Bringing Life To Hospice

Grief changes everything—including how we see ourselves. In this episode, we explore Grief and Identity: Navigating the Void After Loss. Join us as Chandra helps us understand the deep impact of grief on our sense of self and shares insights on adapting to life's changes while honoring those we've lost. 

Today, we hear from Sara Chambers, Community Educator for Hospice of Northwest Ohio about breaking the societal barriers with death and dying.  

Today, we hear from Kim Burgess, the Founder of Comforting Transitions, as well as one of our very own Hospice of Southern Illinois Volunteers. She is an experienced adult-geriatric nurse practitioner who specializes as a senior care manager and end-of-life doula. During this episode, she explains what an end-of-life doula is and some stories she has during the end-of-life journey. 

Today, will hear from Shelly Black, Volunteer Services Manager here at Hospice of Southern Illinois about the benefits of being a volunteer. We would not be the company we are today without their generous hearts and commitment to our mission. In honor of Volunteer month in April, we wanted to celebrate early by telling you all more about becoming a volunteer.

Today, we hear from Amanda Landsbaum on Parkinson Disease. Amanda is currenly the program director of the American Parkinson Disease Association and is passionate about providing high quality, accessible programming for people and their families living with Parkinson's Disease. Tune in to hear from Amanda and her knowledge on Parkinson's!

Today, we hear from Dr. Sarah Hogann on pet loss grief.  Dr. Hoggan is the medical director of the VCA CVS Murrieta facility in California. She has been in private practice with an emphasis in emergency medicine since veterinary school graduation. She explains how griving a pet is different than a human and her experience caring for animals as a veterinarian. 

Growing Belleville Thru Community Chats sat down with our President and CEO, Amy Richter, to talk leadership, community, and all things hospice.   To enjoy more episode of Growing Belleville Thru Community Chats, you can find them on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.   Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/growing-belleville-thru-community-chats/id1579571466 Spotify: Growing Belleville thru Community Chats YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@greaterbellevillechamberof4451/feature

Today, we hear from a caregiver who saw Hospice of Southern Illinois' care firsthand. Amy Therrian, Executive Director of Cedarhurst of Breese, has a unique perspective on hospice care. Amy knows hospice from all angles from seeing hospice providers through her position in long-term and nursing care, and also from being her dad's caregiver during his end-of-life journey. In this episode, she shares memories of her father that are sure to pull at your heart strings. As well as, the importance of dignity at the end of life for patients and caregivers.

Let's shine a light on the largest organ- your skin, with special guest Amy Bruggeman! This episode discusses how to care for our skin as we age to avoid wounds and breakage at the end of life.    Amy Bruggemann MSN APRN-BC, CWS received her Nurse Practitioner degree from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, with an undergrad from Barnes Jewish Hospital. Amy has worked in many nursing roles from CNA to DON prior to becoming an NP. In 2004, she joined Specialized Wound Management as their Director of Clinical Operations, as she is a certified wound specialist through the American Academy of Wound Management. In this role she sees patients while managing NPs in IL, MO, NE, and KS. When she's not helping her practice see over 2,000 patients each month, she is editing medical books and journals for Springer Publishing Company, consulting in legal nursing, serving on physician panels, and lecturing throughout the country on advanced wound care.

In this episode, we share an encore of our January 2023 CE You Online Webinar: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Hospice Care with Sherita Haigler   SHERITA M. HAIGLER serves as the Vice President, Diversity, and Inclusion at a local non-profit and a consultant to those interested in building and advancing their DEI organizational efforts. Sherita's primary responsibility is to lead the internal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts and ensure they align with the strategic plan of the organization. As the lead/consultant Sherita, works in partnership with leadership and Human Resources to create an inclusive organizational environment where employees, volunteers, and investors of all ability statuses, gender identities, race/ethnicities, backgrounds, and orientations feel welcome and can flourish and contribute in ones environment.   As the past Director of STEMSTL, a non-profit STEM Learning Ecosystem that aims to ensure that all St. Louis area learners have equitable access to high-quality STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) learning and career opportunities. Sherita built and maintained relationships, created structures for collaboration, and managed the day-to-day operations of the Ecosystem to improve STEM learning and workforce outcomes.   Sherita also works as a facilitator for Diversity Awareness Partnership in its Give Respect Get Respect Program. Sherita holds a Masters, and Bachelor of Business Administration from Fontbonne University where she was an adjunct faculty member for the Options Program for many years. She has a vast amount of experience in Client Services, Account and Client Relationship Management, and Program/Project Management in the Telecommunications and Health Care industries. She is an active member in her community where she serves on the following boards, City Garden Montessori School, ITEF, SAAVY Coder, and STL Youth Jobs. Sherita is a native of St. Louis.  

