Literature Review

Springside Knitting Club helps Friends of Hospice Oswego County News Now, Oswego, NY; 12/18/24 The Springside at Seneca Hill Knitting Club recently donated a bin of handmade Afghans to Friends of Hospice in Oswego County (FOHOC), said Elena Twiss, FOHOC executive director. “The Afghans they made will give warmth and comfort to individuals at the end of life in Oswego County and we are very grateful for their support.” FOHOC is a volunteer organization that provides financial and non-medical support to individuals, caregivers, friends and families during the end-of-life journey and supports them following their loss.

Hospice artisans combine talent and heart to raise $750k for Hospice of the Calumet Area over the years GreatNews.Life; by Hospice of the Calumet Area; 12/9/24 For years, Hospice of the Calumet Area has been blessed by angels in its corner, including a group with a passion for art and philanthropy. The Hospice Artisans, a dedicated team of volunteers, host their annual Holiday Market to showcase elevated, carefully curated gift items, all handmade with love. This year’s event, held on Nov. 9 at St. Maria Goretti Church in Dyer, attracted more than 700 shoppers, a testament to the community’s support for the mission. Since its inception, this initiative has raised over $750,000 to support Hospice of the Calumet Area in Munster, assisting patients and families during life’s most delicate moments. ... Volunteers range in age from as young as eight to their 70s and beyond, each contributing unique skills.

A call to action for business leaders in health care: Prioritizing employees’ mental health is a necessity Las Vegas Sun - Veagas Inc; Guest column by Karen Rubel; 12/9/24 As mental health continues to be recognized as a vital component of overall well-being, businesses—especially those in health care—must stay vigilant and proactive in addressing mental health challenges within the workplace. The importance of this issue has never been greater,  ... In a hospice setting, the emotional toll on caregivers is significant. Health care workers often form close bonds with their patients and their families, and the loss of a patient can be deeply affecting. At Nathan Adelson Hospice, our teams regularly come together to review patient care plans, but they also take time to discuss their personal experiences and challenges. These discussions provide an opportunity for our staff to offer mutual support and care. This peer-to-peer connection fosters a sense of community and helps staff process their emotions in a healthy way. ...

Non-profits join forces to help homeless in Texoma TexomasHomepage.com, Wichita Falls, TX; by Mariana Vela LEon; 12/4/24 This holiday season, you can give warmth as a gift to someone in need in Texoma. If you have extra winter clothing that you need to get rid of, consider donating it to two non-profits that make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate. Homeless Lives Matter and Complete TX Hospice Care are joining forces to help those who may be struggling to keep warm during the cold winter season. ... Editor's note: This simple, meaningful community outreach can make a significant difference. How might you replicate this--with fast turnaround--at your organization? Perhaps a drive among your employees and volunteers? Read this article for more of their logistics.

Liberty Hospice provides Thanksgiving for 7 families Lake Gaston Gazette-Observer, Gaston, NC; by Mark Mathews; 11/27/24 Liberty Hospice volunteers recently traveled to the Pleasant Hill Christian Church kitchen in Gasburg to prepare Thanksgiving meals for seven families. “The families were selected as those who would benefit the most by our wonderful Liberty Hospice Health Care team,” Liberty Hospice Regional Volunteer Coordinator Esther Harris said. “As it turned out, two of the families preferred to have us bring all the fixings to them and they were going to the cooking themselves for Thanksgiving.” ...  Harris approached DrugCo Discount Pharmacy Chief Financial Officer Neal White about helping her group with the Thanksgiving meals. She received a better-than-expected response. “I was looking for help to buy some turkey and maybe some ham,” Harris said. “Mr. White asked me how much I thought it would cost to do the entire meal for each of the seven families. I gave him a number and they donated the entire amount. So we thank DrugCo who is just a wonderful community partner.”

Holiday tradition: Hospice of Health First volunteers deliver Thanksgiving meals to patients and families Space Coast Daily, Brevard County, FL; 11/27/24  A Brevard County holiday tradition dating back to 2004 continued this week as Hospice of Health First volunteers gathered to box and deliver Thanksgiving holiday meals to hospice patients and their families. Nearly three dozen Health First volunteers met at the Hospice of Health First office in West Melbourne to sort and load more than 100 Publix Thanksgiving meal boxes for delivery. Juanita Yarber of Melbourne was one of the first recipients of the holiday meal. She said the Thanksgiving meal delivery was special but just one of the many special touches she receives from the Hospice team and Sharon Berrier, a hospice volunteer. 

No One Dies Alone: new Parker hospital program offers companionship to those at the end of life Parker Chronicle; by Haley Lena; 11/27/24 Katherine Wiley, a volunteer at AdventHealth Parker, was in the hospital’s emergency department when she saw first-hand how being alongside a stranger during their final moments of life can have a profound impact on those around them. Wiley sat with an elderly woman who was dying with no one around. The patient’s sons were trying to get to the hospital from Colorado Springs but didn’t make it in time. “When they got there, I told them that I had been with their mom so she was not alone and they were very grateful,” said Wiley. Wiley shared this story with the CEO of the hospital, Michael Goebel, at the annual volunteer luncheon last year, and the following week, the No One Dies Alone program was being set up. “We can provide companionship to patients in the dying process who are truly alone,” said Wiley. “In doing so, (it) provides a gift of respect and dignity to another human being at the end of life.” The volunteers of the program are called “compassionate companions.” They do not provide medical care, but they assist with comfort care measures – they sit beside the patient, hold their hands, play soothing music or read to the patients. For as many circumstances there are that lead a person to be hospitalized, there are also as many reasons why a patient is alone. The patient could have outlived other family members and friends, said Wiley, or are estranged from their family. It could be because the patients themselves don’t want to have their family see them die, but don’t want to be alone. Or they could be a John/Jane Doe who was in an accident. “We want to be there for them, whatever those reasons are,” said Wiley. “This sort of thing feeds my soul.”

