HOSPICE FOUNDATION'S ONLINE COMMUNITY

End of Life Care Needs to Be Seamless

2012-01-18T17:39:00.001-08:00

We are always coming across statistics in the literature and comments from providers who tell us about people getting into hospice care too late to truly benefit from all that it has to offer. Primarily it's because one must choose to elect the service and therefore must suspend any curative or prolonging therapies. Most people are not wanting to do that. Totally get that. So what we really need to be looking at is how to deliver high-quality, compassionate, multi-disciplinary end-of-life care seamlessly--no need to elect it. As the needs grow at the end of life, certain services, like additional nursing visits, just begin to build. The problem is, no one has figured out a way to contain or control the costs in something that has no boundaries, like the current Medicare Hospice Benefit.

Hospice Foundation continues to look at this issue, to encourage collaborations among our grant recipients to enhance the end-of-life experience for all.

What do you think? How should this care be handled?

2012-01-06T13:50:00.001-08:00

Celebrating 15 Years!
Coming Up for 2012

So how long can we say Happy New Year? Anyway, it's nice to have the busy holiday season behind us and look ahead at what we've got coming up.

Annual Report - Publishes at the end of February with a complete wrap up of achievements and activities for the year 2011. Plus it will include a complete list of donors for that 12-month period.

Spring Raffle - Look for information on our website at www.hospicegiving.org about some of the fabulous prizes that will be available if you buy tickets to our Spring raffle. This project used to be called Bounty and the Feast. Let us know if you have a catchier name for it, we're open to new ideas. Call Lisa Bennett at (831) 333-9023.

End of Life Ethics Videoconference - our annual spring videoconference (April) from Hospice Foundation of America, followed by a live panel discussion. Actual date and location still to be announced. Preliminarily we're looking at April 19, 2012 and hope to secure Cal State University, Monterey Bay.

Executor Trustee seminars - We're moving these from the fall to late spring to even out our event calendar. Legal, financial and fiduciary specialists make up our panel of experts and take questions from the audience about all aspects of executor/trusteeships.

15th Anniversary Celebrations - We are 15 years old on July 1! In that time, we have made $19 million in grant funding to support hospice and other end-of-life care services. Thank you donors!

Golf Scramble - Day after Labor Day on Sept. 3, 2012 at Monterey Peninsula Country Club in Pebble Beach, California. Rare opportunity to play these world-renowned, members-only courses, so be sure to check our website this summer for all the details.

Southern Comfort BBQ & Auction - (September) Wonderful party at the beautiful Massa Vineyard in Arroyo Seco in Southern Monterey County, Calif., hosted by Bill and Laurie Massa. This event attracts business and social leaders from the South County region to the spectacular grounds of the vineyard to raise funds for hospice! Call us if you are interested in more information!

Coping with Grief at the Holidays - Two very special workshops for families who have lost a loved one and for those who need some support about how to cope with grief during the holiday period. These will be November 3 and 10, 2012 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Monterey and St. Ansgar's Lutheran Church in Salinas.

Trees of Life Tribute Light Campaign - Three tree lightings in December with hundreds of lights illuminated, each in honor or in memory of someone. Get your 2012 light dedication early by call 831-333-9023. Dates to be determined.

Tips for Coping with Grief During the Holidays

2011-11-07T13:54:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful turnout for our first of two Coping with Grief During the Holidays workshops on Saturday, Nov. 5, featuring author and grief counselor Judy Tatelbaum, MSW. Judy has been doing these workshops with us for more than 10 years. Our next one is Saturday, Nov. 12 at St. Ansgar's Lutheran Church in Salinas, 10 a.m. to noon.

Here are excerpts of her suggestions from the hand-outs we give to people who attend...:

Be kind to yourself. Do only as much as much as you can comfortably handle. Get the rest and nourishment and affection that you need. Choose what's best for you--to spend time alone or to be with people, and whether or not you want to be immersed in the holiday spirit or not.

