The Truth About Caregiving
August 17th, 2010

“What is a caregiver?”  Or more accurately asked, “Who is a caregiver?”  A caregiver is anyone who provides physical and/or emotional care for an ill or disabled loved one at home.  It is probably the toughest job any of us will ever be tasked with, and undoubtedly, the one job for which we are all least prepared.

Regardless of how or when you became a caregiver, you must understand that is perfectly normal to feel nervous and anxious about the days and weeks ahead of you.  Caregiving certainly isn’t easy.  That’s why Hospice of Chattanooga is dedicating this blog entry to caregiving.  We want you to have the resources available and necessary to do this important job confidently.  Below are a few simple truths you need to know about the role of a caregiver.

Truth #1:  You aren’t alone.  More than 65 million people, or 29 percent of the U.S. population, provide care for chronically ill, disabled, or aging family members and friends during any given year, according to the National Alliance for Caregiving and the AARP.  More family members and friends are caring for loved ones than ever before in history.  Why?  The answer is a combination of reasons.  Hospitals are releasing patients earlier, the elderly are living much longer, and many people are functioning with chronic illnesses.  For you, the caregiver, this reality will have you performing various new and unfamiliar tasks.  You may find yourself dispensing medication, bathing your loved one, and assisting with meals.  In some instances, you may be required to perform low-level medical procedures.

Truth #2:  Caregiving is a extremely demanding.  Family caregivers spend, on average, 20 hours per week caring for loved ones.  13 percent of family caregivers are providing 40 hours a week or more of care.  Essentially, family caregiving is like working a second job!  We at Hospice of Chattanooga stress these statistics for one reason… and that reason is to encourage you to cut yourself some slack.  Don’t get angry with yourself for feeling stressed and exhausted.  Essentially, you’re juggling two work loads.  Your emotions are completely justified.

Truth #3:  You don’t have to do it alone.  There’s a wealth of resources online to help educate you on the role of a caregiver.  Three websites Hospice of Chattanooga recommends are thefamilycaregiver.org, hospicefoundation.org, and NHPCO.org (The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s website).  All three websites have a wealth of information on caregiving.  Take time to visit these websites and explore them.  You need to know your caregiving rights.  You, as a caregiver, deserve a break periodically.  Respite care is available and Hospice of Chattanooga is proud to offer it to our families. 

If you are caring for someone who is approaching their end of life journey, call Hospice of Chattanooga.  We are experts in end of life care.  We surround each of our patients with love and support that includes feeding, bathing, social services, and pain/symptom management. Hospice of Chattanooga meets those wide and varied needs by employing a team approach.  Each of our patients is assigned a hospice physician, nurse, nurse aid, social worker, bereavement counselor, spiritual chaplain, and a volunteer.  Hospice of Chattanooga’s care is family focused.  That means this team of end of life experts is there to love and help you the caregiver, too.  Hospice of Chattanooga has grief support groups created specifically for caregivers.  Tell a friend, too, because this important caregiver support group is available to any caregiver in the community.

Rosalyn Carter said it best:  “There are only four kinds of people in this world.  Those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers, and those who will need caregivers.”  Hospice of Chattanooga salutes all caregivers for the outstanding job you do, but this is one job you don’t have to do alone.  Our talented team is only a phone call away.  Pick up the phone and dial (423) 892-4289 today.

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A Call To Action: Why You Should Consider Volunteering for Hospice of Chattanooga
August 2nd, 2010

Betty Jones crochets quietly inside her North Chattanooga home, just like she does every other day.  But today, the 88 year old admits, is different.  Today is her favorite day of the week.  Today is the day Ms. Jones’ hospice workers come to visit.

Ms. Jones is the first to tell you she was not always so excited about seeing her hospice helpers.  When she enrolled in Hospice of Chattanooga’s care about a year ago, Ms. Jones was certain the end was near.  “I was scared,” said Jones.  “I told my daughter, maybe I’m not going to live very long.”  Ms. Jones now says nothing could be farther from the truth.  Diagnosed with chronic heart failure, Ms. Jones’ health has improved since Hospice of Chattanooga took over her plan of care.

The improvement in Ms. Jones health is not unusual for patients who enroll in hospice care before they are actively dying.  Hospice of Chattanooga’s support is extensive and, in some cases, can lengthen a patient’s life.  Hospice of Chattanooga’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Terry Melvin, attributes the improvement to an approach that focuses on more than just physical care for the patient.  Hospice is end of life care that addresses the combined physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of a patient and his or her family at the end of life.  To meet these diverse needs, hospice employs a team approach to end of life care.  Each patient is assigned a hospice physician, hospice nurse, nurse assistant, social worker, bereavement counselor, chaplain, and volunteer.  Each is a vital piece of the hospice puzzle.  One part is not more important than another, but there is a component that is hardest to recruit.  That component is the hospice volunteer.

