Your Virtual Sense of Comfort, Coziness & Belonging: Our Brand Refresh & Company Mission
Do you have a place you can go where you feel completely relaxed, cozy and safe? A place where you can truly get sweatshirt-and-yoga-pants comfy,
Loss and Musings from the Empty Nest
I have avoided it for three weeks now. Every day, I walk out of my room in the morning and glance down the hallway. Both of my college kids are now graduated and on their own.
What I'm Watching: Julie & Julia
I spent last week in Denver taking care of my daughter after her sinus surgery. We have spent a good deal of time together since her last portion of her grad school semester was remote due to COVID-19, and sitting in her apartment alone day after day just isn't this child's notion of a life well-lived (read: she's an extrovert). Once she finished her coursework and was officially a MSW, it was time for her to return to Denver where her surgery was scheduled. We spent our days together doing low-key activities, especially watching TV. Now those of you who know me would definitely fall off your chairs at the amount of TV watched, but since my baby bird was ailing, it was good to just spend time close by and enjoy a little relaxation.
Grieving the Loss of an Institution
Friday, at the end of a full and stress-filled week, I learned that my undergraduate college was permanently closing its doors. A not-so-great week for me just plummeted into a steady river of tears, built up over the challenges of self-employment, Coronavirus, children driving cross-country, social distancing, keeping my elderly parents safe from the virus, the dog’s unexpected surgery, and other extraneous factors.
Educating Caregivers in the 11th Hour
The struggle for us as hospice professionals is to work within the context of the family dynamic. We are visitors in their home, and we are there to ease the physical, emotional, and spiritual pain of the unit of care – the patient, and the caregivers.
5 Easy Ways to Streamline Hospice Visits
know what you are thinking . . . because I have been there before - I. Don't. Have. Time. For. This. As regulations change, the expectations for hospice professionals to manage their time, asses the patient for needs, provide emotional support, and document the visit WITH supporting evidence of hospice appropriateness places a lot of pressure and demands on you.
Hospice Teaching Tools
By being streamlined and prepared in your patient education materials, you have the tools you need to teach from and to share with patients and families. This streamlined presentation of information, from admission through bereavement, allows you to be consistent in your education and support, as well as be prepared for the CAHPS Hospice Survey.
The Raw Materials of Hospice
In a service related industry, your raw materials are your professionals in the field. Your raw materials will be strong and serve your mission well for years to come. Your investment should always be in them. Different solutions work for different teams, but the moral of the story here is this: don't ever lose sight of the fact that the happier your team is, the better their care will be.
Living Your Mission
For years, I have grappled with how I can live my mission and be in integrity with my values in my career. Hospice was a beautiful platform for learning these lessons about myself, and it provided me the opportunity to explore, and serve, many aspects and arenas of the hospice world.
Wings Unfurled
It was the coldest day of the year. You know the kind – when the wind whips your hair around and the bone-chilling cold stings your face in spite of your efforts to dress for the weather. I unloaded my car into the tiny cabin in the woods, toting an armful of groceries in one arm while managing the dog leash of Paisley the Rhodesian Ridgeback in the other.