The Heart of Hospice Podcast

Lori Locicero, author and co-creator of The Death Deck has a personal hospice story. In today’s Connection Moment she says end of life professionals will never know how much their care and compassion means to families of seriously ill patients.  Lori acknowledges that it’s a tough job, but please keep doing what you do!  The guidance that hospice clinicians bring to a patient and family during a t...

Hospice nurse practitioner Tiffany Hughes knows first hand what hospice teams are dealing with during the pandemic.  In today’s Connection Moment, Tiffany acknowledges the difficulties that everyone is facing, both personally and professionally.  Looking forward with gratitude and hope, Tiffany shares how beneficial it’s been to stay connected to her own hospice team members even if it’s done remo...

Hospice agencies often hold memorial services to honor the lives of patients they’ve served, inviting the families and team members who cared for those patients. Today’s episode features a talk Helen shared at a hospice memorial service. It can be a very meaningful event, designed to comfort those who are grieving a loss.  Helen shares her personal hospice journey, including her own experience wit...

Our dear friends Jahnna Beecham and Katie Ortlip join us for today’s Connection Moment.  They’re the co-authors of Living with Dying: A Complete Guide for Caregivers.  It’s our all-time favorite caregiving guidebook!  Katie, a hospice social worker, validates the emotions hospice professionals might be feeling.  It’s ok to be fearful and to grieve - we’re all going through this together.  It’s imp...

There’s a lot of information coming at us about healthcare these days.  It’s important to be able to connect fast and easily with a reliable source of news about hospice care. Check out hospicenews.com for the latest updates in finance, technology, regulation, and operations.  All of these areas are vital to the functioning of a hospice agency, especially during this time of waivers from CMS.  Hos...

Danny Mack shares his humor and warmth in today’s Connection Moment. Danny’s work as a director of social workers and spiritual counselors, along with his personal journey, has taught him the value of remembering our “why”.   Every hospice professional has a “why”, the reason they continue to show up to care for seriously ill patients.  Our “why” can help us to re-center and remember our purpose. ...

Just hearing Zen Buddhist and board certified chaplain Jon Prescott’s voice is enough to reassure us in today’s Connection Moment.  Jon partners with us as a return guest to encourage his hospice colleagues in their work during the pandemic.  He reminds us that we are enough to meet the challenges we’re currently experiencing.  Recognizing the changes that are coming at us both in our personal liv...

Rev. Dr. Carla Cheatham is with us today to share her strength and encouragement.  She reminds us to acknowledge the challenges of the current season, and how it’s affecting us.  It’s normal to be scared or anxious in this “abnormal” situation.  What helps you to be resilient?  Carla urges us to look for our strengths so we can be there for our patients and families.  To keep those strengths avail...

Jerry encourages you with good words to lift your spirits with his message in today’s Connection Moment.  Reminding you as always to stay connected in your relationships, Jerry urges you to remember that you have value.  You’re important.  As a hospice professional, you provide crucial services to your patients and families.  As an individual, you are a vital part of your family.  Your journey mat...

LCSW Loren Gelberg-Goff wants to help caregivers. Her mission is to help “ caregivers just like you enjoy a more fulfilled life while they do the demanding but important work of caring for their loved ones.”  In her book “ Take Back Your Life: A Caregiver’s Guide to Finding Freedom in the Midst of Overwhelm” , Loren gives guidance on how caregivers can live a full and healthy life while still prov...

Co-creator of The Death Deck Lisa Pahl is with us to share her thoughts on today’s Connection Moment.  Lisa knows exactly what it’s like to be on the front lines of hospice as she works as a hospice and emergency room social worker. As end of life professionals practice empathy in the care of their patients, they can accumulate pain through watching others’ suffering.  In this season filled with c...

Dr. Jessica Zitter is an advocate and an activist for quality care of terminally ill patients.  Trained at Harvard and UCSF, Dr. Zitter works in Critical Care and Palliative medicine.  It’s an unusual pairing which has given her exceptional insight into how the dying are treated.  She’s the author of Extreme Measures: Finding a Better Path to the End of Life , and her work is featured in the Acade...

