Humor and compassion overflow in our guest Benjamin Kintisch, hospice chaplain and director of Life Review: The Hospice Musical!  Working with hospice patients as a spiritual counselor inspired Benjamin to tell his patients’ stories in songs that captivate the audience.  Benjamin holds a Masters in Sacred Music and Cantorial degree, and has completed his fourth year of chaplaincy training, having served in both hospice and eldercare facilities. He serves in his community as a middle school chorus teacher. According to the Life Review: The Musical website, the show celebrates “life, love and loss through three seasons at a residential hospice”.  The stories evoke emotions and tears, relatable to any audience.  Find out about how you can see the musical virtually at lifereviewmusical.com/.  If you’re interested in partnering with Benjamin and the Life Review team to provide a virtually showing of the musical, contact them here.

Learn about Life Review: The Hospice Musical at lifereviewmusical.com/.

Contact creator Benjamin Kintisch by sending an email to [email protected].

Don’t miss the amazing Thresholds Conference sponsored by Hospice of Southern Maine on Tues., May 10 1:00pm - 3:30pm EST featuring Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love.  All virtual over Zoom, and only $35! Get your tickets by clicking here.

Connect with Hospice of Southern Maine at https://www.hospiceofsouthernmaine.org/.

Register for your place at the California Hospice and Palliative Care Association conference coming up June 6-10 by visiting calhospice.org!  Be sure to tell them you heard about it on The Heart of Hospice podcast.

Looking for a speaker for your event or conference?  Send an email to [email protected] or to jerry@theheartofhospice.com.  We’d love to partner with you!

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice here: https://theheartofhospice.libsyn.com/

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end of life care, and self care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

Send your questions and comments to [email protected].  We’d love to hear from you!

Choosing hospice care can be a very difficult decision, whether it’s for yourself or someone you are about. It’s important to respect those choices.  Most people who decide to utilize hospice care have experienced a serious illness.  Sometimes there’s been a catastrophic health event that limits someone’s life expectancy.  It’s easy to judge someone else’s choices from an outsider perspective.  Even hospice and end of life professionals criticize the choice not to accept hospice care when the referral is made by the healthcare community.  It’s important to remember that we might not have all the information about a person’s illness or disease trajectory.  People usually do a lot of living before they arrive in a situation where hospice is appropriate.  Oftentimes there’s a desire to continue treatment to sustain hope, an unwillingness to let go of even the smallest chance of improvement.  The need to respect a person’s end of life wishes has to be stronger than guilt or grief.  So be supportive of someone’s decision to embrace hospice, or to delay it.  The decision is what the patient says it is. 

Don’t miss the amazing Thresholds Conference sponsored by Hospice of Southern Maine on Tues., May 10 1:00pm - 3:30pm EST featuring Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love.  All virtual over Zoom, and only $35! Get your tickets by clicking here.

Connect with Hospice of Southern Maine at https://www.hospiceofsouthernmaine.org/.

Register for your place at the California Hospice and Palliative Care Association conference coming up June 6-10 by visiting calhospice.org!  Be sure to tell them you heard about it on The Heart of Hospice podcast.

Looking for a speaker for your event or conference?  Send an email to [email protected] or to jerry@theheartofhospice.com.  We’d love to partner with you!

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice here: https://theheartofhospice.libsyn.com/

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end of life care, and self care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

Send your questions and comments to [email protected].  We’d love to hear from you!

Words, terms, and acronyms - it’s important to know how to speak the language to get the best quality hospice you can.  When you’re in an unfamiliar situation, understanding the terms that are being used will help you to manage things better.  There’s a lot of stress when someone is experiencing a serious illness, starting hospice, or communicating with a hospice interdisciplinary team.  Professionals should use words that patients and caregivers understand, not leave them with more questions and increased anxiety. Listen to the whole episode for examples of the common terms you might hear in end of life care!

