Hospice Foundation of America E-Newsletter
October 2002
Hospice Foundation of America E-Newsletter
Volume 2, Issue 10
October 2002
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Message from David Abrams, President
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As Jack Gordon, CEO of Hospice Foundation of America, wrote recently, "Perhaps no group of terminally ill patients could benefit more from hospice care than those residing in nursing homes. Hospice - with its emphasis on patients' dignity, autonomy, comfort and freedom from pain - would seem to be exactly what terminally ill residents need. Unfortunately, few are getting it. . . Why, then, is hospice not more fully utilized in nursing homes?" The information below helps examine some of the factors involved in this issue, and brings you up-to-date on some of the latest findings and collaborations. [Note: Mr. Gordon served as Chairman and CEO of HFA until his death in 2005.]
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Focus on: Hospice and Long-Term Care Facilities
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Recent statistics show that 1.5 million people live in 17,000 nursing homes, and that more than 20% of all deaths occur there. In addition, there are 800,000 people in assisted living and 600,000 involved in continuous care.
HFA recently spoke with Cherry Meier, RN, who serves as Long Term Care Manager for the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. In that role, Ms. Meier provides strategic and operational leadership, management and resources for the advancement of hospice and palliative care services in the long-term care setting. She discusses the need for collaboration between these organizations; the advantages and impact that these collaborations can have; and some of the barriers that exist for establishing these crucial relationships.
For more about this topic, we recommend the following articles
from HFA publications:
"Issues of Loss and Grief in Long-Term Care Facilities" by Timothy
J. Keay
"Hospice and Nursing Homes" by Jack Gordon
The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization has developed a toolkit entitled "Hospice Care in Nursing Facilities." More information can be found at the "Marketplace" section of their website.
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HFA Resources
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Each year HFA publishes a special Holiday Issue of our bereavement newsletter, Journeys. This special issue, which contains four articles offering practical advice and support to those coping with loss during the holidays, is used by many professionals to help the grieving families with whom they work, and can be ordered individually or in bulk. For more information, please e-mail hfaoffice@hospicefoundation.org or place an order online.
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What's New@HFA
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HFA Bereavement Consultant Kenneth J. Doka recently appeared on Jacqueline Marcell's Internet radio program, "Coping with Caregiving." The show is archived and available for online listening anytime; scroll down to Segment One. (This link is no longer available.)
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Site Coordinator's Corner
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Registration for HFA's 2003 teleconference, "Living With Grief: Coping With Public Tragedy", has begun! Organizations can call us at 800-854-3402 to have a registration form faxed, or register online.
PLEASE NOTE: There is a Materials Fee of $25 per site to cover the costs of site coordinator support materials. Payment must accompany registration.
REMEMBER: Register before November 30 and pay only $20 for the Materials Fee!
Need more information about hosting a site for the teleconference? Check out the Frequently Asked Questions section.
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FYI
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November is an important time for communities to honor and support those who work in caregiving and end-of-life care. Follow the links below to learn more:
National Family Caregivers Month
"And Thou Shalt Honor...", a new documentary on caregiving, will air October 9 at 9pm ET on PBS. Hosted by actor Joe Mantegna, the program focuses on family members coming together, communicating, and navigating their way through the medical, legal and financial labyrinths of caregiving.
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This newsletter is sent to more than 8,000 subscribers on the 2nd Wednesday of every month to keep you
informed of what is happening in the fields of hospice, grief and bereavement, and
caregiving, as well as what's new at HFA. We encourage you to forward this e-newsletter to an interested colleague or
friend.
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This newsletter is published by Hospice Foundation of America
Jack D. Gordon, Chairman
David Abrams, President http://www.hospicefoundation.org
© Hospice Foundation of America 2002
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