Maybe you’re asking yourself, “What exactly does a hospice volunteer do?”  That’s the question Hospice of Chattanooga wants to help you answer.  Medicare mandates that five percent of all hospice patient care hours are provided by trained volunteers. This regulation reflects the vital role that volunteers play in the hospice philosophy of care.  It also ensures that a hospice program has roots deep in the community.

A hospice volunteer fulfills a variety of functions.  Some help patients with light household chores, perhaps doing laundry, dusting, or sweeping the floor.  Others help hospice patients assemble a life journal or write letters to loved ones.  Hospice volunteers do not perform any medical duties or administer medications, but it is safe to say there is no task too big or too small for the hospice volunteer.  They share their time, energy, and compassion to make the patient’s end of life journey fuller and brighter.  Hospice volunteers help patients live every moment of their life with meaning.

Many hospice volunteers choose to spend their time helping others because of their own experiences with the compassionate care hospice provided to their dying loved one.  If you would like to learn more about Hospice of Chattanooga’s volunteer opportunities, please give us a call.  We have extensive training programs in place to make sure you’re placed in a volunteer opportunity suited for your personality.  The commitment level can be tailored to your schedule, as well.  Call Hospice of Chattanooga at (423) 892-4289 and ask to speak with someone in Volunteer Services.  Don’t wait.  You can make a difference in your community.

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Are Americans Overtreated to Death?
July 14th, 2010

Are Americans overtreated to death?  Your gut reaction is probably to answer no.  How can anyone be overtreated at the end of life, at a time when they are sick and may be hurting? 

Research shows 88 percent of Americans would prefer to die in their own home if faced with a life-threatening illness.  This information is in direct opposition to a recent study published by the Dartmouth Atlas.  The study reports hospitalizations in the last six months of life are rising.  We also know treating chronic illnesses consumes nearly one-third of all Medicare dollars. 

If most people hope to spend their final days at home, why then, are more people dying in a hospital?  A lot of it has to do with our American mentality.  We worship age-defying sports figures who refuse to stop playing the game and war heroes who fight to the bitter end.  Quitting isn’t popular in our society.  In fact, often times it’s seen as a sign of weakness.

Hospice of Chattanooga wants you to know calling hospice isn’t quitting.  It’s okay to reach a point where you are no longer pursuing aggressive treatments.  Choosing hospice care for yourself or a loved one doesn’t mean you have decided to die.  In fact, it’s quite the opposite.  The patient is taking back control of his or her life and spending those final weeks and months doing the things he or she wishes to do.  In some instances, this actually gives patients more time at the end of life.  The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization reports hospice patients live, on average, 29 days longer than patients with a similar diagnosis that don’t choose hospice care.

“I actually think people wait too long to use hospice services,” said Amy Boulware.  Boulware’s mother, Nada Ginsburg, died in Hospice of Chattanooga’s care in October 2009.  Boulware sought Hospice of Chattanooga’s help after doctors discovered her mother had both bone and lung cancer.  “Typically, families wait until the very end, the last couple of days (to request hospice services) and really I think hospice has so much more to offer,” added Boulware.

Hospice of Chattanooga cared for Boulware’s mother in the weeks leading up to her death.  Even now, almost a year later, tears flow from Boulware’s eyes as she remembers her mother’s final hours.  She was at home, surrounded by family.  It’s a death, Boulware describes as perfect.

“A lot of times people say, oh I wish I had done this or I wish I had done that,” explained Boulware.  “There is none of that with my Mom.  If we hadn’t had hospice around us, we wouldn’t have been able to be there with her in that way.  And although, it’s a sad, sad memory, it’s also a memory that we were able to help her die with dignity.”

More than 80 percent of all people in the United States die after a long, progressive illness like cancer, heart failure, or Alzheimer’s disease.  Physicians can’t predict when a patient will die, but most can tell you when an illness has become incurable and untreatable.  At Hospice of Chattanooga, our advice is to get educated on all your options, including hospice.  Hospice of Chattanooga has a lot to offer both the patient and the patient’s family.  We are here and ready to serve you.

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Thanatechnology: A New Word Every Parent Needs To Know
June 21st, 2010

Thanatechnology:  “The Internet and other resources in the digital world that are available to help people deal with dying, death, and bereavement.”  (Sofka, 1997)

You won’t find thanatechnology in the latest edition of Webster’s dictionary, but that doesn’t make it any less relevant.  Did you know people under the age of 30 have never known a world where the Internet didn’t exist in some capacity?  Social networking is more than a cult phenomenon that will pass in time.  It has changed the way we communicate with one another forever.  Gone are the days when we weren’t constantly connected.  News is practically instantaneous.  Life changing moments are documented in text messages, not when you read the morning paper.

