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- Grief ·
Five Stages of Grief
Five Stages of Grief Losing someone we love leaves us with feelings of unbearable pain, and while everyone grieves differently, there are five stages of grief that most people go through after experiencing a loss. Very Well Mind describes the five stages as follows. Denial The first stage of the grief process is denial. In this stage, we are trying to process the reality of the loss of our loved one. When we hear the phrase ‘denial,’ we assume it means we are attempting to pretend the loss does not exist. While this is denial, it is only a part…
- COVID-19 ·
COVID-19 and Guilt
https://youtu.be/3tnpwmKeXb8 COVID-19 and Guilt By: Michael Larrimore, Director of Bereavement and Chaplain Services “Guilt is perhaps the most painful companion of death.” -Coco Chanel Feelings of Anger and Guilt Anger can be a common emotion we experience when we have lost someone close to us. We seek someone to blame or someone to hold responsible, someone who could have altered fate to erase what happened, and sometimes our target is the person looking back at us in the mirror. Guilt is a form of anger turned inward, and it can be one of the most challenging emotions to overcome. We…
- Education & Resources ·
Heart Failure and Hospice
Heart Failure and Hospice By: Marisol Ramirez, RN Now more than ever, it is imperative to manage serious conditions in the comfort of a patient’s home. Physicians, patients, and families can all agree that a caring and competent team is needed for optimal patient care. Under this joint effort, patient outcomes improve and overall healthcare costs lower for patients, specifically those experiencing congestive heart failure (CHF). Caring for a loved one with heart failure in hospice Making decisions for a loved one with heart failure can be difficult. You want the best care for your loved one. But how do…
- Education & Resources ·
Hospice for Veterans with PTSD
Hospice for Veterans with PTSD By: Portia Wofford After dedicating their lives to our nation, our nation’s veterans often face difficulty as they near the end of their lives. While every veteran has different needs, those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) face unique challenges. PTSD, sometimes known as combat stress or shell shock, often occurs after a person experiences severe trauma or a life-threatening event. According to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, the number of Veterans with PTSD, in any given year, varies by service era: Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. About 11-20% Gulf War (Desert Storm). About…
- Caregivers ·
Laughter is the Best Medicine
Dear Caregiver, More Than a Cliché You’ve heard the expression before – “laughter is the best medicine.” But it’s more than just a cliché phrase. There is some truth behind it. Think about it. We’ve all had a tough day where things just weren’t going right. Then, something made you laugh. You instantly felt better, right? This is because laughter is healing. There is actually science that backs this up. Laughter is Good for Your Health Besides just making you feel warm and fuzzy inside, laughter also has a ton of mental and physical health benefits that are proven to…
- Awareness ·
Alzheimer’s and Hospice
How to Know it May be Time for Hospice Watching someone you love suffer from Alzheimer’s or another memory debilitating illness is incredibly difficult, and it can be even more challenging to decide when it’s time to consider hospice care. Our latest video discusses the following five signs that indicate it may be time for hospice for an Alzheimer’s patient. 1. Physician determines they are at or beyond stage 7 of the Functional Assessment Staging Scale The Functional Assessment Staging (FAST) Scale is a tool used to determine if changes in a patient’s condition are related to Alzheimer’s disease or…
- Awareness ·
Alzheimer’s Communication Tips
Changes in Communication As Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month continues, we want to discuss a very important topic- communication and Alzheimer’s. As the disease progresses, a person’s ability to communicate gradually diminishes. Changes in communication vary from person to person, but there are several common issues you can expect to see, including difficulty finding the right words and organizing words logically. Effective Communication If someone you love is living with the disease, you know it can be challenging at times to communicate with them. The video above discusses the following ten tips for effectively communicating with your loved one. Never…
- Caregivers ·
Caregiving and Alzheimer’s
Dear Caregiver, If you are caring for a loved one who is living with Alzheimer’s disease, you do not need us to tell you that it’s not easy. This progressive disease is difficult to cope with – for both the person living with it and their loved ones. People living with Alzheimer’s may become frustrated when they find themselves struggling to do things they used to do without any problem. And it is hard for you, as the caregiver, to watch the person they once were gradually fade away. They may have brief moments of clarity where it feels like…
- Awareness ·
Hospice and the LGBTQ Community
LGBTQ Aging A 2020 Gallup study observed Americans’ identification as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT), by generation. The findings report that only 1.3% of the Traditionalist generation (born before 1946) and 2.0% of Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) identify as LGBT. This number increases dramatically over the generations, reaching 15.9% for Generation Z (born 1997-2002). The question is – does the higher percentage of younger Americans reflect a true shift in sexual orientation? Or is it simply reflecting a greater willingness to identify as LGBT? Although those who make up the younger generations were born into a world where huge…