Join us for a conversation with Becky Byrne of Annie's Hope (https://annieshope.org) on children, family grief, and how it affects the holidays. In this episode, we'll also explore how to handle holiday traditions, in the midst of grief.    External Links Contact Annie's Hope: kidsgriefmatters@annieshope.org National Alliance for Children's Grief: https://nacg.org/find-support

Hospice Nurse Penny Smith has leveraged her experience in hospice nursing to post educational videos for her thousands of followers about the end-of-life journey on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Penny talks with us about her nursing journey, the power of social media influence, and the importance of having conversations about death with your loved ones.  Where to find Hospice Nurse Penny:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hospicenursepenny/?hl=en TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hospicenursepenny Facebook: @hospicenursepenny

Moya Cook, Nurse Practioner for the Marion VA Medical Center, shares how to better understand veteran's mindset and military culture to provide those who served with the best care.  Suggested Read: Living with Grief Series- Improving Care for Veterans Facing Illness and Death by Hospice Foundation of America https://www.amazon.com/Improving-Veterans-Facing-Illness-Death/dp/1893349160

April is National Volunteer Month and we are celebrating through a conversation with two of our Hospice of Southern Illinois Volunteers. Linda Buescher and Abbey Iffrig talk hospice volunteering, how COVID-19 changed the volunteering landscape, and more in our latest episode.

Dr. Ellen Middendorf sits down to share all about hospice and heart health. This conversation details how symptoms of Congestive Heart Failure patients are managed through hospice. We will also debunk some heart-related myths so you know the ways, big and small, to keep your heart healthy.

Join Hospice of Southern Illinois Staff members as they discuss their holiday traditions and memories. In this episode, we'll also discuss ideas to honor loved ones who have passed.

Lisa Simonin is a licensed social worker and bereavement counselor. In this episode, She shares how the calendar, and specifically holidays, may affect our grief and traditions. Lisa provides advice on how to keep the memory of our loved ones alive during the holidays, while still healing in the grieving process.

Dr. Emily Oliver is 1 of 31 Pain and Palliative Care Pharmacists in the country. She shares her heartwarming story leading her into this work, the role of a Pain and Palliative Care Pharmacist and how compassionate, quality of life focused care helps patients and families during their end of life journey. Further, she is hosting and educational series on our blog this month on a variety of pharmacy related topics for American Pharmacists Month. Enjoy this packed episode and learn more: www.hospice.org/blog or visit our Instagram for more stories.  

This episode's title holds special meaning worth 10 fold. Cheryl shares caregiver insight, stories, her 10 cents about her caregiving journey, and our support for herself and her mom. Cheryl loved her mother's company. So as she grew older, she had her mom move in. It wasn't until a stroke and a diagnosis of advanced dementia that Cheryl made the decision to get more support from healthcare professionals, eventually calling Hospice of Southern Illinois. Rose was loved by many and will never be forgotten.

Barbara Karnes, American Hospice Pioneer, award winning nurse who wrote Gone From My Sight, and NHPCO Hospice Innovator Award winner, shares her life's journey that grew her into the advocate and leader she is today. It's a wonderful story that transitions us into the wealth of knowledge she has for caregivers and grief. She provides useful tips that is sure to resonate with you or those who are looking to learn along with us. Check out her famous book and new resources on her website and Instagram!

