In honor of National Volunteer Week, two volunteers describe why they serve in hospice care: Volunteering is Rewarding “Volunteering is so rewarding to me! It’s for our patient caregivers; to give them relief and to share on a personal level with our patients.  Caregivers need a break for their appointments – to get a haircut, pick up medications, or do grocery shopping. Knowing someone is there, with their loved one, while they do their errands, gives the caregiver peace of mind. For me, this is a prearranged time that can be one to four hours, whatever works for my schedule and their ne ..read more

There are a lot of questions surrounding hospice and end-of-life care options. What is hospice? When is it appropriate, and for whom? The fundamental goal of hospice is to help patients with a terminal illness and their families experience the best quality of life when curative care is no longer an option. In hospice, the focus shifts to helping patients identify and articulate what they want most in their remaining time and providing symptom management, emotional support, and guidance to help them live as fully and comfortably as possible. When is the best time to start hospice? In February 2 ..read more

Facing the death of a loved one can be the most challenging experience a person ever confronts. The sorrow and sense of loss may feel unbearable at times. There may be complicated feelings such as sadness, anger, and regret mixed with relief that your loved one is now beyond suffering. Most of all, you may suffer loneliness in their absence and worry about how you will manage without this important person in your life. Our sense of loss and all the complicated and mixed feelings that accompany grief can overwhelm us. But we don’t have to face this trying time alone. Often it helps to have a li ..read more

Most people would rather avoid thinking about hospice, and there’s a lot of confusion about what it even is. Hospice is a program for people who’ve been diagnosed with a terminal illness who have an expected life span of six months or less IF the disease runs its normal course. Under hospice, all treatment to cure or control a terminal illness is stopped and is replaced with physical, emotional, and spiritual support for both the patient and their family members. Hospice is appropriate for, but not limited to, diagnoses of cancer; dementia; or an advanced lung, heart, kidney, or liver disease ..read more

Back in 1995, the staff at CHP Home Care & Hospice noticed the need to fulfill wishes for adults in its hospice program who had limited time remaining in their lives. The idea was expanded to include individuals from throughout the state of Ohio, and the Angel Foundation was established. Over its 28 years, the Angel Foundation has fulfilled wishes for hundreds of terminally ill patients, most of whom are from our area. What makes the Angel Foundation unique is that its wishes are granted exclusively to adults. Firefighter to 911 Memorial Brian Stahl and family in New York City In October ..read more

By Kenneth J. Doka Many bereaved persons dread the holidays as often it can be difficult to face the prospect of celebration while missing the individual they loved. Others may welcome the holidays, finding in them an opportunity for diversion as well as support as families and friends gather. Whatever one’s perspective, it’s important to avoid two strategies that are bound to fail. The first of these is to try to ignore the holidays. Escape and avoid A new widower may firmly announce that he is not going to experience Christmas without his wife. He gives checks to his adult children to buy gi ..read more

November is National Home Care and Hospice Month – a time set aside to recognize and honor home health and hospice caregivers nationally and locally. Every day, nurses, home care aides, therapists, social workers, and others dedicate themselves to serving the health care needs of patients and families in their homes. We recognize the contributions of CHP Home Care & Hospice employees throughout the year. This month is also meant to help increase awareness about what we do, why we do it, and who we do it for. Here are some common myths and facts about home care and hospice. HOME HEALTH CARE ..read more

The State of Michigan has many beautiful places to visit. One of the top destinations is Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. America’s first national lakeshore overlooks Lake Superior in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It is known for its beautiful, diverse landscape and colorful fall foliage. In September, CHP’s Angel Foundation arranged a trip there for Brenda Bundy, a hospice patient from Bryan. Diagnosed with terminal cancer, Bundy has been a patient with CHP Home Care & Hospice of Bryan for over a year. This spring, she applied for a wish through the Angel Foundation, a nonprofit organizat ..read more

Former President Jimmy Carter is changing the conversation around hospice care. Nearly eight months into receiving at-home care, he’s helping families better understand what it means to comfort ailing loved ones and recently celebrated his 99th birthday. Carter’s hospice experience has dispelled two of the biggest myths about hospice; that it’s only for the final days or hours of a person’s life, and it’s a place that you go. He’s been under hospice care for over seven months and has remained in his home. Hospice aims to offer comfort and extend the quality of life for patients often in their ..read more

By Kenneth J. Doka “I thought the funeral would bring me some closure and I could move on.” Comments like this are often heard by grief counselors. Somehow, we are told, there is an action or event that can bring us some sort of finality, or release, from our grief. The event could be the funeral. Once we see the deceased lying serenely in the casket, we can feel that a person’s suffering is now over and he or she is at peace. Or, it might be the autopsy report that promises closure. Once we really learn the cause of the death, we can seal that chapter of our life. The term closure was used by ..read more