Go Wish cards from Coda Alliance are a great way to start those awkward conversations about end of life wishes.  If the thought of talking about death makes you cringe, Go Wish cards can get you started in a thoughtful way.  Players using the cards can divide the 36 cards into three categories to rank the importance of various aspects of end of life.  You can even play “Go Wish Solitaire” on the w...

To support end of life professionals in the U.S. and all over the world during the pandemic, we’re launching a new project - Connection Moments.  They’re uplifting messages designed to combat the anxiety and stress you might be feeling.   We’re going to be sharing messages to give you strength, to remind you of why you do this work.  Every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday you’re going to hear from i...

Taking care of a loved one from a distance can be challenging.  In this season of social distancing and self quarantine, contact with someone needing care is even more difficult.  We’re talking about ways to deal with the obstacles associated with remote caregiving.  Use the technology you might already have - a cell phone is a great tool.  Three way calls during a doctor’s appointment and video c...

There’s some serious information overload happening right now in our COVID-19 world.  It can seem like too much, but if you’ve got extra time at home, these TED talks are some great ways to fill your time, especially if you’re a hospice or palliative care professional.  The online resources we’re sharing with you today center around what it’s like to be seriously ill, death, and dying. We recommen...

Jennifer O’Brien didn’t anticipate that the journal she kept during her husband’s illness and subsequent death would become a guidepost to people caring for loved ones during serious illness.  Her new book, “The Hospice Doctor’s Widow”, has become just that. It’s a moving journaling that offers advice and insight into some of the most vulnerable aspects of being a caregiver. Jennifer shares what s...

Meet the newest member of The Heart of Hospice team - a black goldendoodle puppy named Sunny!  He was born at the end of December of 2019, and carefully selected by Amanda Davis at Golden Rule Retrievers to train as a therapy dog.  Sunny will be training with Helen to provide comfort and encouragement to seriously ill patients, their families, and end of life care teams.  He’s a sweet puppy that l...

In these days of social distancing and self isolation, Helen and Jerry start out this episode playing The Death Deck, because we know that humor can reduce fear and boost our moods.  Then we get down to business introducing you to Susan Ducharme Hoben. Through her website, articles, and book, Susan offers some great advice for coping with a loved one’s terminal illness based on her personal experi...

It was our great privilege to partner with Paul Denniston, the creator of Grief Yoga.  Paul has taught the practice of Grief Yoga to “therapists, counselors and health care professionals around the world and teaches workshops around the US.”  Using combined techniques from Hatha, Vinyasa Flow, Kundalini Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Laughter Yoga, and Let Your Yoga Dance, Paul guides his students into a...

We’re talking about dying today - no surprise there. But what’s the best place to die? Hospice professionals will tell you that a “good death” doesn’t occur in the hospital. If the hospice interdisciplinary team doesn’t consider where the patient would like to die, it’s not really respecting the rights of the patient. Those rights, in the form of end of life wishes, form the foundation for every h...

Even the most skilled and experienced practitioners can find areas where improvements can be made.  Finding someone who can provide objective observation and constructive feedback can be a great way to increase the quality of the care you provide.  There are frequent changes to regulations and evidence-based best practices, which means there’s always something to learn. Coaching and mentoring thos...

A Do Not Resuscitate order is one of the most confusing and misunderstood parts of end of life care.  What do you need to know about DNR orders if you’re a hospice patient, or a family member who makes decisions for a loved one? Jerry and Helen do some “myth busting” about what CPR is really like, and how successful it is likely to be when used on a terminally ill patient.  What we see on TV and m...

Our hospice colleague Helen Haddick has a unique blog. Helen shares incredibly transparent and sometimes heart-wrenching stories about her experiences as a hospice nurse. Coming from a background of critical care, Helen has connected with end of life care in a deep way.  Her honesty is moving, and her dedication to both patients and families is palpable in her writing. It’s easy to conjure up vivi...

We’re excited to connect you with Honoring Choices Pacific Northwest as another resource for advance care planning materials and information.  According to the Honoring Choices Pacific Northwest website,“ Honoring Choices Pacific Northwest is a joint initiative between the Washington State Hospital Association and Washington State Medical Association.   We inspire conversations about the care peop...