VOLUNTEER SUPPORT GROUP - SAVE THE DATE

MONDAY, JULY 1, 2024 (5:00-6:30PM)

We always look forward to seeing our "active" volunteers (whether or not you're currently assigned to a patient/family). Enhancing your skills, knowledge and competencies is important as we share your hospice experiences and questions. LOCATION: Kauai Hospice Conference Room. RSVPs are helpful.

P.S. It's not too late for former volunteers (who served prior to COVID) to sign up and refresh your training in order to serve again. Please reach out if you're interested. MAHALO!

COME CELEBRATE AT OUR KAUA'I HOSPICE EVENT !

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO BUY TICKETS, CLICK HERE.

YOUTUBE: “HOW DOCTORS TELL PATIENTS THEY’RE DYING”

EXCERPT FROM: FRONTLINE – BEING MORTAL

(5:29 Minutes) 

When Clyde Earle checked into a hospital expecting to return home, his doctor, Kathy Selvaggi, had to deliver some bad news. This excerpt from the Frontline documentary “Being Mortal” provides a powerful and intimate look at one older couple and the challenging conversation beautifully handled by a well-trained palliative care physician. The film companions the acclaimed book by Atul Gawande, MD who explores the relationships between doctors and patients nearing the end of life. Gawande says, “As a Geriatrics fellow, I have learned that speaking to patients frankly about aging, dying, and their priorities for the time they have left has been the toughest challenge I’ve encountered yet in my decade of medical training.” Click to watch. 

KIPLINGER NEWSLETTER EXCERPTS: LIFE OR DEATH ANSWERS WE OWE OUR LOVED ONES

BY: JOEL THEISEN, RN (April 2024)

Fewer than half of all Americans over 50 years old have recorded their medical preferences for the end of life, according to a poll by AARP and the University of Michigan. Of the people without any medical directive document, 62% said they had not gotten around to it, 15% did not know how, 13% said they do not like talking about death, 13% did not think it was necessary, 9% said no one asked them to, and 7% were deterred by cost. The financial consequences of death go unplanned, too. More than half of Americans don’t have a will, Gallup found, and the avoidance even extends to those with the most to lose: One in five Americans with investable assets of $1 million or more have no will, according to the Wall Street Journal, citing a Charles Schwab survey. Click to read more.

YOUTUBE: WHEN PEOPLE DIE ALONE

BY SARAH KERR, PhD (The Centre for Sacred Deathcare)

(2:32 minutes)

Kerr says “If you’ve ever spent time around dying people you may have noticed that it’s not rare for people to die alone, even if they’ve been constantly surrounded by their loved ones throughout their last days.” In her recent video, she shares the story of a woman who chose not to see her young grandchildren in her final days and the reasons that led to her decision. She explains there can be a larger spiritual dynamic at play, and that being aware of this can help you face such moments with more equanimity. Watch the Video.

MATT DAMON RECALLS FIRST MEMORY OF LATE FATHER

INSTA POST FROM ENDWELL

(3:59 minutes)

During an interview with Stephen Colbert, actor Matt Damon talked about the comfort he found in dreaming about his late father.

He shared a dream he had in which his late father visited him, describing it as “an overwhelming feeling of protection and love.” 

Watch the clip on Endwell's Instagram page.

GOOD READS: – 7 LESSONS FOR LIVING FROM THE DYING

(How to Nurture What Really Matters)

BY: DR. KAREN WYATT (Published 2020)

Hospice physician and caregiver Karen Wyatt has been privileged to share the final months, weeks, days and moments with many of her patients. This unique experience has given her a profound insight into death and dying. She shares her story and the stories of her patients, providing us with 7 key lessons that the dying can teach us. Each lesson is a wake-up call inviting to us to live our lives more fully, with more connection and less regret.

Lesson 1: Suffering: Embrace Your Difficulties

Lesson 2: Love: Let Your Heart Be Broken

Lesson 3: Forgiveness: Hold No Resentments

Lesson 4: Presence: Dwell in the Present Moment

Lesson 5: Purpose: Manifest Your Highest Potential

Lesson 6: Surrender: Let Go of Expectations

Lesson 7: Impermanence: Face Your Fear

Dr. Wyatt also hosts End-of-Life University, an educational podcast series with interviews, articles, videos, and teleseminars to promote increased understanding and acceptance of death and dying.

NEWS VIDEO: HOSPICE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM IS TRANSFORMING END-OF-LIFE CARE FOR PRISON INMATES

February 2024, News Center Maine

(6:38 minutes)

Chaplain Holly Reid has been coming to the Maine State Prison every week since 2019 to train a select-few inmates to take part in the prisoner hospice volunteer program, providing care for fellow prisoners who are either ill or dying in the prison's infirmary. The prisoner hospice volunteer program started in 2001 as a partnership among the Maine Hospice Council, Maine State Prison, and Maine Department of Corrections. These workers tend to a terminally-ill patient's needs—emotionally, physically, and spiritually—and are often with them when that patient takes their last breath. Participants must have served at least five consecutive years behind bars without any writeups. They receive 100 rigorous hours of coursework including 40 hours of medical training. Watch to learn more about this life-changing program that teaches inmates compassion and selfless teamwork.

WHAT IS CACHEXIA?

SOURCE: CLEVELAND CLINIC

Cachexia is a debilitating wasting syndrome associated with involuntary weight loss and muscle loss. It often affects people with severe chronic diseases like advanced cancer, Alzheimer’s, dementia, obstructive pulmonary disease and heart disease. A cachexia diagnosis often means that the end of life is near. Cachexia most often happens if you have cancer. Research shows 40% of people with cancer have the condition when they’re first diagnosed with cancer, and 70% of people with advanced or late-stage cancer have cachexia.  Learn more about symptoms, causes, management and prognosis.

BLOG POST: I GRIEVE TOO

BY GABRIELLE ELISE JIMENEZ - THE HOSPICE HEART

(3-min read) May 18, 2024

Gabby Jimenez is a hospice nurse, end-of-life educator and author. Her recent blog post begins: “I witnessed a death the other day … or should I say, another death. In this particular case, it was a woman, under the age of sixty, who was suffering horribly from pain. She chose to exercise her legal right to take the end-of-life medications, also known as Medical Aid in Dying, which in California we refer to as EOLOA, “End of Life Option Act." She was hesitant to take too much pain medication through her illness because she wanted to be able to stay alert and present for her family, but the pain finally took a toll and she asked for assistance to get the process started for her.” Continue reading…