HopeHealth Blog
Stories of courage, compassion, hope, healing and support from our experts, caregivers, patients, families and loved ones.
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Connected, even after death: Where to put your love when you’ve lost someone special
When you’ve lost someone special, your love for them continues. Where can you put that love? A grief expert shares ways to heal and feel connected after a death.
How to plan meaningful activities for someone living with dementia
If your loved one is living with dementia, meaningful activities can help them feel connected, engaged and valued. Here are tips and ideas to get you started.
South County spotlight: After personal loss, a grief counselor finds her calling
When Marsha Ireland was 36, she lost her husband and the father of her young children. In the wake of that loss, she found her calling as a grief counselor.
From a dementia caregiver: 3 lessons that changed everything
Caring for a loved one with dementia can often feel isolating – but you’re not alone. A dementia caregiver shares his top three pieces of advice, one caregiver to another.
5 case studies: When is it time for palliative care versus hospice?
Many patients with life-limiting illnesses can receive a palliative care consultation even if they aren’t ready for hospice. Understand how palliative care and hospice are similar yet different.
Teaching from the heart: A conversation with HopeHealth’s educators
HopeHealth’s community educators aren’t just experts in serious illness. They have a personal stake in the courses they teach. Read about three of them, and the education they lead.
What is pediatric hospice care, and how is it different for kids?
When a child is facing serious illness, they need a special approach to care – and their family does too. Pediatric hospice is here to help.
Music therapist eases pain for children in palliative care
A music therapist who can play 30 instruments helps comfort children with life-threatening illnesses through HopeHealth’s palliative care program.
How to be present with a loved one at the end of life
When your loved one is nearing the end of life, here are tips for what to say and do – and how to simply be present with them.
Aphasia takes away language. Speech therapy can help restore it.
Bruce Willis’ diagnosis has raised new questions about aphasia, a communication condition that affects 2 million Americans, most over age 60. HopeHealth’s speech therapist shares answers.
“I feel the same way”: The power of caregiver support groups
Taking care of yourself is the most important thing you can do as a caregiver. Caregiver support groups offer community, understanding and advice from people who’ve been there.
With volunteer’s help, hospice patient shares her legacy
Hospice volunteers share their unique gifts and personal touch to make a difference for patients. For Erin Hazlett and 96-year-old Ruth Rotenberg, simple companionship turned into a legacy project.
This can help when a loved one won’t eat or drink at end of life
Here’s what you should know when your loved one no longer wants to eat or drink while receiving hospice care.
Peer debriefing: We now pause to support each other
A new initiative brings HopeHealth clinical care teams together to talk about difficult cases they are encountering and to support each other.
What hospice care can do for advanced cardiac patients
Hospice care helps patients with heart failure avoid trips to the emergency room. Learn how this Medicare-covered benefit helps provide an extra layer of support to improve quality of life for people with advanced cardiac disease.
Sharing love after loss: Widower writes book to help his grandchildren with grief
Guy Marini was inspired by what he learned from participating in a HopeHealth grief support group. So he wrote a children’s book about grief to honor his late wife’s memory and comfort his two grandchildren.
Starting hospice care: What families coping with dementia should know
HopeHealth’s Circle of Love Dementia Care offers specialized care and resources for hospice patients with dementia and their families. Here’s what families should know about how and when a loved one is ready for hospice.
What were the top 5 stories of HopeHealth’s 2021 blog?
HopeHealth recaps its top 5 most popular blog stories of 2021. Topics included family love and empathy, end-of-life spiritual questions, the science of hospice care, pandemic myths and the nursing profession.
5 ways to help your child cope when a loved one has Alzheimer’s or dementia
Children and teens struggle with complex emotions when a loved one has Alzheimer’s or dementia. A HopeHealth grief counselor offers parents guidance for parents to help their children cope.
The healing power of a Barbie Christmas card
A silly holiday card, exchanged between two households for 26 years, has becomes an unlikely source of grief support.
Why it’s never too soon to ask about hospice or palliative care
There’s an ideal time to ask about hospice or palliative care if you or a loved one has a life-limiting illness. Learn when it is and what to look for.
Why kindness counts for home care aides
A certified nursing assistant shares why she loves working in home care as she approaches her 25th anniversary with HopeHealth Community VNA.
How palliative care nurse practitioners help patients and families make informed decisions
What does a palliative care nurse practitioner do? HopeHealth’s team of palliative care consultants help patients and families understand the prognosis and make informed decisions about their care. It all starts with active listening.
Hospice chaplain: How embracing spirituality brings comfort at end of life
A hospice chaplain reveals how he guides end-of-life spiritual discussions and brings comfort to patients and families of all faiths and beliefs.
How signs may help those who are grieving stay connected to loved ones
Signs from a loved one who has died can be a normal part of grieving. Here are 5 stories of signs that brought comfort and healing.
