Blog: Hospice & Palliative Care Insights - July 2014
Vet-to-Vet: Hanging Your Hat on Hospice
Frank Ashinhurst shows up to volunteer with hat in hand. Not his hat, but one he’s brought with him for the Veteran he’s come to visit. “Before I visit, I find out what branch of the service they were in, and I pick up a hat from that branch for them,” he explains. Frank is part of the Crossroads Hospice Vet-to-Vet program. The program pairs a Veteran volunteer with a Veteran patient for companionship visits.
When Hospice Care Ends, Jeanne Morrison Begins
Family members with a loved one on hospice will eventually have to deal with the grief that accompanies the end of such care. While hospice programs like Crossroads offer support services throughout a patient's’ battle with terminal illness, some of the most important support work does not come until that battle is over. After a patient’s life comes to an end, they leave behind loved ones who care about them and cherish their memory, who struggle with profound feelings of loss. At Crossroads, this is when some of the most critical services offered begin to take effect. This is when Jeanne Morrison offers her support.
Patient’s Gift of a Day Lifts Off Over Hometown
Tyrone Wright has spent his life in Kansas City. He grew up there, becoming familiar with each historic institution and new high rise as the city evolved. But there was always one perspective of his hometown he was never able to see.
Nursing Students Find a New Side to Their Patients Through Life Journals
When a loved one has died, old photos and stories from their life keep their spirit with us. Too often, however, we are caught up in day-to-day living and don’t spend much time thinking about the lives our parents and grandparents lived before we came into the picture.
Bereavement Counseling: 13 Months Toward Creating the New Normal
“There are so many variables to experiencing loss. Consider, if everyone has a unique thumb print, everyone has a unique heart print.”
These are the words of wisdom from someone who has seen a lot of loss and grieving, and who has given out a lot of hope: Vickie Mears, Director of Grief Support Services at Crossroads Hospice in Kansas City, MO.