Ask for what you need. People find great satisfaction in being able to help you. Let them but if you want your privacy respected, let them know this too. If you want to talk about the person you've lost, tell them this too.

Don't compare your life with other people's lives. Feeling jealous of intact families and feeling deprived are natural reactions after a loss. But don't believe that other families are happier than your as if other people have what you do not. We tend to harbor illusions about other people live and especially at the holidays, they may not be as ideal as you think.

You can choose how or where to spend the holidays. There is no perfect solution but you can choose what you would like to do, or nothing at all. You can choose to spend them as usual, though recognize they will feel different than usual without your loved one, or you can do something entirely new.

You are in control of how you want to navigate the holidays. It is not wrong if you choose to avoid the holidays altogether or you can choose to do something you've never done before such as going on a cruise, taking a brief trip or take on other things that can pleasantly distract you. It is okay to have a good time, you will not be dishonoring the love one you lost.

Our love is not measured by the extent of our grief. We can love forever without having grief as our testimonial to that love. Remember, few of us would want others to be forever bereft because we are gone.

The best gift we can give ourselves and others for the holidays and every day is to live our lives wholeheartedly.

--Excerpts from
Surviving the Holiday When Someone You Love Has Died
By Judy Tatelbaum
Bereavement Magazine
Nov/Dec. 1991

Philanthropy: Cornerstone to a Meaningful Life

2011-06-16T14:54:00.000-07:00

By Lisa Bennett

I just learned something troubling:

A study in January this year by U.S. Trust revealed that only 36 percent of the wealthy and very wealthy consider "making a positive impact on society" an important use of their wealth. And only 13 percent consider it important to "leave a legacy of contribution to society."

A 2007 Bank of America study said 98 percent of high-net-worth households give to charity, and most of them give to multiple organizations.

If so many wealthy people are giving to charity, why isn't using their wealth "to make a positive impact on society" a higher priority for them?

I was surprised to learn that the top three priorites cited in the US Trust study were "financial security," "financial freedom" and "travel." Maybe these donors are not giving enough thought behind their philanthropy. Maybe their gifts are at a dollar level not "meaningful" to them.

Philanthropy can be a cornerstone of building a meaningful life by using one's wealth to help create lasting, positive change.

Ask yourself, "When people speak my name after I'm gone, what would I like them to say?"

How would you like to be remembered?

Thoughtful, meaningful philanthropy is one way to seek and find the answer to these questions. Philanthropy that goes beyond the merely transactional and soars into the transformational will help us all - the donors no less than the recipients.

Think about it.

Taking A Broader Approach to End-of-Life Care

2011-05-31T14:37:00.000-07:00

Let's face it. We all don't pay much attention to how we want to receive care at the end of life because we're too busy living our lives: taking care of kids, working hard, looking after aging parents or grandparents. It's tough to face the fact that the end of our lives will one day be upon us. Americans like to avoid the subject altogether.

Studies have shown that most of us want to spend our final days at home, surrounded by loved ones and all things familiar. No one wants to be in pain and most everyone certainly wants uncomfortable symptoms to be controlled.

But every person is different. Every family is different. A cookie cutter approach to the appropriate care and services doesn't serve the needs.

Yes, hospice care is a wonderful, compassionate broad-ranging plan of care for people at the end of life. We're huge champions. Most of Hospice Foundation's funding supports core hospice services. But hospice isn't for everyone because of its eligibility requirements--that the patient seeks only pain and symptom control and no longer curative therapies. Nor does it serve the full range of needs out there.

That's why Hospice Foundation has taken an innovative, proactive approach, working with local providers of end-of-life services, to determine the greatest needs in the community for end of life care and funding those services. We fund a range of end of life services, and we advocate for changes in the system to improve access to care for all.

For example, because of the hospice eligibility requirements by state and insurance payors, this option for years didn't sit well with parents. They didn't want to forego curative care and treatments for their kids, even if these weren't likely to change the course of their child's illness. Most parents don't want to go there, and they shouldn't have to. That's why we helped fund changes to the law and terminally ill kids can now receive hospice-like care at home while still undergoing treatments.