South Jersey organization helps families caring for ailing loved ones by delivering Thanksgiving meals Fox 29 Philadelphia; by Marcus Espinoza; 11/23/24 Haddonfield, N.J. - The holiday season and stress go hand-in-hand for many, but for some, like the Esposito family, holidays like Thanksgiving can be especially challenging. Thankfully, organizations like Samaritan step up with efforts like a food drive in South Jersey. "Samaritan for years has been delivering meals to hospice, palliative and bereaved families all around our five-county area," explained Volunteer Coordinator Lisa DiCerto. DiCerto is a long-time Volunteer Coordinator and says give back days really highlight their mission as an organization to provide not just a hot meal during Thanksgiving, but a chance for families to worry about one less thing. ... It’s a large operation full of volunteers committed to helping their neighbors. "We are delivering to about 140 different locations today," DiCerto said. Editor's note: Giving thanks year-round, Samaritan Hospice (and its other services) provides a beautiful, simple way to thank their staff: click here to view. "Fill out the form to send us a message. We welcome your thoughts about the care you and your loved one received. We’ll make sure to share it with the hospice team, palliative care professionals, or grief counselors who took care of you, your family member, or friend." 

Need to boost your spirits? Here are 7 ways to volunteer on Thanksgiving. HuffPost; by Anna Rahmanan; 11/19/24 This Thanksgiving, instead of spending all day stuffing yourself with food and sitting around, there’s another option that may feel a whole lot better: You can carve out at least part of your day to give back to people who might need some extra attention. After all, the season is about giving thanks and showing that we’ve got everyone’s back. Need some ideas to get started? We talked to folks who’ve done it before to get their recommendations for soul-feeding ways to spend your holiday.

Local veteran continues to serve by visiting hospice veterans Lundington Daily News, Lundington, MI; by Shanna Avery; 11/9/24 With love of service to their country, some veterans continue to find ways to serve and make a difference, and Ludington veteran Dick Gregaitis does just that when he visits other veterans as they approach the end of their lives. Gregaitis has been volunteering with Hospice of Michigan in the local area for eight years, where he visits veteran patients. Gregaitis served in the U.S. Navy from Aug. 1962 to 1965, then the U.S. Air Force until he retired in 1986 as senior master sergeant. Gregaitis said he has been around this area, and met his wife of 55 years at Round Lake. He traveled all over while in the military. It is through his own experiences, he shares a bond with other veterans. “To me, it is a way to give back to the community,” he said. “A lot of veterans don’t get people stopping by or talking. They like someone there that knows about the military. I even designed a badge that says, ‘military outreach.’ It is a win/win. I like to do it and I have the time to do it, and they like someone to say hi to.”

[Nebraska Department of Correctional Services] NDCS launches hospice care volunteer program News 2 North Platte, NE; 11/4/24 A new program is aiming to bring transformative change to end-of-life care in Nebraska correctional facilities. The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services recently launched a hospice care volunteer program to ensure terminally ill patients are not alone in their final moments. The first cohort of 16 volunteers selected from the Reception and Treatment Center completed 10 weekly trainings, delivered by healthcare professionals. The trainings covered various aspects of hospice care, including communication skills with patients and families, confidentiality, end-of-life care and stress management. In the program, volunteers work with NDCS team members and healthcare providers a few hours each day to addresses the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of incarcerated individuals who have a terminal diagnosis. This will allow them to maintain employment within the facility and participate in programming, NDCS said.

Serenity House Garden receives colorful makeover in honor of patients and families The Oskaloosa Herald, Oskaloosa, IA; 10/23/24 Mahaska Health announced recent enhancements to the Serenity House Garden, made possible by the generosity of Bob and Roxanne Denner. The updated garden now features a vibrant array of new plants and a beautifully revitalized rock landscape, offering a serene and uplifting environment for patients and their families. Roxanne Denner, a member of the Serenity Hospice Auxiliary Board, has been involved in supporting the Serenity House mission for several years. As an avid gardener, she saw this opportunity to enhance the garden as a way to contribute to the well-being of guests and their families. Editor's note: We celebrate the countless hospice and palliative care volunteers who give their time and talents to create more meaningful, compassionate environments and experiences for patients and families. Whom might you thank and recognize?

Nonprofit repurposes wedding bouquets for seniors Spectrum News 1, Columbus, OH; by Taylor Bruck; 10/21/24 Todd Davis, a resident of Columbus, knows it’s the simple things in life that mean the most. That’s why every weekend, he and volunteers pick up leftover flowers from weddings and other events and repurpose them into beautiful bouquets. They then deliver them to senior citizens all over Columbus and people in hospice care. ... Every week, volunteers turn thousands of flowers into about 200 bouquets, equating to nearly 10,000 this year and endless smiles.