Patients and their caregivers should ask questions, and repeat those questions as needed. It’s ok to ask for clarification.  Hospice providers should provide answers in a way that’s understandable, verbal and/or written.  Interdisciplinary team members should never become impatient or irritated when asked for additional information.  It’s important for those persons receiving care to know exactly what’s being discussed.  Knowing the meaning of hospice terms will help enhance the care experience.

Don’t miss the amazing Thresholds Conference sponsored by Hospice of Southern Maine on Tues., May 10 1:00pm - 3:30pm EST featuring Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love.  All virtual over Zoom, and only $35! Get your tickets by clicking here.

Connect with Hospice of Southern Maine at https://www.hospiceofsouthernmaine.org/.

Register for your place at the California Hospice and Palliative Care Association conference coming up June 6-10 by visiting calhospice.org!  Be sure to tell them you heard about it on The Heart of Hospice podcast.

Looking for a speaker for your event or conference?  Send an email to [email protected] or to jerry@theheartofhospice.com.  We’d love to partner with you!

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice here: https://theheartofhospice.libsyn.com/

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end of life care, and self care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

Send your questions and comments to [email protected].  We’d love to hear from you!

In recognition of National Healthcare Decisions Day 2022, we’re talking about advance care planning.  What’s your plan for your healthcare and who have you told it to?  National Healthcare Decisions Day was started in 2008 by attorney Nathan Kottkamp to encourage people to complete their advance care planning. Every year on April 16 (the day after Tax Day), National Healthcare Decisions Day is observed.  It’s the perfect day to make your end of life plans.  Develop your plan - think about your beliefs, wishes, and wants for healthcare during a serious illness.  Document your plan - put your plan into the legal forms that are accepted in your state or province.  Discuss your plan - tell your healthcare provider team and your family or those who would help with your care.  Eliminate the chance that you’ll receive care you don’t want, care that won’t work, or care you can’t afford by making your wishes known.  Happy National Healthcare Decisions Day 2022!  

Find more information about NHDD 2022 at The Conversation Project website.

Use some of our favorite advance planning tools and games:

The Conversation Project

The Death Deck

Go Wish cards from Code Alliance

Hello game from Common Practice 

Heart2Hearts: The Workbook from Discuss Directives with Lisa Newburger

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice here: https://theheartofhospice.libsyn.com/

Connect with podcast host Jerry Fenter at [email protected].

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at [email protected].

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end of life care, and self care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

Looking for a speaker for your event or conference?  Send an email to [email protected] or to jerry@theheartofhospice.com.  We’d love to partner with you!

Hospice nurse and author Pepper Cappuccio is talking with us about his book “Warm Water: The Last Act of Compassion”, and how he creates meaning for patients and their families in their last moments.  Carl “Pepper” Cappuccio has been a nurse for over 15 years, and a hospice nurse for 10 years.  According to his website peppercappuccio.com, “he became a registered nurse more than 15 years ago, however, it was not until he experienced the death of his own mother that he realized his true calling. Hospice nursing is what brings him joy and satisfaction.”  Due to his personal experience with his mom, Pepper is acutely aware of the challenges faced by the caregivers as they face the loss of a loved one. The author is instantly able to connect the similarities of each patient and family as it relates to his own life‘s experiences.  Creating a meaningful ritual of bathing patient’s bodies with warm water during post mortem care has enabled Pepper to honor the humanity of the people for whom he provides nursing care.  Just the simple act of a warm bath demonstrates compassion and a respect for the physical body.  Pepper’s book is a collection of his stories and experiences with the patients in his case, and the rituals he created at the time of their deaths.  “Warm Water” is a selection of stories to which all caregivers and hospice professionals can relate.  

Read more about Pepper’s story at peppercappuccio.com.

Buy “Warm Water: The Last Act of Compassion” by clicking here or here. 

Looking for a speaker for your event or conference?  Send an email to [email protected] or to jerry@theheartofhospice.com.  We’d love to partner with you!

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice here: https://theheartofhospice.libsyn.com/

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end of life care, and self care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

Send your questions and comments to [email protected].  We’d love to hear from you!