Whether it is for children or adults, Hospice Foundation is about funding solutions. We're also about ensuring that high-quality compassionate end-of-life care and services are available to all today and into the future. Please read more about our work on our website: http://www.hospicegiving.org/ and join the conversation on our Facebook page. Find Hospice Foundation. Tell us what you think.....

Spirituality and End-of-Life Care Conference

2011-03-22T15:23:00.000-07:00

Join us for an enlightening and engaging discussion exploring the topic of "Spirituality and End of Life Care" and featuring two panels of renowned professionals from the clergy, health and human service sectors on Wednesday, April 13, 2011 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at California State University, Monterey Bay. Space is limited; Reservations required to 831-333-9023. Admission by April 8 is $35 and includes lunch; $40 after April 8. More info: http://www.hospicegiving.org

Panelists will discuss and explore the emotional, practical, spiritual and health concerns that emerge throughout a serious illness and at the end-of-life. They will define spirituality as different from religion, and evaluate approaches to end-of-life reminiscence, life review, and dignity enhancement. They will describe successful approaches to helping people utilize and enhance their coping capabilities through various spiritual practices, rituals, beliefs, and within various faith communities.

Ten local non-profit providers will have displays and representatives on hand to answer questions about their services. All are Hospice Foundation grant recipients.

See you there!

Tax Law Supports Charitable Gift Planning

2011-03-04T15:07:00.000-08:00

By Lisa Bennett

Fortunately, our tax system encourages you to make charitable gifts which can provide significant tax savings. You could receive income, estate- and gift-tax advantages, depending on how you structure your giving.

If you want to make a significant gift to Hospice Foundation, but need your investment income, a Charitable Gift Annuity (CGA) might work for you. A CGA provides a fixed-dollar payment on a quarterly basis to you and/or a loved one. The amount of the annuity payment and the income-tax advantages will depend on the age and number of people who will receive theincome. many annuitants find tht the actual income from a CGA is higher than they were receiving from highly appreciated, but low-yielding stocks.

It pays to stay up-to-date on changes in tax laws. For more information, articles available at the National Law Review (http://www.natlawreview.com/) and PGCalc (pgcalc.com) are good sources. You may also want to contact your estate planning attorney or accountant. I'm also happy to answer your questions, at no obligation of course. Please call me at (831) 333-9017 or lbennett@hospicegiving.org.

Bill Casey's Experience with Hospice

2010-07-01T15:03:00.000-07:00

Medicare May Soon Cover "Concurrent Care"

2010-06-01T13:13:00.000-07:00

It's well documented that sometimes families will choose to continue curative treatments for a terminally ill loved one, even if a cure is unlikely, rather than choose palliative care that focuses on symptom management and comfort care. No one wants to feel like they are "giving up" on a loved one. They understandably want to try everything medically possible to try and cure or slow down the advance of disease.

Complicating the issue is that many insurance programs and Medicare stipulate that patients must choose to forego further curative treatments before they can be admitted into a hospice program and receive its comfort-based measures. Unfortunately, the decision to seek hospice care is too often made just days or hours before the death of the ill family member. He or she has not been able to benefit from the many wonderful, supportive services the hospice team provides.

The good news is that soon patients and families may no longer have to make such a heart-breaking choice.

The U.S. Health & Human Services Dept., which administers Medicare, is undertaking a"concurrent care" study to see how to combine (and cover) curative treatments with palliative care. Can this perplexing issue be heading toward a solution? We certainly hope so because this is the right thing to do.

http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2010/05/24/prsb0524.htm

Where Do We Go From Here?

2010-03-26T15:27:00.000-07:00

Hospice Foundation of America's recent teleconference called Cancer and End of Life Care explored the many issues surrounding transitioning terminally ill patients from curative treatments to other care options such as hospice.

