The Heart of Hospice Podcast
Episodes
Five for Friday, Episode 097, Leaving Hospice by Revocation
13 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
When a person elects hospice care it doesn't mean they have to remain on hospice. They can choose to revoke the hospice benefit for traditional, or ag...
Five for Friday, Episode 096, Overview of a Death Event
06 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this Five for Friday episode we explain the process that normally takes place when a death occurs at home. It's our strong belief that education ...
Five for Friday, Episode 095, Alzheimer's and Hospice
29 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
June is Alzheimer's Awareness Month, so we've talked about Alzheimer's Disease on our weekly Five for Friday episodes the last few weeks. The typica...
Five for Friday, Episode 094, Support for Alzheimer's Caregivers
22 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
There are currently 5.7 million Alzheimer's patients in the United States. All of these patients need caregivers, and half of all of the non-paid care...
Five for Friday, Episode 093, ALZ website review
15 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
June is Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month, and we want to share with you the best resource for anyone affected by Alzheimer's disease, whether you...
Episode 024, Interview with Edo Banach of NHPCO
01 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
When Edo Banach became the president and CEO of the National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) in 2017, he began touring the country ...
Edo Banach preview 2
27 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
NHPCO CEO & president, Edo Banach, shares his thoughts on changes that are ahead for the hospice industry. This 1 minute preview is from the co...
Five for Friday, Episode 091, Before I Die
25 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We were recently introduced to a project that's sweeping city after city, all over the world. It's an art project, started by Candy Chang in New Orl...
Five for Friday, Episode 090, Death Over Dinner
18 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
"Let's have dinner, and talk about death." That's the invitation that Death Over Dinner is offering to people so that they can talk about a very imp...
Five for Friday, Episode 088, National Nurses Week 2018
04 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
May 6-12 is National Nurses Week here in the U.S. and The Heart of Hospice wants to honor all of the hard-working, dedicated, and compassionate nurses...
Episode 023, Interview with Music Therapist Kati Wettstein
01 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Kati Wettstein is a board certified music therapist, and has worked in hospice for over 6 years. During that time she has experienced the joy of pro...
Five for Friday, Episode 087, Respite Care for the Caregiver
27 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
One of the unique services provided by hospice care is known as respite care. Helen & Jerry explain the purpose of respite care in this episode,...
Five for Friday, Episode 086, Providing Crisis Care in Hospice
20 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Hospice, like most healthcare, has different levels of care that are provided, depending upon the need of the patient. There are 4 levels of care pr...
Five for Friday, Episode 085, The "What Matters Most" Letter Project
13 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
National Healthcare Decisions Day is Monday, April 16. At the Heart of Hospice we encourage everyone to share their healthcare decisions with the si...
Five for Friday, Episode 084, Introducing the "Hello" Game
06 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
National Healthcare Decisions Day is on Monday, April 16. The purpose of NHDD is to encourage people to have conversations with friends and loved on...
Five for Friday, Episode 083, Self Care Check In
30 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Did you make any New Year's Resolutions about self care? The first quarter of the year is almost over, so it's time for a self care check in. In t...
Five for Friday, Episode 082, Ethical Issues with guest Katie Ortlip SW
23 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Social workers are on the front lines when it comes to being advocates for their patients, and that includes being involved in ethical issues that con...
Five for Friday, Episode 081, Bereavement Care with guest Katie Ortlip SW
16 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Social worker Katie Ortlip describes the many ways she provides bereavement care to families when a loved one is on hospice. Bereav...
Five for Friday, Episode 080, Long Term Care Placement with Katie Ortlip, SW
09 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to National Social Worker Month. This week we continue our discussion with social worker Katie Ortlip as the discussion turns to long t...
Episode 021, Interview with Katie Ortlip, Hospice Social Worker
01 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
March is National Social Worker Month. Social Workers are leaders, advocates, and champions who serve people when they're in need of help. Hospice s...
Five for Friday, Episode 078, Hospice at Home
23 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Hospice provides 4 different levels of care for patients. 1. Routine Home Care, or hospice at home 2. General Inpatient, or GIP. 3. Continuous Care, o...
Five for Friday, Episode 077, Hospice Admission Process
16 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Our mission at The Heart of Hospice is to educate about hospice, and enhance the end of life journey for hospice patients, and their families and care...
Five for Friday, Episode 076, Barbara Karnes Resources (BK Books)
09 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
At the Heart of Hospice we're always looking for great resources that help educate and encourage. One of the best websites for end of life education...
