Heart & Soul Hospice

"Finding the boundary between life and death is a struggle for some. For others, it is easy." Adele Jacobson, founder of Music in Medicine, shares a glimpse into her work of easing the transition of hospice patients through music in this beautiful short essay. Learn more about the non-profit dedicated to promoting the power of therapeutic music: musicinmedicinecitrus.org

As our minds grapple with ways to be with each other across unfathomable distances, writes Jodie Noel Vinson, there are miraculous and mysterious ways to be present with those we love.

Reflections on losses of the Silent Generation, born between 1929 and 1945, marked by the start of the Great Depression and the end of World War II, make this blog post from Next Avenue particularly poignant.

Gifts matter now more than ever! Under the CARES Act, if you take the standard deduction on your 2020 tax return, you can claim a brand new "above-the-line" deduction of up to $300 for cash donations to charity. Consult with your tax advisor to learn how this opportunity may complement your own personal, philanthropic and tax planning objectives. Contact our Department of Giving at [email protected] or (316) 685-1100 to learn how your gift can help further our mission.

Heart & Soul Hospice is continuing to deliver the most personalized hospice services where care is needed, whether in the home or in a health care community. Our team is taking proactive measures to reduce and prevent exposure to COVID-19 and we are committed to the protection of patients and residents of health care communities from the spread of infectious disease. We are accepting new patients, providing quality, patient-focused services and as always, are here to support ...our community. We continue to monitor any changes in guidelines issued by the CDC, National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NPCO) and local public health authorities. Practicing high standards for infection prevention and control have always been a priority for Heart and Soul Hospice. We are dedicated to the health and well-being of our patients and staff and want to share the precautions we are taking. Our team has developed a social distancing plan geared towards reducing person-to-person contact, including postponing our monthly bereavement support groups and limiting personnel and visitors to our administrative offices. Additionally, many direct-care team members will work remotely from home when not providing care. We have implemented additional precautions to safeguard both employees and patients by taking employee temperatures each morning and again before entering any skilled nursing or assisted living communities. Read more: heartandsoulhospice.org/covid-19-statement/ At Heart & Soul Hospice, our patient-focused service teams are committed to delivering the best care imaginable. Should you or a loved one like to learn more about hospice care or if you or a family member have any questions or concerns, please contact us at 573-756-7066 or [email protected].

Widowhood is a painful and sometimes unexpected journey for many older adults. These three people overcame their grief and found joy in living again. Read their stories in this blog post from Next Avenue.

Take steps to care for yourself and help protect others in your home and community. The CDC calls on Americans to wear masks to prevent COVID-19 spread. For more info: bit.ly/guidelinesCDCfacemask

There’s no easy way to say goodbye. But if you can rise to the challenge with openness, awareness, wit, and grace, you may discover that death can bring an often rich, sometimes strange, always profound new dimension to life. This piece highlights various personal journeys through grief, including the use of death cafes and advance planning. oprahmag.com/life/a33916517/how-to-deal-with-grief

We are feeling thankful for our leaders on National Bosses Day. Thank you Traery Noubarian, Administrator, and April Courtway, Clinical Director, for all you do for our team and our patients.

Want to watch your favorite team take on their rival or spend an afternoon baking Halloween treats? Want to take your sweetheart out to dinner? Through the One More Time program, we help those nearing the end of life do what they’ve dreamed about. Discover more: heartandsoulhospice.org/one-more-time/

Welcome to the "coronacoaster," the word created to describe the ups and downs of your mood during the pandemic. This blog post from Next Avenue shares suggestions for managing.

Heart & Soul Hospice continues to offer in-services to the communities we serve. Although due to COVID restrictions, we are not able to host these trainings in facilities at this time, there are various ways we can provide you the information. PowerPoints can be emailed, hard copies mailed, and virtual presentations are an option. If you would like to discuss how Heart & Soul Hospice can meet your in-service needs, please call 573-756-7066 or email [email protected] Topics inc...lude: Hospice: an overview of hospice; qualifications for service, covered services, patient rights & responsibilities, privacy practice, caregiver, medications and equipment covered, etc. Grief & Loss: information on effective coping mechanisms to deal with death or discharge of patients. It can be tailored to staff or families. Caregiver Stress: this in-service addresses the stress of providing care to chronically/terminally ill patients, signs of caregiver fatigue, and burnout, prevention, resources for providers and patient’s caregivers. Communication with Patients and Families: communication after a loved one has been given a terminal diagnosis, dealing with the hard questions and emotions that follow. Hospice & Nursing Facilities Working Together: overview of hospice services and how hospice and nursing home communities work together to provide care for patients; forms and record keeping. Advance Directives/Living Will: information regarding do not resuscitate orders, end of life requests and care, and power of attorney if a terminally ill person is unable to communicate their own wishes. Fall Prevention: This in-service addresses those who are at risk for falls and ways to reduce/prevent falls. Preventing Pressure Ulcers: This in-service addresses identifying and staging pressure ulcers, risk factors and prevention of pressure ulcers. Pain Management with the Hospice Patient: This in-service covers the following: What is Pain? Pain Assessment & Pain Management, Causes & Treatments, Side Effects and Symptom Management. Hospice Care and the Alzheimer’s Patient: information regarding types of dementias, progression, and treatment for hospice patients. Team Building: Understand the importance of team building in the workplace; ways to build coworker relationships; team building activity (mine field) Dementia: This in-service addresses the different types of dementias; the progression and treatment. Veteran’s Issues at End of Life: improve our knowledge and understanding of Veteran’s needs; how to best meet Veteran’s needs; 4 unique issues Veteran’s face at end of life Hospice Care in the Nursing Home: to provide LTC facilities with an overview and guidelines for partnering with Medicare-certified hospices to benefit terminally ill residents and their families and review responsibilities of the facility and hospice to provide palliative care See more

Taking care of our patients as well as their families is our number one priority at Heart & Soul Hospice. #teamwork

Covid-19 has caused many people to think about their own mortality. If you're hospitalized and incapacitated, it's worth coming up with legal documents in case you and your family are faced with some tough decisions. Here's what you need to know.

Are you a veteran who has thought about how you can help other veterans? As a member of the #WeHonorVeterans program we are always looking for veterans to join our team at Heart & Soul Hospice. Being a volunteer for veterans will allow you to spend time with other veterans that want to share their stories or just need a listening ear. If you are interested in becoming a Vet-to-Vet volunteer or have questions about our program, please reach out to us.