Dr. John Hausdorf, a Monterey, California, oncologist and panelist at our teleconference broadcast site said that new cancer therapies try two avenues: one to cure the cancer and another to prolong life by slowing down the progression of disease.

It's great that there are many more options today. But when the cancer is incurable, often the patient and family still want to try additional treatments. Sometimes these treatments can greatly impact the patient's quality of life because of debilitating side effects. So it leaves health care providers, patients and their families grappling with a timing question: when does hospice care become the better option? To go on hospice, the patient must forego any additional treatment.

This leaves one to ask, why can't patients have it both ways? Hope for a cure but also the ability to gain additional care and support if needed. Why can't compassionate, home-centered care that supports the dying patient become a natural part of the health care continuum...why must patients choose one course over another? Shouldn't it just be seamless?

Unfortunately, Medicare and private insurance companies haven't yet figured out a way to contain the costs of seamless transitions to end of life care. They require patients to exit and enter different modes of treatment which have different rates of reimbursements to providers. So while hospice is a wonderful choice, the fact that IT IS A CHOICE is in itself a barrier for people. They don't realize that hospice does allow patients to live to the fullest extent possible, under the circumstances, with care, comfort and dignity.

The system needs to change to recognize these needs.

Healthcare choices for people at the end of life should be seamless. Patients and families should not have to make such difficult choices--whether or not to stop treatment--be required to give up something to get something else. Hospice care should be available to all as a matter of course in our end of life health care delivery.

eBay Giving Works - About My Nonprofit - Hospice Foundation

2010-02-09T22:37:00.000-08:00

eBay Giving Works - About My Nonprofit - Hospice Foundation

You can now buy or sell your items and benefit hospice care. Try this link to learn more!

It Takes A Community: Weighing In On Recent Herald Story:

2010-01-26T09:57:00.000-08:00

http://www.montereyherald.com/search/ci_14262333?IADID=Search-www.montereyherald.com-www.montereyherald.com

In a recent story in the Monterey County Herald about Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula's efforts to reign in costs and increase its efficiency, Alice Kinsler weighed in on the topic with a letter to the editor reprinted here for you:

Dear Editor:
As president and CEO of Hospice Foundation, I applaud Community Hospital’s wide-ranging efforts to maintain the quality of its patient care while working to contain its costs of providing services. It is indeed a challenge today for all health care providers as they grapple with steep cuts in reimbursement from government and private insurance. Unless providers are able to find alternative ways to help close the funding gap, it can mean cutting vital services.

Community Hospital and other local providers turn to Hospice Foundation for help to ensure their hospice and other end-of-life care services remain available and high-quality for all families who need them. In October, Hospice Foundation responded to CHOMP with a $517,000 grant to help reduce the impact of its reimbursement/cost gap. In fact, 10 local end-of-life care providers received Hospice Foundation funding in 2009 totaling just over $1 million. But we can’t do this alone. We depend upon our community of donors—the source of these grants—to help us respond to the community’s needs for end-of-life care. Let the providers concentrate on cost-effective and high-quality patient and family services. You can help by joining with Hospice Foundation to support their efforts. It takes a community!

Alice Kinsler
Carmel Valley

No Worries-Retirement Income That is Guaranteed

2010-01-05T13:27:00.000-08:00

In an era of economic uncertainty about many retirement income vehicles, here's one that remains guaranteed - the income payment you can receive from a charitable gift annuity (CGA).

Hospice Foundation is among just a handful of Monterey County nonprofits that is licensed through the State Department of Insurance to offer a Charitable Gift Annuity. CGAs are a great way to benefit you and/or a loved one today and well into the future, then ultimately fund end-of-life care and comfort services for Monterey and San Benito county residents and families.

A charitable gift annuity is part investment and part donation. It is particularly attractive to a person who wants to receive income from assets that have risen sharply in value, such as stocks, because you can realize significant tax-savings.

