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Moderator: Debra Heinzelman
Happy Holidays to All!
Wishing all of you happy holidays. Please post when you get a break from this very busy season.
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CAREGIVERS STORE
Surviving Hospice: A Chaplain's Journey into the Big Business of Dying Plus: How To Find a Trustworthy Hospice
This narrative is an insider’s look into the hijacking of hospice by private equity and professional investors and the subsequent harm to patients, their families, and to the interdisciplinary clinical teams. It was released by a NYC publisher on October 31, 2023. For sale on Amazon.
The author, a hospice chaplain, tells end-of-life stories of her patients who were harmed by financially-motivated policies. This is a book for anyone who is embarking on making a choice about a hospice for their loved one, working chaplains, those in training, and those interested in what dying is like with a hospice who places patients as their primary stakeholders.
Maryclaire's experience working for an owner who sold to a private equity firm helped her to realize that the reputation and viability of hospice is in jeopardy. Her goal is to alert all who love hospice to rid it of professional investors.
— Stacy Juba, author, editor, and award-winning health journalist
"Powerful, beautifully written, and eye-opening, this book spotlights the inner workings of a multi-billion-dollar industry and the effect on patients, families, and hospice staff. The author shares poignant accounts of hospice at its best and worst and the hard-hitting truths she learned on her journey. A must-read for family members exploring hospice care."
— Laura Kukowski, CEO, editor, For-Profit Badger Hospice, LLC
"Maryclaire Torinus speaks with authority, providing this essential handbook for choosing a hospice care team and why that selection really matters."
— Greg Schneider President, HVA, co-author of The Changing Face of Hospice Volunteering in Hospice and Palliative Care
"When I first found out that Maryclaire Torinus was writing this book, I immediately contacted her because in my 25+ years supporting hospice volunteers, I have seen a gradual decline in the quality of care volunteers are permitted to provide the dying and their families. There are a variety of reasons for this that I describe in the Foreward of this book. Maryclaire provides invaluable insights that everyone should know, along with solutions to help others make the right choice in choosing a hospice."
Comments
Debra,
I can't seem to find your recent July 2012 discussion when I clicked the email link in your message to the group. The comment above is the last one I could find. I wrote it back in January 2012.
It's hot in Detroit now, but I'm used to hot weather. I'm just enjoying it while I can because I know fall will be here soon. It's probably already in the stores. Hope Michigan has another great winter like the last one.
Hmm. That snow picture with "Happy New Year" motivates me to evaluate 2012. It's been many word descriptions so far. No telling what the rest of the year will be like!
Best wishes to you and everyone,
Frances
Happy New Year, Everybody!
Frances
Happy New Year everyone! May we all continue to learn in 2012 and hope that joy and peace will be a part of our lives. Take care of yourself!
I'm doing fine. I just came from an older adult vaudeville-type show in Novi, Michigan. It was inspiring seeing seniors in their eighties and even late nineties dancing, singing, and displaying other talents. Too often, they are not given opportunities to receive this kind of recognition. The lady next to me said she was going to try to get a senior talent show at her church.
By the way, if you have patients and caregivers who seem like they need support beyond what hospice provides, be sure to tell them to contact their local Area Agency on Aging. There are several in Michigan. They are government funded. Caregivers can find a wide variety of support services available to them through this agency. Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) are located in just about every state. They can be found by calling the National Eldercare Locater at 800-677-1116 or going online at www.eldercare.gov.
Some of the services they provide are legal assistance, respite care, home health aide care, Meals on Wheels, transportation, and help with chores and repairs. Many of the services do not have an income requirement, so it’s best to check to see what’s available. Two helpful Internet resources for caregivers are AARP, which has extensive information, and the National Alliance for Caregiving, a non-profit coalition of national organizations focusing on issues of family caregiving.
Thanks, Debra. You just made my day!
Responding the best you can and referring family to appropriate staff were good choices you made. You can also ask specifically if they want spiritual counseling from the hospice chaplain or their own minister. Even non-religious patients might consider this when they know death is near. I've never been asked that by a family member, but I don't see family members of my patients often.
Blessings,
Frances
Hi, Paul,
I posed a question the other day to Greg asking about his experiences when a family asked you, as a volunteer, to talk to their loved one about death. Have you had this request from a family? I refer the family to the hopsice social worker or appropriate person on staff at hospice, but willing to lend a listening ear.
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