .  In fact, most hospices will provide some level of grief support for up to a year following the person's death .   Rosalin...

One of the priorities of every hospice team member is to help prepare the patient and family for whatever might happen in the future .  We want them to be as prepared as possible, and one of the ways we do that is by helping them to create advance care planning documents .  To provide information and assistance about how to create advance care plans is Rosalind Hall-Hiner, the System Director of S...

Maryclaire Torinus is a hospice chaplain serving in her home state of Wisconsin.  She is our first external guest on Lighting the Path.  As a professional hospice provider Maryclaire experienced a very personal grief event when her husband died.  Maryclaire shares how this experience affected her as a hospice professional.   Our thanks to Maryclaire for sharing her very personal story with you.  I...

Caregivers are the backbone of the care that's provided for a hospice patient.   Many of them are family members who are there 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.   It can be exhausting.   On this episode Rosalind Hall-Hiner, the System Director of Social Workers for Harbor Hospice,   is providing some practical tips and strategies for self care.  If you're a caregiver, we would encourage you to priori...

The holiday season is loaded with hopes and dreams and expectations.  For those who are providing care for someone on hospice the holidays can be difficult to manage.  Rosalind Hall-Hiner is the System Director of Social Workers for Harbor Hospice and Beacon Hospice.  In this episode she shares ways that caregivers can avoid the depression that often comes with the holiday season.   If you were be...

In part two of our series on the most common hospice diagnoses, Hannah Brightwell, clinical liaison with Harbor Hospice explains about the characteristics and hospice criteria for cancer diagnoses and lung diseases.  In part one she explained the hospice criteria for neurological and cardiac diseases.   Follow  Harbor Hospice on Facebook . Follow  Beacon Hospice on Facebook .  For more information...

In the early days of hospice care in the United States, cancer was the main reason someone might be admitted to hospice.  Now, 50 plus years later, cancer is the third most common diagnosis in hospice.  The most common group of diagnoses today are neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's, dementia, and Parkinson's, followed by heart disease.  Hannah Brightwell is a clinical liaison with Harbor Ho...

November is almost here and that means the holidays are right around the corner.  For many people the holidays are not a season of joy and cheer, but a time of grief and sadness.  Holidays are times when families come together and the death of an important person in the family can make holidays feel heavy.  In this episode, Polly Stock, Bereavement Coordinator with Harbor Hospice of Missouri, shar...

Grief and loss are experiences that are never easy to navigate.  The emotions are like waves on the ocean--just when you think the waters are finally calm, another wave hits you.  Harbor Hospice and Beacon Hospice are here to help you navigate the sometimes choppy waters of grief and bereavement.  Bereavement support groups are one of the services that Harbor and Beacon offer to help families navi...

October is Clergy Appreciation Month and we want to recognize these remarkable individuals who provide spiritual care to patients and their families in hospice. They come from various faith backgrounds and are well-trained in offering support to individuals from diverse belief systems. Our guest is spiritual counselor Polly Stock from Harbor Hospice of Missouri.  Polly shares the training and moti...

Being a caregiver for someone on hospice is one of the most critical roles on the hospice team.  If you're a caregiver, you are with the patient more than anyone else, sometimes 24 hours a day.  It can be challenging and difficult to manage the many aspects of care for this person.  In this episode of Lighting the Path, Jerry provides 7 tips to help make the caregiving experience easier and better...

One of the most difficult and emotionally charged decisions a person can make is related to a Do Not Resuscitate order.  The Do Not Resuscitate order is an advance care planning document that allows a person to die a natural death without any medical interventions, such as CPR, intubation, or any other mechanical devices.  In this episode, Hannah Brightwell, RN shares the who, what, when, and why...