Blog

Thursday February 19th, 2015

More than a home

Mom wants to stay at home. But you think she'd be safer and less isolated in assisted living. On the surface, your loved one's preference to stay home might seem a desire to stay among comforting knickknacks. But research with elders reveals that the actual house or physical surroundings have little to do with it. Most of the value of "aging in place" has to do with staying in one's community. Elders who remain living at home
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Thursday February 12th, 2015

Physical activity improves brain health

We all know that physical activity is good for the heart, good for the blood pressure, and good for the waistline. Now it appears that it is good for the brain, too. Brain scans show that the parts of the brain essential to decision making and memory are larger among physically active older adults. These individuals also seem to think faster and remember better than seniors who do not exercise. The research suggests that
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Thursday February 5th, 2015

Myths and facts about pain medicine

Many patients and families have inaccurate notions about prescription drugs that relieve pain. "Palliative care"—the medical discipline of making comfort a priority, especially at the end of life—is a relatively new field. As a consequence, people often make medication decisions on the basis of an incomplete understanding of the issues. The following are some of the most common myths about the use of opioids for pain relief:
Tuesday February 3rd, 2015

We Honor Veterans: NPR Story

Hospice & Palliative CareCenter is proud to have been an early participant in the We Honor Veterans; a program of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs. This program focuses on respectful inquiry, compassionate listening and grateful acknowledgment of veterans by r
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Thursday January 29th, 2015

Emotional "waves" of feelings

People grieve by feeling and expressing many emotions, even some that are conflicting. Sadness is an emotion that comes immediately to mind, but anger is also common. People may feel angry at God, at the doctors, and at the person for dying. These feelings may not seem rational, but emotions by their very nature are not rational. All emotions are normal and to be expected.
Tuesday January 27th, 2015

Labor of Love: The Hospice Healing Build

Labor of Love:  The Hospice Healing Build Beginning in 2012, leaders at Hospice & Palliative CareCenter and Habitat for Humanity began discussing an idea for a collaborative, meaningful, and tangible way for bereaved community members to come together to process death-related grief—and the end result would be a Habitat home for a community member.  The idea gained momentum and in June 2013, the first nails in the project were hammered. Volunteers worked together throughout the fall—and by December, the house was completed!
Tuesday January 27th, 2015

Labor of Love: The Hospice Healing Build

Labor of Love:  The Hospice Healing Build Beginning in 2012, leaders at Hospice & Palliative CareCenter and Habitat for Humanity began discussing an idea for a collaborative, meaningful, and tangible way for bereaved community members to come together to process death-related grief—and the end result would be a Habitat home for a community member.  The idea gained momentum and in June 2013, the first nails in the project were hammered. Volunteers worked together throughout the fall—and by December, the house was completed!
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Thursday January 22nd, 2015

Stress or burnout?

Most of us know it when we're stressed. We talk about it, and we talk about needing to do something about it…when we have the time. But we might not be aware when we reach the point of burnout. That's because going numb is the nature of burnout. To be so worn out that you are beyond caring. Put simply, burnout is stress that has gone on too long. It is an important distinction to understand. Burnout has more serious, long-term consequences for your physical health and for your emotional well-being.
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Thursday January 15th, 2015

Music eases dementia care

When caring for a relative who has moderate to advanced memory loss, it can sometimes seem like they have disappeared into their own world. How do you create connection and support their quality of life when they seem capable of so little? Music is proving to be one good answer to this challenge. Research shows that music is processed in parts of the brain that remain lively long after a person's ability to "name that tune" is gone. Hearing familiar songs brings up old memories, essentially reconnecting a person to his or her sense of self and to times past.
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Thursday January 8th, 2015

Talking about funeral plans

One of the comforts at a time of death is knowing you are memorializing your relative according to his or her wishes. But there can be discomfort in bringing up the topic for discussion in advance. Getting started Choose a time when both of you are relaxed and don’t have other pressing business. Use a soft start to bring up the subject.