Joy shares abundant community resources and how to navigate the available services with aging loved ones. Let us be your compass when finding the best home care settings, additional personal care, and more options as your loved ones healthcare needs change. Have you heard of Land of Lincoln Legal Aid, Meals on Wheels, Respite Care, Stress Buster Training, or Memory Cafes? We dive into it all here! Not a local listener? Joy explains access to more resources too. Get connected and ask for help!

Today's guest, Dr. Amy Rohlfing, Assistant Medical Director for Hospice of Southern Illinois and CMO for Red Bud Regional Hospital, shares personal stories and professional advice and education about dementia and dementia related diagnoses, like Alzheimer's Disease. We cover specific scenarios families and caregivers may experience during a journey with dementia. We also debunk common misconceptions related to these illnesses. Finally, we touch on some medication questions and deprescribing in hospice care.

Age Smart's Chris Fulton, shares her insight into veteran benefits that will be helpful to anyone and veterans at the end-of-life. Our main takeaway, how to organize veteran papers and prepare for the end-of-life, is this quote, "Originals can be in the safe deposit box, BUT have a copy at home! Emergency's don't occur at 10 a.m. on a Wednesday morning when you can easily stroll into the bank go to your safe deposit box. And tell people where they are!" Reach out to your local VSOs for more resources. 

Our guest, Patty Webster, from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement joins us from 7,500 miles away from where we are right now to talk more about The Conversation Project and National Healthcare Decisions Day. Patty's professional roots run right from her heart and we can't wait to dive into our talk today! Let's start the conversation about your health and your wishes, your way. 

"What if we take a different approach to this?," Dr. Jackson shares in our life impact story segment. What a perspective! If we have honest conversations about our health as we decline, and more frequently, could we reduce the fear associated with death? Are you a caregiver who wants to know how handle the delicate topic? Insight is on the way with Dr. Jackson as he shares his experiences with us. Episode Mentions Tech for Good: Apple Watch Breathe Feature  Caregiver Tip: Dignity Quotient on Dementia 

We welcome Dr. Ellen Middendorf, Medical Director for Hospice of Southern Illinois, to discuss why the call to hospice shouldn't wait, including key benefits for selecting hospice care sooner. Later in our episode, we speak with an admission nurse, Veronica Hund, who explains what to expect upon calling a hospice to provide care. We dive into meeting the "face of hospice care", questions we ask families, what families often ask us, and why it's all necessary.  The extra level of care hospice provides, allows you to focus on quality moments and reflection. 

Chris Sutton, Regional Ombudsman for area 8 from Senior Services Plus and Shaman, joins Hospice of Southern Illinois to discuss cultures and religion at the end of life. We dive into different burial rituals, ideals and aspects from Buddhism, Navajo, Christianity, Sioux, Hopi, and Taoism. We had a few more lined up but ran out of time. So if you want more, please be sure to let us know on Instagram @hospiceofsouthernillinois and @coyotechriss.  Recommendations:  - Fight. Grind. Repeat. by Bobby Bones - Bill Moyer: The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell - Hospice of Southern Illinois Phone App - New Emotional Wellness Section with tools for grounding, gratitude, reconnecting and acceptance - Releasing end of Jan/Early Feb: Chris's Book - Shock & Awe: The Spiritual Journey of Coyote Chris Sutton Find more questions and resources: coyotechris1957@gmail.com and www.coyotechris.com 

December is a month of celebration, tradition and reflection. However, for some, it can be challenging after the loss of a loved one. The year 2020 also presents itself with its own set of barriers. This month's episode is a prerecorded webinar from a presentation that we thought was very fitting to help provide resources and coping techniques during this time of year. While timely, this information can be helpful anytime.   This presentation covers the following information: 1. Challenge your view of death. 2. Alter how you would provide support to someone who has had a recent loss. 3. See the value in having a hospice Social Worker.

Hospice is about living. We're here to start a conversation without fear. Warming your heart, while opening your mind, we'll highlight the importance of planning for a peaceful end-of-life journey. Two Hospice of Southern Illinois' employees will co-host conversations from legacy to love to end-of-life care. With your comfort, education, and safety top of mind, Hospice of Southern Illinois is here to support you.