Read all about CGAs on our website.
http://www.hospicegiving.org/estate_gifts_CharitableAnnuities.htm

Tax-Free Year-End Giving with IRA Distributions

2009-12-14T14:46:00.000-08:00

You can be a part of the team who makes compassionate end-of-life care possible. Here's a year-end opportunity to save on Individual Retirement Account income taxes and make a gift to Hospice Foundation to help fund hospice and other end-of-life care in Monterey and San Benito counties.

If you are age 71 or older, you can make a tax-free gift from your traditional IRA distribution to support hospice care through the Hospice Foundation. You won't pay income tax on the amount of your gift!

But you have to act quickly, before December 31, to ensure you get full advantage of this opportunity.

Here's how it works: Tell your traditional IRA administrator that you want to make a "qualified charitable distribution" to Hospice Foundation and give him or her the Foundation's federal tax ID, 94-2404634, our legal name, Central Coast Hospice Foundation, and our mailing address, PO Box 1798, Monterey, CA 93942.

The administrator will send your tax-free gift directly to us. It must be postmarked by December 31, 2009! Thank you very much!
This giving opportunity has been available since 2006. Congress might extend it, as it did once before, but no one can say for sure.

Here's the fine print:
· The check from the financial institution must be postmarked by December 31, 2009.
· Only IRA holders of the right age can take advantage of this opportunity.
· Traditional IRAs work best for this program. Because Roth IRAs are taxed differently, a charitable distribution from a Roth IRA probably offers you far less benefit.
· Charitable distributions cannot be made from 401(k), 403(b), SEP IRA, or SIMPLE IRA accounts-they don't qualify for this program.
Note: We do not advise on personal income tax issues. Please consult your tax advisor for full information. Only your advisor can give you definitive advice based on your personal financial circumstances.

If you have any questions, please call Susan Cortese, Director of Development, Hospice Foundation, (831) 333-9023.

Remarkable Hi-Tech Solutions in Home Care Setting

2009-09-25T14:50:00.000-07:00

Today, I drove about 60 miles south of our office for a demonstration by one of our grant recipients of hi-tech telemedicine units they purchased with a $94,000 grant we gave them earlier this year.

The units are truly remarkable technology, offering a huge solution for connecting patients in rural locations to nursing offices that may be many, many miles away in more populated locales. They offer peace of mind to family members between scheduled visits by the nurse, helps reduce the anxiety of both the patient and family, and helps make it possible for patients to remain at home for care.

These units measure blood pressure, heart rate, respiration, blood oxygen levels, and record weight, among other things. It provides state-of-the-art monitoring of a patient's condition and the opportunity for the family caregivers and patients to directly talk with the nurse, ask questions and learn what to do next. By manipulating the small unit affixed with a camera, the family caregiver helps the nurse see the patient's wounds or check for swelling, discuss his or her overall condition and see them directly for conversation.

Six units, in operation in South Monterey County, were purchased by a Hospice Foundation grant given last spring to Central Coast Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice, Inc., based in Monterey. The funds were raised from the foundation's highly successful Southern Comfort BBQ and Auction at Massa Vineyard in Arroyo Seco, Calif. on Sept. 6, 2008.

Benefits of End-of-Life Conversations

2009-09-02T14:29:00.000-07:00

People often avoid talking about end-of-life issues because no one wants to think about death and dying, as if it's not going to happen to them. Planning, preparation and understanding are the keys to having a dignified, peaceful death which most people claim they would like to have. It doesn't mean, of course, that death will happen tomorrow, next week or even next year. But some day. Talking about what you want when you come to the end of your life can be a very tender, bonding experience with your loved one, and they can benefit by talking with you. We want the best for each other.

Conversations between doctors and patients are also a good idea but sadly this will not be part of the health care reform bill.

We've attached a link from Boston.com that addresses this issue. It discusses the benefits to families, patients in having these conversations. Also find this quote:

“Everybody is afraid of death; it’s part of being a human being. But this regressive thing happens when there’s a big public conversation,’’ said Don Schumacher, president of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. “This legislation is an opportunity to begin. Between 2011 and 2028, 70 million people are going to die. That’s a lot of people to care for, and we need to have these conversations."

