The Heart of Hospice Podcast

Author Larry Indiviglia shares the incredible story of " 126 Days 11 Minutes: Our Love Story " in his interview with The Heart of Hospice. Revealing his heart and vulnerability, Larry tells the story of his brief but deep connection to his partner Gayle as she deals with stage IV breast cancer.  Gayle's passion for life and the Argentine tango along with her dedication to living life to the fulles...

It can be a challenge to care for someone you love at home during a serious illness.  We’ve got some tips to help you to do it successfully.  There are a lot of things to consider - finances, wellness of the caregiver, acuity of the patient, and safety of the home are just some of the items that need to be discussed before someone takes on the caregiving responsibility.  A lone caregiver will need...

Most medical mistakes happen during care transitions. Helen and Jerry have some tips on improving those crucial moves between care providers and settings.  Care transitions are changes in a patient’s care setting or care provider.  Patients may move from living at home to residing in a facility, or make a transition from home health to hospice care.  Maybe the care transition is from one hospice t...

A home funeral can be a rich and meaningful experience. The National Home Funeral Alliance offers guidance to help make it happen. Our special guest today is Dani Lavoire, former president of the National Home Funeral Alliance .  Dani is a birth midwife who made a connection between the experiences of birth and death.  The team at the National Home Funeral Alliance provides support for families ac...

Hospice patients and families love their volunteers! This week’s Heartbeat shares the truth about the role of the hospice volunteer.  Hospice agencies are required by regulation to recruit volunteers to supplement the patient care hours provided by the agency staff.  There are many different jobs volunteers can do, everything from administrative tasks in the office to visits to patients’ homes.  V...

Hospice aides are truly an essential part of the interdisciplinary team, providing some of the most intimate care to seriously ill patients. Today’s Heartbeat shares the truth about the role of the aide in end of life care.  Providing personal care such as bed baths, showers, catheter or incontinent care, and skin care is just part of what an aide can do.  The aide also monitors a patient for skin...

GrandPad founders Scott and Isaac Lien believe no senior adult should ever be isolated. GrandPad keeps older adults and their loved ones connected with easy-to-use technology. The GrandPad device is customized to the communication needs of the aging adult. Using a private family network that allows for safe photo and video sharing, GrandPad keeps the older user safe while offering a wide variety o...

No one on the hospice team is more misunderstood than the chaplain.  Today we’re clearing up myths about hospice spiritual counselors.  Lots of people think spiritual counselors (commonly called chaplains) are there to convert or change faith beliefs. That could not be further from the truth.  The role of the hospice spiritual counselor is to support seriously ill patients and their families in wh...

In this 3rd episode of the Fact or Fiction series, we’re talking about the problem-solvers of the interdisciplinary team - social workers. Social workers are a vital part of hospice care.  There’s a lot of misinformation about the role of a social worker so we’re sharing the facts about what they really do.  Social workers act as advocates for patients and families, and help families access resour...

We're thrilled to talk with our guest Shaun O’Leary, Joint CEO of St. Christopher’s Hospice in London as he shares how St. Christopher’s is building on its rich history to move hospice care forward into the future.  Founded by Dame Cicely Saunders, St. Christopher’s was the first modern hospice center and acted as a model for hospice care in the U.S.  Shaun uses the wisdom he’s acquired over 15 ye...

The hospice physician and nurse practitioner play key roles in the care of hospice patients. In today's episode we’re sharing facts about what the hospice doc and NP really do.  It’s important to remember the patient (or a designated decision maker) is in charge of the care the patient receives.  The hospice physician or the attending doctor the patient chooses guides the hospice plan of care.  Th...

Do you know what a hospice nurse really does? In the first episode of our Fact or Fiction series, we’re sharing the facts about hospice nursing - the perfect topic for Nurses Week!  The hospice nurse isn’t there to make decisions for patients and caregivers, but to offer support, education, along with clinical care.  While the nurse will teach about medications and hospice philosophy, the patient...

