It is never too early to make some decisions for when your health is critical or you are at the end of life. Planning is important for all people regardless of age or health condition. Planning involves writing an “advance directive,” a general term that describes your instructions about your future medical care. A Medical [...]
Were you aware that all hospice agencies provide palliative care? According to the World Health Organization, palliative care is “an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problem associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and [...]
Did you know that one of the recommended ways to dispose of some opioids is to flush the unused medicine down the toilet? More than 100 Americans die every day from an opioid overdose, and millions are addicted to opioids. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched Remove the Risk, an education and outreach [...]
We are starting a six-week support group, facilitated by Melissa Sullivan, LBSW. Please join us to learn, listen, and share in a safe and supportive environment. When: Tuesdays, 10:30 to noon, beginning 6/18/19 Fee: None Materials: We will be using the book, Understanding Your Grief by Alan Wolfelt. Used copies of the book will be [...]
Walking the path of death with a loved one and going through the grieving process is not just an emotional experience. Grief affects the entire body. Below are ways our body reacts to grief and stress. Heart – traumatic experiences/stresses can lead to an excess of adrenaline and cortisol being released. This can cause Takotsubo’s [...]
Recently, the federal government added an online tool to help patients and their families decide which hospice provider best meets their needs. The data on the website comes directly from satisfaction surveys completed by families the hospice has served. Considering that Texas has 500 hospice agencies, it can be hard to figure out how to [...]
Facilitated by Brenda Berry, LPC Please join us for a six-week series on Mondays at 1:00, beginning January 14, 2019. There is no cost for the group and it is open to the public. Attendance at all sessions is encouraged, but not required. If you have questions or plan to come, call us [...]
The following books help explain life and death in a simple way: Lifetimes: The Beautiful Way to Explain Death to Children by Bryan Mellonie & Robert Ingpen “Lifetimes is a moving book for children of all ages, even parents too. It lets us explain life and death in a sensitive, caring, beautiful way. Lifetimes tells [...]
Losing a loved one is significant. Maybe you’ve been bogged down with the busy-ness following your loss. Please take some time to come and share your stories and your plans for the holidays. We hope that one of these dates and locations will be convenient for you. Thursday, November 15, 2018 at 3:00 p.m. at [...]
Anticipation for the holidays is many times worse than the actual holiday. Think through what is important about the upcoming holidays and do what means the most for you. Don’t feel a need to do it all. Acknowledge and accept that there will be sadness. What you do this year, the first year without [...]