Using labels for people can be evidence of our implicit bias. Hospice providers can enhance the quality of care by avoiding labels.  If you have a brain, you have a bias.  It’s who we are as humans.  The key to treating our patients and their families with respect and compassion is to avoid labels that make them less than human.  Healthcare providers might not even realize the labels we give our patients are disrespectful or derogatory.  It’s possible to describe a patient’s condition or status without using a term that is demeaning.  It’s also possible to report behaviors using descriptive language.  Seriously ill patients and families deserve our respect.  Using labels removes that respect, and desensitizes our ability to have compassion.  Labels give us permission to treat people as less than who they are.  We don’t take care of patients - we take care of people.  So look at your own biases and see their influence on the care you provide.  Give your patients - your people - the best you have to give! Don’t miss the amazing Thresholds Conference sponsored by Hospice of Southern Maine on Tues., May 10 1:00pm - 3:30pm EST featuring Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love.  All virtual over Zoom, and only $35! Get your tickets by clicking here.

Connect with Hospice of Southern Maine at https://www.hospiceofsouthernmaine.org/.

Register for your place at the California Hospice and Palliative Care Association conference coming up June 6-10 by visiting calhospice.org!  Be sure to tell them you heard about it on The Heart of Hospice podcast.

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice here: https://theheartofhospice.libsyn.com/

Connect with podcast host Jerry Fenter at [email protected].

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at [email protected].

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end of life care, and self care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

Looking for a speaker for your event or conference?  Send an email to [email protected] or to jerry@theheartofhospice.com.  We’d love to partner with you!

Daryl Cady, CEO of Hospice of Southern Maine is sharing details about the 2022 Thresholds Conference.   What an amazing opportunity to unite for conversations about end of life!  The conference features keynote speaker Elizabeth Gilbert, #1 New York Times best selling author of Eat, Pray, Love.  Additionally, the conference includes singer/songwriter Michelle Zauner, author of Crying in H Mart.  The theme for the 2022 Thresholds conference is “Grief is Individual and Universal”.  Both speakers have experienced their own losses, and will share the stories of their unique grief journeys.  Anyone who has experienced a loss can relate to the message of Thresholds.  The conference is virtual over Zoom, and tickets are only $35.  The conference is on Tuesday, May 10, 2022 at 1:00pm - 3:30pm EST. Buy your tickets thresholdshsm.org.  Don’t miss this chance to hear these great speakers!

Get your tickets for the virtual May 10 Thresholds conference featuring Elizabeth Gilbert and Michelle Zauner by clicking here.

Connect with Hospice of Southern Maine at https://www.hospiceofsouthernmaine.org/.

Interested in having one of the hosts of The Heart of Hospice podcast speak at your event? Send an email to helen@theheartofhospice or [email protected].  

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice here: https://theheartofhospice.libsyn.com/

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end of life care, and self care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

Send your questions and comments to [email protected].  We’d love to hear from you!

Today’s guest is a chaplain in the Buddhist tradition and author of “From Grief to Growth: 5 Essential Elements of Action to Give Grief A Purpose and Grow From Your Experience”. You’re going to love our conversation with Paula Stephens!!  Paula has a Master's Degree in Exercise Physiology and studied Buddhist Chaplaincy at  Upaya Institute and Zen Center. She’s a Certified Wellness Coach, Mindfulness Teacher, Clinical Hypnotherapist, a Yoga Instructor and a hospital chaplain in the Buddhist traditions.  She brings professionalism and compassion to her work by recognizing the importance of healing the whole person, mind/body/spirit.  After the loss of her son, Paula began searching for healthy ways to manage her grief.  She learned over time to utilize the wellness tools she had used for years, including running and yoga.  The lessons she learned were translated into her book “From Grief to Growth: 5 Essential Elements of Actions”.  She believes that grief never fully leaves us, so it’s important to build habits that will support a lifetime of grieving.  Paula has worked with 100’s of caregivers (just like you) and helped them go from struggling to find joy and purpose in their work and life to feeling a renewed sense of purpose for their work and looking forward to each day in as little as one month.  Her story is amazing and you’ll be blessed when you hear it. 