News to Share

2009-07-24T14:43:00.001-07:00

Award Received
In ceremonies last night, Hospice Foundation was given the Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce's Business Excellence Award as 2009 Best Non-Profit. We gave $1.32 million in grants to 10 local organizations that serve people at the end of life and their families. This brings to more than $15 million in funds given since 1997 to help create, develop and sustain local service providers of hospice care for children and adults, and other services for the end of life.

Executor Trustee Seminars - No charge to attend.
Announcing the dates for Hospice Foundation's fall seminar series, Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Being An Executor or Trustee.
Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009, 5:15 to 7 p.m. - National Steinbeck Center, Salinas, Calif.
Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009, 5:15 to 7 p.m. - Embassy Suites Hotel, Seaside, Calif.
Call for details and to reserve your space: 831-333-9023

National Hospice Advocates React to O'Reilly Guest Comments

2009-07-22T13:35:00.000-07:00

Hospice Foundation of America recently responded with a letter to conservative talk show host Bill O'Reilly denouncing comments made by Laura Ingraham, a recent guest on his show in which she evidentally mischaracterized hospice care. In the letter, HFA said Ms. Ingraham portrays "hospice as merely a place to die and her suggestion that hospice advocates seek to shorten life are so wrong and so harmful that they must be addressed."

The discussion was surrounding the health care reform debate now in Congress. Whatever your thoughts on this topic, it is important to note that hospice is not a place but rather a philosophy of care in the home setting that "seeks to add quality to the last weeks and months of life for those suffering from incurable illness," HFA says. "The people who choose hospice do not choose to give up on life. Instead, they wish to spend their final moments at home with their loved ones, aided by doctors and nurses who specialize in pain management and supported by counselors and clergy who are experts in pastoral care."

Here's a link to read the letter to Mr. O'Reilly: http://www.hospicefoundation.org/newsroom/releases/090721.asp

More on Quality End of Life Conversations

2009-05-28T14:27:00.000-07:00

Found an excellent, touching story about how conversations between dying patients and their physicians achieve a higher quality of life for patients at the end of life. Check it out.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/28/redefining-hope-at-lifes-end/

Why Families Avoid the Call for Hospice Help

2009-05-27T12:57:00.000-07:00

Families tend to delay calling for hospice services until just the last days or weeks of a loved one's life primarily because of misconceptions about what it is all about, according to a recent post,"Avoiding the Call to Hospice," by Paula Span on The New York Time blog, The New Old Age.

Span says many people think hospice is a place to go to die, rather than a type of home-based care that offers a multitude of services, many of which are covered by Medicare or private insurances. Some think it is about giving up on finding a cure, still others are simply afraid of the term, hospice. Span says some people equate the term with death and dying, rather than realizing that hospice care is about managing a loved one's pain and uncomfortable symptoms and offers compassinate care at home. In addition, Span says, "doctors may neglect to mention hospice care (as an option), or even discourage it."

Check out the blog post: http://tinyurl.com/oe2ss4
When patients have made the decision to no longer treat the disease, hospice care offers a range of care services for people in the comfort of their home. It does not effect of the course of the disease but can positively effect the "condition" of the patient, and offers help to family members caring for a loved one.

Check Out this NPR Series

2009-05-11T12:55:00.000-07:00

WBUR Boston recently produced and aired on National Public Radio an excellent documentary series entitled "Quality of Death, End of Life Care in America," that is well worth a listen. The series explores quality of life vs. quantity of life issues, the rising costs of EOL care; from pain to palliative care; and the importance of having conversation with loved ones about your wishes at the end of life. Also talks about how comfort care can come at a cost. Here's the link: http://www.insideout.org/documentaries/qualityofdeath/default.asp#

After listening, tell us what you think. Very thought-provoking.