Five for Friday, Episode 075, When Breath Becomes Air book review
02 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
There are many excellent books that have been written about end of life, but there are few written by a doctor about his own death. When Breath Beco...
Episode 020, Interview with Tom Batiuk of Funky Winkerbean
01 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tom Batiuk is the creative mind behind the comic strip "Funky Winkerbean." Tom began drawing Funky over 45 years ago when he was still a middle scho...
Five for Friday, Episode 074, Benefits of Humor on the Spirit
26 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Helen & Jerry continue discussing the positive affects of humor for self care. Previous episodes discussed the affects of humor ...
Five for Friday, Episode 072, Benefits of Humor on the Mind
12 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Your body cannot heal without play.Your mind cannot heal without laughter. Your soul cannot heal without joy. -- Catherine Rippenger Fenwick Through t...
Five for Friday, Episode 071, Best & Worst Self Care for 2017
05 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What was your 2017 like? In this episode Helen & Jerry share their self care successes and blunders for 2017. It's the 2017 version of our b...
Episode 019, Interview with Jon Braddock
01 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Jon & Michelle Braddock were faced with an almost insurmountable challenge when Michelle's father passed away unexpectedly at home on Labor Day, 2...
Five for Friday, Episode 070, 2017 Year in Review
29 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
2017 Year in Review In this 5 for Friday episode, Helen & Jerry take a look back at the year of 2017, and a look ahead into the new year of 2018. ...
Five for Friday, Episode 068, Balanced Self Care
15 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
For self care to be effective it needs to be balanced. Self care should include body, mind, and spirit. Each one affects the others, and neglect o...
Five for Friday, Episode 067, Generosity as Holiday Self Care
05 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The holiday season can be difficult for personal caregivers, as well as professional caregivers. Maintaining a self care program is difficult enough...
Special Episode 06, Interview with Martha Jo Atkins
05 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
ABODE Contemplative Care for the Dying is a unique home in San Antonio, Texas, that provides care for up to 3 guests who are in the last few months of...
Five for Friday, Episode 066, Gratitude as Holiday Self Care
01 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
As part of the Thanks & Giving Self Care Campaign, this Five for Friday focuses on the power of gratitude to provide self care. Researchers have c...
Five for Friday, Episode 065, Holiday Self Care Campaign Launch
24 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Holiday Self Care Campaign Launch Today we're going to start our Holiday Self Care Campaign, "Thanks & Giving". The holidays always add another la...
Five for Friday, Episode 064, Delaying Hospice
17 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone who works in hospice has heard the comment, "I wish we hadn't waiting so long to call hospice." Or "I wish we had known about hospice soone...
Five for Friday, Episode 063, Veterans Day 2017
10 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Veterans Day 2017 In this Five for Friday episode, Helen & Jerry share the work that many hospices are doing across the United States, to honor th...
Five for Friday, Episode 062, National Hospice & Palliative Care Month
03 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
November is National Hospice & Palliative Care Month, and the theme for this year is "It's about how you live." At The Heart of Hospice we are...
Episode 017 - Interview with Jon Radulovic of NHPCO
01 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
November is National Hospice & Palliative Care Month in the United States. The theme for 2017 is "It's about how you live." To recognize the s...
Five for Friday, Episode 060, American Pharmacist Month
20 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
October is American Pharmacist Month. Pharmacists serve a very important role for the hospice industry. They are critical in allowing hospices to ...
Five for Friday, Episode 059, 365 Caregiving Tips Book
13 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Wouldn't it be great if there was a book that could help caregivers thrive, and not just survive? There is one! Our friends at 365 Caregiving Tips h...
Five for Friday, Episode 058, Hospice Care Week in UK
06 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
October 9-16 is Hospice Care Week in the United Kingdom, and we wanted to honor and recognize our hospice colleagues in Great Britain for the tremendo...
Five for Friday, Episode 061, Lauren's List
02 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
By the time Lauren Sampson was 7 years old, she had been hospitalized more than 50 times. She endured the typical healthcare treatments and procedur...
Episode 016 - Helen's Personal Hospice Story
01 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
As hospice professionals, we often feel like we know what it's like for the family who has a loved one on hospice. Until we've actually had that exp...
Five for Friday, Episode 057, Living With Dying book
29 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
One of the best, and most comprehensive books we have ever read on the subject of caregiving has just recently been released. Living With Dying is w...
Five for Friday, Episode 056, MyDirectives app
22 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
As hospice professionals, we believe very strongly in 2 things: 1) Empowering people to create advance directives regarding their health care. 2) Us...
