Recently we gave a presentation at our local community senior center on how simple breathing techniques can calm our minds, lift our mood, and help us find a more hopeful outlook. Research published in January 2023 evaluated several different breathing practices and showed that some are more effective than others. This presentation (with narrated voiceover) presents the findings of the…
Today marks the beginning of National Social Worker’s Month! National Social Work Month, observed throughout March, uplifts the social workers of our country and celebrates their constant contributions to our society. These professionals use psychology and sociology to solve social issues and improve individual lives – and it’s no easy feat! Social work can be emotionally draining, require long hours,…
We love the work we do at hospice. So often people will say to us, “I don’t know how you do what you do!” But if you’ve worked in hospice you know: It’s all a blessing. One things that does help is having our four-footed beloved at home to shower us with love, cuddles, and plenty of requests for treats.…
So many people right now—and for good reason—are celebrating the end of 2020, hoping that with the turn of the calendar, all the pain and struggle, grief and upset we’ve experienced this year will be wiped away. Although we, like you, have struggled with the challenges this year brought, we also want to take a moment and say “thank you”…
This holiday season is sure to be unlike any other as we all navigate as best we can through the continuing pandemic and the unthinkable grief and loss in its wake. Here at hospice we are well aware that loss is an important part of life and that it is possible to live through a time of grief in a…
As you can probably imagine, hope is a continual theme in our work in hospice. Often people say things like, “I could never do what you do. It must be such depressing work, so hard when there’s no hope.” That’s a common misconception about hospice work, because it’s not true that hope is gone when we are facing the end…
For many families, the end-of-life journey they make with their loved ones is among the toughest and most sacred times of their entire lives. Having the right team along for support helps not only in managing your loved one’s symptoms effectively but also in finding kind and compassionate care that helps your whole family get the most from the precious…
GREENFIELD, IN, September 22, 2020 — Suburban Hospice was recently surveyed by the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC), a nationally recognized organization providing accreditation and licensure surveys for health care organizations. They were thrilled to receive a deficiency –free rating. “This is such an excellent and unusual result,” said Executive Director Jeannie Crowe. “Typically, ACHC surveys flag areas where…
Greetings, everyone! It’s not “officially” fall yet, but have you noticed that there’s more yellow in the trees and the fields are looking golden? We’ve just finished preparing and mailed out our new fall bereavement newsletter. This issue includes a reflection on grief at the changing of the seasons, a book review of our favorite children’s book on grief, “The…
Last night one of our RNs on call went to visit a new patient who was suddenly experiencing pain. She drove to the patient’s home and quickly got a sense of what was needed, reassuring the family and calming the patient. She knew just which pain medications would help—in which doses, given at what times—and an hour or so later,…
Happy and heartfelt news from our Executive Director, Jeannie Crowe: For the second year in a row, we have earned an award for our outstanding patient experience scores. Out of 2,000 hospices across the nation, we score in the top 5% for making our patients and families happy with our care. These scores come from surveys that all hospices are…
In our grief group this morning, one of our long-time members mentioned that not long after she experienced a terrible loss, a family member sent her a copy of The Mourner’s Bill of Rights and it was very helpful to her. This clear set of ideas was originally developed by Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D., a leading researcher and presenter in…
Our chaplains at Suburban Hospice have started a new blog called “A Morning Grace,” sharing each weekday a reflection on living with faith. Also on this blog, we post daily “Shift Prayers” for all healthcare workers responding to the COVID-19 crisis. We invite you to follow our blog and add your inspiration and encouragement to our own!
Many people know that hospice offers a much-needed level of expert and compassionate care for patients who are nearing the end of their lives. But often patients and families–and even medical professionals and staff–get confused as they try to determine when the right time for hospice care may be. The short answer to this question is that patients who are…
“Caregiver” is a big label that can encompass any number of things when you are caring for a loved one at home. According to the two-tiered study, Home Alone, and Home Alone Revisited, funded by the United Hospital Fund and the AARP, caregivers often feel as though they have taken on the labels of both “skilled nurse” and “home manager.”…
What a beautiful evening! Yesterday was our annual Circle of Life Luminary service, a special time when we gather with our hospice families to honor their loved ones during the holiday season. More than 100 people came to share refreshments, tell stories, and remember together. We enjoyed a brief service inside and then, at the culmination of the program, family…
Happy National Hospice Month! As part of our celebration of hospice, members of our staff are sharing their hospice stories. You can hear why we love what we do: “Why do I love hospice? I was in emergency medicine for over 20 years. I performed CPR on more people than I can remember to help prolong their lives. Out of all…
For the fifth consecutive year, Suburban Hospice was recently honored by the Strategic Healthcare Programs (SHP) with a SHPBest™ award.
Our hospice was featured in the article, “Sweet As Pie: Hospice workers heralded for providing compassion and care,” in the April 19, 2023 edition of the Greenfield Reporter. Here is the link: https://www.greenfieldreporter.com/2023/04/18/sweet-as-pie-hospice-workers-heralded-for-providing-compassion-and-care/ You can see why we love what we do! We are blessed to have a kind and compassionate team with just the expertise our patients and families need to…
Did you know that March is National Social Work Month? Our social workers are a vital part of our hospice team, providing emotional support, kindness, and a huge range of resources to help families and patients navigate the details of end of life care. Our social workers help dreams come true (recently one of our patients was able to go…