The pandemic has created challenges in the ways hospice agencies provide bereavement care.  Hospice of Southern Maine is making the technology work.  Today’s guest is Carol Schoneberg is an End of Educator and Bereavement Services Manager for Hospice of Southern Maine .  Carol acknowledged that various challenges related to social distancing made the bereavement team think out of the box about how...

End of life care can be confusing.  The Heart of Hospice is here to support anyone experiencing hospice care, including personal and professional caregivers. If you’re a hospice professional, it’s important to understand the perspective of patients and families so you know how best to meet their needs.   Between them, Jerry and Helen have over 20 years experience as hospice professionals so they k...

We all need to designate someone to speak for us when we can’t voice our healthcare wishes.  Now is the best time to choose your healthcare proxy.  A healthcare proxy, or medical power of attorney, acts as an advocate for the needs of a patient in alignment with the patient’s desires. It’s important to have the correct legal documents in place for where you live so be sure to find out what forms a...

In the final episode of our patient advocacy series, we’re talking about supporting advance directives to honor end of life wishes.  Caregivers often advocate for loved ones to prevent unwanted care.  As advocates for family members or friends, caregivers are called to respect the wishes expressed in directives to physicians, diagnosis-specific directives, and Do Not Resuscitate documents.  Having...

Hospice of Southern Maine has harnessed the power of virtual reality to educate about end of life care.  CEO Daryl Cady shares how their innovative VR program “Clay” teaches what the hospice experience is like for patients and families.  Through VR technology, the hospice journey of virtual patient “Clay”  and his family demonstrates to both laypersons and healthcare professionals how a typical en...

Sometimes being an advocate for a loved one includes voicing concerns and complaints.  Knowing who to talk to and how to do it is important.  It’s a good idea to start with the case manager from your hospice team.  If that doesn’t work, voice your concern to the director or administrator.  Escalate your complaint if there’s not an appropriate response - to the state agency that oversees hospice ag...

If you’re a caregiver, you’re an advocate for your loved one.  Knowing what records to keep is important.  Some things need to be saved, some can be shredded.  If you stay organized, you’ll be able to find the documents you need in a crisis.  A few of the items you want to make sure you keep are a current medication list, a healthcare history, and all documents related to advance directives or liv...

There’s more than meets the eye when it comes to the role of the hospice chaplain.  In this episode we’re talking with hospice chaplain and Jewish Rabbi David Gold.  David gives insight into the work of hospice chaplaincy and shares the traditions that affect how Jewish patients and families experience death and dying.  There seems to be a lot of confusion about what a hospice chaplain, or spiritu...

In the 2nd episode of our Patient Advocacy Series, we’re talking about how to get the best results from interactions with healthcare professionals.  Before appointments, it’s important to write down any questions you have.  Even if the patient can make his own decisions, it’s useful to have another set of ears.  The patient should be allowed to respond on his own as he is able.  It’s also respectf...

Being a healthcare advocate for someone you love can be challenging. In the first episode of our Patient Advocacy Series, we’re talking about...talking.  Communication is key.  Everyone needs an advocate, someone who can keep track of information and coordinate with the healthcare team.  The exchange of information during serious illness can be overwhelming!  Being able to communicate clearly and...

The Grief Recovery Institute estimates grief costs U.S. business close to $100 billion annually.  Anthony and Guy Casablanca at Grief Leaders have written the book that every leader needs.  The Dying Art of Leadership: How Leaders Can Help Grieving Employees Excel At Work is the resource that any manager or leader needs to support struggling team members.  Whether it’s related to death, divorce, i...

Are you making the most of your hospice team meetings? We’ve got some great tips for keeping your discussions professional and respectful. Using derogatory terms or labels to describe patients and families will eventually find its way into your care so keep your reporting respectful.  It’s also important to remember to allow time for every team member in attendance to speak.  How you speak about y...

Volunteers hold a special place in hospice care. Musician Steve Litwer is sharing the stories of his patients, and how he found healing for himself from those who couldn’t be healed.  In his book “The Music Between Us: Memoir of a Bedside Musician” Steve tells how we connect with music on a deep level through the years of our lives.  After retiring from a busy career, Steve donated his time and ta...