Five for Friday, Episode 055, NHPCO podcast
15 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) is a non-profit advocacy group based in Alexandria, Virginia. Their mission is to be a...
Five for Friday, Episode 054, Hospice Compare
08 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Hospice Compare is a new online resource provided by Medicare.gov that can assist you in making an informed decision when you're needing to choose a h...
Special Episode 2 - Hurricane Harvey Edition
01 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This is our Hurricane Harvey Special Edition Episode. Due to the impacts of Hurricane Harvey, Helen and Jerry were unable to record this episode in ...
Five for Friday, Episode 053, Self Care Success Stories
25 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The first half of 2017 has come and gone, and now the calendar says it's almost time for school to start again. Where did the time go? It's time t...
Five for Friday, Episode 052, Top Regrets of the Dying
18 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In 2011, Bronnie Ware, a palliative care nurse, published a book based on the comments of the dying patients that she served, called The Top Five Reg...
Five for Friday, Episode 051, Self Care After Work
11 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Whether it's been a difficult day or an amazing day, self care after work should still be an important part of your daily routine. Helen & Jerry...
Five for Friday, Episode 050, Self Care on the Road
04 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Hospice professionals spend many hours on the road, traveling from patient to patient, often with little time to take care of their own personal needs...
Episode 014 - First Anniversary Episode
01 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Tuesday, August 1, marks the 1 year anniversary that The Heart of Hospice podcast has been in production. In honor of this milestone Helen and Jerry...
Five for Friday, Episode 049 - Therapeutic Touch
28 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this 5 for Friday Helen & Jerry discuss the findings of a recent study regarding the power of "behavioral synchrony," and how touch between par...
Five for Friday, Episode 048 - Sleep Hygiene
21 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Statistics say that 35% of Americans report sleep quality of poor or only fair. So, more than a third of the country is sleep deprived. It's even wo...
Special Episode 001, Dealing With Personal Loss as a Hospice Professional
16 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In January, 2014, Rhonda's daughter and son-in-law were murdered. As a hospice RN working as an admissions nurse, Rhonda was accustomed to seeing dea...
Five for Friday, Episode 047, Diversity in Hospice
14 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's Five for Friday episode, Helen tells a personal story related to a recent travel experience. It's all about the diversity that we find...
Five for Friday, Episode 046, The Role of Nurse Practitioner
07 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
It takes an entire team to serve hospice patients and their families, besides the core team of doctors, nurses, social workers, spiritual counselors,...
Episode 013 - Top 10 Things Not to Say
01 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Professional hospice caregivers are people, too. Which means that even on our best days we make mistakes. With the best of intentions we sometimes s...
Five for Friday, Episode 045, Pet Therapy
30 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
There are many great advantages to pet therapy in the hospice setting. 1. Reduces a person's anxiety. 2. Lowers blood pressure. 3. Comforts agita...
Five for Friday, Episode 044 - Adjunct Therapies
23 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Hospice care is holistic care. One of the core philosophies of hospice is to provide care for the whole person: physical, mental, emotional, and spir...
Five for Friday, Episode 043, Dame Cicely Saunders birthday
16 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Dame Cicely Saunders was born on June 22, 1918 in the United Kingdom. She is best known for creating the modern hospice movement that now serves term...
Five for Friday, Episode 042, Nursing Assistant Week
09 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
June 15-22 is National Nursing Assistants Week, and we at The Heart of Hospice want to honor and recognize those who are at the heart of caring for th...
Five for Friday, Episode 041, Self Care Check In
02 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
5 months of the year are behind us, and June has just begun. It's time for a Self Care Check In. How are you doing with your self care? In February...
Episode 012 - Hospice Connections
01 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Hospice Connections
Five for Friday, Episode 040 We Honor Veterans
26 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Monday, May 29 is Memorial Day in the United States. Memorial Day is to honor the brave soldiers who died to secure our freedom. It's a day to honor...
Five for Friday, Episode 039, Hope in Hospice
19 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Hope in Hospice
Five for Friday, Episode 038 National Nurses Week
12 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Helen & Jerry give honor to all of the amazing nurses who work in hospice during National Nurses Week in the U.S. Most hospice nurses will tell...
Five for Friday, episode 037, The No Judgment Zone
05 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this Five for Friday episode, Helen & Jerry remind hospice professionals that we must always walk in the No Judgment Zone. That means we must...
Episode 011 - Do Not Resuscitate Decision-making
01 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is the full length version of a shorter version that was broadcast on a recent Five for Friday, about the Do Not Resuscitate advance dire...