Get your copy of Paula’s book “From Grief to Growth: 5 Essential Elements of Action to Give Grief A Purpose and Grow From Your Experience” by clicking here.

Connect with Paula Stephens and her work at paulastephens.net

Looking to hire Paula to speak at your event?  Click here. 

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice here: https://theheartofhospice.libsyn.com/

Connect with podcast host Jerry Fenter at [email protected].

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at [email protected].

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end of life care, and self care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

Send your questions and comments to [email protected].  We’d love to hear from you!

Financial burden is a real problem for over 55 million caregivers across the U.S. What money issues do people need to consider before they take on the caregiving role?  Often a caregiver has many roles, including being a full time wage earner and other family caregiving responsibilities like kids.  Caregivers spent an average of $7000 of their own money in 2017 for things like medical expenses, legal fees, and paid caregiving help.  It’s important to stay informed, and to think about the financial needs in advance if you can.  Keep in mind the financial health of both the one needing care and the caregiver. Think about sustainability - how long can you afford to maintain a caregiving system?  Is a caregiving system home feasible?  Caregivers have health care needs, too.  Not all partners or family members are physically able to care for a loved one.  What if you live separately from the one needing care, possibly at a long distance?  The costs of travel can mount.  With the expectation that care needs will expand as a patient’s condition declines toward end of life, a village of caregivers becomes essential.  Be proactive with these discussions, if you have the luxury of time. There are resources available - take time to check them out.  One great option is AARP (American Association of Retired Persons).  Find more caregiver support at theheartofhospice.com. 

**Don’t forget to register for the California Hospice and Palliative Care Organization conference coming up in June 2022!  The hosts of The Heart of Hospice podcast are beyond thrilled to be partnering with end of life educator Barbara Karnes of BK Books, author of Gone from My Sight (also known as the Little Blue Book),  to feature a talk on getting back to the basics at the bedside.  When you register, be sure to tell them you heard about it on The Heart of Hospice podcast!  Grab your spot at the conference by clicking here. 

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice here: https://theheartofhospice.libsyn.com/

Connect with podcast host Jerry Fenter at [email protected].

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at [email protected].

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end of life care, and self care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

Send your questions and comments to [email protected].  We’d love to hear from you!

We’re wrapping up our Grief Series in collaboration with Gabby Jimenez of The Hospice Heart, featuring social workers Isabel Stenzel and Lisa Pahl of The Death Deck.  After discussing prolonged grief, helping children manage grief, and dealing with grief for someone while still providing care for someone else, we’ve grown in our understanding of how grief affects our lives.  Gabby says that being stuck in grief really hit home with her.  The situation of being unable to move through grief is very real.  For Helen, Isabel’s guidance about how children grief was so helpful.  As Isabel said, “If you’re old enough to love, you’re old enough to grieve”.  Sometimes it’s hard to look beyond our own personal grief to consider the emotions and needs of someone else. Jerry talked about how grief can last for years, and those emotions can wash over us when we least expect it.  The Heart of Hospice was honored to collaborate with The Hospice Heart, and to share the wisdom that Isabel and Lisa have to share.

You can connect with Lisa Pahl of The Death Deck at thedeathdeck.com.

Find out more about Isabel Stenzel’s story by buying her book The Power of Two: A Twin Triumph Over Cystic Fibrosis by clicking here. 

Click here to watch Isabel’s TED Talk on the art of saying goodbye. 

Read The Hospice Heart blog by Gabby Jimenez here. 

Connect with Gabby’s Facebook group for The Hospice Heart here.

Find information about The Death Deck and Lisa Pahl at thedeathdeck.com.

Find more information about hospice philosophy, end of life care, and self care for both personal and professional caregivers here. 

Send your questions and comments to [email protected].  We’d love to hear from you!

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice here: https://theheartofhospice.libsyn.com/

Connect with podcast host Jerry Fenter at [email protected].

Connect with podcast host Helen Bauer at [email protected].