Recently Published!!
by Maryclaire Torinus
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."
Buy Now
Comments
I am very fortunate to be a paid massage therapist, I have been working for a local hospice agency now for 3 years. I have 25 clients that i see 2x monthly. I am located in Saginaw MI. and I travel any where from 10miles to 60miles to see our clients. This has been one of the most rewarding times of my life. I am a Compassionate Touch Paractitioner & Instructor. The Center for Compassionate Touc specializes in Eldercare, hospice, and palliative care. I agree there are way to many hospice clients that need our touch and to few massage therapist employed by the hospice agencies.
I have had a front row seat for the growth of hospice care and massage as an invaluable component of hospice. Massage professionals deserve to be payed now. Sure with funding cuts its difficult; however programs can be created that provide a private contractor model, fund raise for programs or pay practitioners a low scale as some do now. I believe the service is worth hospice programs investigating how payment might be stimulated.
What do you think?
Irene smith Author of Providing Massage in Hospice care
Do co ordinators really know what is needed for a practitioner to work safely with hospice clients?
As a hospice massage practitioner do you have the skills and training you need ?
blessings
Irene Smith author of "Providing Massage in Hospice Care"
I believe for it to become a core component of hospice care the aspects of time management and money management have to be addressed; not just patient outcomes. Bottom line; massage eases anxiety. Anxiety costs time and money to manage; both with patients and also staff burn out. This is the research id like to see.