Five for Friday, Episode 036
28 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
5 Wishes is a living will document published by a nonprofit agency called Aging with Dignity. It’s a simple document that asks five questions about...
Five for Friday, Episode 035
21 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
We have witnessed the pain and agony that families face when their loved one has not expressed, either verbally or in writing, what they wanted to hap...
Five for Friday, Episode 034
14 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This week Helen & Jerry consider the purpose of the Medical Power of Attorney (MPOA). The purpose of the MPOA is to designate someone to make you...
Five for Friday, Episode 033
07 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this Five for Friday we discuss the purpose of a DNR. DNR means Do Not Resuscitate. Do Not Resuscitate forms communicate a person’s wish that...
Episode 010 - Volunteer Work in Hospice
01 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
April is Volunteer Appreciation Month, and we're excited to feature one of our hospice colleagues, Lillie Boudreaux, who works as a volunteer coordina...
Five for Friday, Episode 031
24 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Hospice professionals know the 5 things people say when they discover you work in hospice. 1. "I could never work in hospice." 2. "That must take...
Five for Friday, Episode 030
17 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's episode of Five for Friday, Helen & Jerry share some important information for families who are considering hospice for their loved...
Five for Friday, episode 029
10 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
All hospices provide the same care, right? Not necessarily. When you or your loved one are in need of hospice services, it's good to know how to fin...
Five for Friday episode 028
03 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this Five for Friday, Helen and Jerry discuss the hospice terms that can be very confusing to patients and caregivers. Hospice professionals use t...
Episode 009 - Developing Healthy Self Care Habits
01 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
How are your self care habits? If you're like us, there's good days and there's bad days. In this episode we share our highs and lows, the best and ...
Five for Friday Episode 027
24 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
All during this month we’ve been focused on self care - for mind, body, and spirit. Self care is the way hospice caregivers - personal and professi...
Five for Friday, episode 026
17 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
We are probably guilty of neglecting self care for our spirits more than anything else. And yet, neglect of this area can lead to greater problems in...
Five for Friday, episode 025
10 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This is Self Care February, and this week's episode will focus on self care for the body. As caregivers we often push ourselves beyond healthy limi...
Five for Friday, Episode 024
03 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
We're calling it self care February! Each Five for Friday episode in February will focus on a specific area of self care, to promote a balanced self c...
Episode 008 - Practicing Professional Boundaries
01 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
One of the most important qualities of a hospice professional is the ability to establish and maintain healthy boundaries with patients and families. ...
Five for Friday, Episode 023
27 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Communication requires someone sending a message and someone receiving the message. We need to do both well. Listening, however, has become a lost a...
Five for Friday, episode 022
20 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The conversations that occur in hospice can sometimes be difficult and hard. It's our job to do this the best way we can, with as much compassion a...
Five for Friday, episode 021
13 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
When patients who are dying are asked to discuss their lives, the discussion doesn't usually include how much money they earned. People who are dying...
Five for Friday, episode 020
06 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
People talk a lot about New Year’s Resolutions at this time of year. We make lists of things we want to change about ourselves. List of habits tha...
Episode 007 - Understanding Our Comfort Zones
01 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
We all have our comfort zones that we like. We also have those areas where we feel out of our element. What's extremely difficult is when we feel ou...
Five for Friday, episode 019
30 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
2017 is almost here. 2016 is about to become a memory. As 2016 comes to an end we want to express how thankful we are for each of you. Thanks for li...
Five for Friday, episode 018
23 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this Five for Friday episode, Helen & Jerry discuss their self care calendar experiment. During the month of December and part of January, Hel...
Five for Friday, episode 017
16 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
We know how hard it is to consistently maintain healthy self care, because we’ve had our share of bad habits. (We still do.) In this episode Helen...
Five for Friday, episode 016
09 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Self care is best achieved by caring for the whole person: body, mind and spirit. Caring for the whole person is best achieved by engaging all of our...
Five for Friday, episode 015
02 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Holiday coping tips
Episode 006 - Grief Care for Special Days
01 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
It’s an overwhelming time of year. As if our normal days aren’t busy enough, our lives can become so hectic during a holiday time that we no longe...
Five for Friday, episode 014
25 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
It's Black Friday! Ready or not the holiday season is here. The holiday season can be one of our favorite seasons, but it's also one of the most st...
Five for Friday, episode 013
18 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever had a bad day? Who hasn't, right? In this episode Helen & Jerry talk about how to turn a bad day into a good day with one quick an...
Five for Friday, episode 012
11 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Veterans Day in the United States is a day to honor the men and women who have served in our military. This group of people, from every era and every...