Adolescents, in particular, love the immediacy that comes with social networking.  They can send and receive responses simultaneously.  The internet, however, fosters more than a social sense of community.  It also becomes a teen’s first resource for information about everything.  If they want to explore their identity or better understand an emotion, chances are high they’ll begin with the internet.

So, how does all this fit into what we do at Hospice of Chattanooga?  We do our best to help families cope with death, dying, and the grief that comes with losing a loved one.  A lot of times that means having teenagers sit down and talk with a bereavement counselor one-on-one or in a group setting.  Our bereavement counselors are experts in grief.  They strive to give parents the tools they need to help their children grieve productively.

If a child or teenager isn’t taught how to grieve properly, he or she can be damaged permanently.  That’s why it’s so important for parents to understand that their teens are exploring these emotions online.  Some grief counselors now believe “Googling” is a stage of teen grief.  They will Google answers to questions like, “Is there a God?” or “Is it normal to be angry after my friend died?” 

If you are a parent of a child or teen who is grieving, talk to them about the answers they’ve found on the Internet.  They may have stumbled across another grieving teen’s disturbing comments or images.  You, as a parent, must help your child process that.  After all, the person who produced that image is hurting, too.  You also want the grieving teen to be able to discuss their emotions face to face.  Plus, you’ll be able to direct your child or teen to more reliable resources online if needed.

Because teens are immersed in the world of Facebook and Myspace, they often set up virtual memorials.  This can be a good thing for a grieving teen or pre-teen.  It can help them to see firsthand that what they are experiencing is normal.  Most of all, virtual memorials help children and teens to understand that they aren’t alone and they don’t have to process their grief all alone.

Bottom line, parents must be knowledgeable about their teen’s online behavior, particularly if that teen is coping with the death of a friend or family member.  Don’t be afraid to ask questions.  You must immerse yourself in the conversation.  And you, as a parent, shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help.  You don’t have to do it alone either.  Hospice of Chattanooga’s grief support programs are available to anyone in the community.  You don’t have to be a hospice patient or family member to benefit.  Call us.  Hospice is there.  Hospice cares.

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Taking A Stand For Hospice Care
June 1st, 2010

2010 is a Congressional election year.  That means all elected officials in the House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate must campaign to keep their seats in office.  In effort to retain their position, Congress will take advantage of multiple opportunities to head back to their districts during congressional recesses this summer.  They want to hear what you, their local constituents, think about a variety of national issues.  Whether you bump into your elected official at a high profile ribbon cutting or at the coffee shop around the corner, Hospice of Chattanooga wants to make sure you’re armed with the information necessary to talk about the importance of hospice care.

You have probably heard hospice organizations nationwide will be forced to operate on less support from the Medicare system as a result of the recent healthcare reform.  Hospice providers nationwide are looking at two separate rate cuts totaling at least 16% by 2019.  Here’s a breakdown of the rate reductions:

• In March 2010, President Barack Obama signed sweeping healthcare reform legislation into law.  As it stands now, the healthcare reform law will cut the Medicare Hospice Benefit more than 11% by the year 2019. 

• In addition, the Center for Medicare/Medicaid Services intends to reduce the daily patient reimbursement each hospice provider receives more than 4% by 2016.

These overall rate cuts will hurt not-for-profit hospice providers like Hospice of Chattanooga most because we rely heavily on charitable contributions.  Changes in how healthcare plans are administered will force Hospice of Chattanooga to look for additional sources of revenue.  However, we believe through your advocacy and efforts, we can change the course and direction of the decisions being made in Washington.

The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization has compiled the resources you need to make the most of the Congressional stumping this summer.  This tool kit contains tip sheets to help you get “face-time” with your congressional leaders at local events, as well as template letters to help you request personal meetings.  To round out the tool kit, NHPCO has included the most current talking points on the pressing issues facing the hospice community.  You can access the tool kit by visiting the Hospice Action Network online at http://www.hospiceactionnetwork.org.  Click on the Legislative Action Center icon at the bottom of the homepage.

Remember there is no need to be nervous when approaching your congressman or senator.  You are a voter.  These men and women are elected to represent you.  Relax, be polite, but remember to have fun with the conversation. 

Finally, let us know how your conversation goes.  We want to hear what you are doing; in fact, we may even want to brag on you!  Send us pictures or drop us an email with tips, stories of support, or ways we can help you advocate better by contacting rachel_withers@hospiceofchattanooga.org.

Together, we can make a difference.  We have to make sure the 1.4 million patients who benefit from hospice care each year aren’t lost in the drive for healthcare reform.  We salute you for taking a stand.

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