New POLST Form Outlines Plan of Care

2009-04-03T13:15:00.000-07:00

A new health care form entitled Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment or POLST now gives physicians and their patients new opportunities to discuss and document treatment options and medical interventions.

“The new California POLST form reenergizes the need for discussions about what people want at the end-of-life so that they don’t receive care they don’t want or in a setting that is outside of their wishes,” said Jerry Griffin, MD, a member of Hospice Foundation’s board of directors.

“When this form is implemented properly it can make a huge difference in the quality of life for people who are at the end of life,” Dr. Griffin said. “It gives more clarity to the physician and it gives more control to the patient and to his or her family.”

Completion of the California POLST form is recommended for patients with a serious illness and life expectancy of a year or less, according to the California Coalition for Compassionate Care, the Sacramento-based agency leading the public awareness campaign around the state.

To ensure broad acceptance and use of POLST, the California Coalition sponsored legislation (AB 3000) that became law on January 1, 2009. This bill requires a health care provider treating an individual with a POLST form to follow the orders listed on the form.
The bright pink form outlines a patient’s preferences for resuscitation, use of antibiotics, artificially administered fluids and nutrition, and other details. It includes signed medical orders, and helps ensure the patient’s wishes, especially in cases where the patient in unable to speak for themselves.

Since the POLST form stays with the patient as he or she is moved between care settings, such as from a hospital to a skilled nursing facility, the California Coalition says it can streamline the transfer process, clarify treatment intentions, and optimize comfort measures.

The coalition says the form complements an Advance Health Care Directive; it is not intended to replace it. For more information on the POLST, visit the Coalition's website POLST section:
http://www.finalchoices.calhealth.org/polst-consumers.html
or call the California Coalition for Compassionate Care at 916-552-7642.

Can you talk about it? We can help.

2009-03-27T10:23:00.000-07:00

Are you like lots of people who are kind of shaky about bringing up end-of-life issues? Yeah, it can remind us about our own mortality. We've got too much else to do right now. But, at the same time, no one knows their future five minutes from now, next week, next year, 20 years. Is there anyone in your life that will know what you want in terms of care, comfort measures, etc., etc., if something were to happen to you?

Peace of mind can come with a plan. We've got some great stuff we can send you to start the conversations...First, a Five Wishes Advance Directive form. Free. Easy to fill out. With a membership in Hospice Foundation you can also receive a great planning binder called Notes to My Family. We also have a pamphlet called Conversations Before the Crisis. Check out our website under Membership if you'd like more information.

Quotable Quote

2006-06-30T12:19:00.000-07:00

I found this great quote today...
"To affect the quality of the day is the highest of all arts. ~ Henry David Thoreau
Pass it on....

Have A Frank Conversation about Care Options

2006-06-05T14:31:00.000-07:00

A while back there was an Associated Press story "Doctors Say Futile Cancer Treatment Rising," which appeared in many newspapers around the country. The story was about how doctors are increasingly concerned about the rise in a number of their cancer treating colleagues giving chemotherapy later and later to people who are at incurable stages of their illness...Here's the article if you missed it: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CANCER_OVERKILL?SITE=FLDAY&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT.

Appropriate care for a terminally ill person begins with good, open and honest discussion between the physician, the patient and the family. It's a hard conversation to have but a full range of care options should be explored, including the emotional, spiritual and home nursing support available in hospice care, to help families decide the best course of action.

Often people aren't aware that there are options, and it prevents patients who have an incurable illness from receiving the most appropriate care for their situation. New chemotherapies sometimes can slow disease progression but also can have intense, quality of life side effects. Palliative care programs now offer the best of both choices, combining active treatments with pain and symptom management, spiritual and emotional support.

Hospice Foundation has funded the start up of three such programs in Monterey and San Benito counties, California, that give patients yet another option, but these are still only available in an inpatient setting. One day, hopefully, appropriate end-of-life care will be a seamless thing...no need for any choice...it just happens in health care delivery because it's the right thing to do, at the right time. -- Alice Kinsler, President and CEO