Alabama Disaster Relief - How You Can Help

Despite the destruction and subsequent logistical challenges of working without electricity, fuel and communications, hospice care and services must continue for patients in the hardest hit areas of Alabama. For that reason, Hospice Foundation of America will directly match all individual and corporate donations up to $100 received through May 15 to help fund the Alabama Hospice Organization relief effort. Contributions and matching funds will be used for the immediate provision of hospice care and services in communities devastated by the recent storm.

Please donate now.

HFA has developed these Tips for Dealing with Disasters - for Organizations and Individuals.

Evolution of State POLST Programs

The AARP released report today, "Improving Advanced Illness Care: The Evolution of State POLST Programs" that details how POLST (Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment called POST, MOLST, and MOST in some states) developed in 12 states. The reports also highlights lessons learned for states developing their own programs.

Updated Guidelines for Alzheimer’s Diagnosis

The Alzheimer’s Association and the National Institute on Aging have updated the guidelines used to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease for the first time since 1984. The new guidelines describe three phases of Alzheimer’s disease progression:

• Preclinical Alzheimer’s Disease – Measurable changes in biomarkers (such as brain imaging and spinal fluid chemistry) that indicate the very earliest signs of disease, before outward symptoms are visible. Currently, there are no clinical diagnostic criteria for this phase, but the group provides a scientific framework to help researchers better define this stage of Alzheimer’s.
• Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer’s Disease – Mild changes in memory and thinking abilities, enough to be noticed and measured, but not impairment that compromises everyday activities and functioning.
• Dementia due to Alzheimer’s Disease – Memory, thinking and behavioral symptoms that impair a person’s ability to function in daily life.

More than 5 million people live with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in the U.S. today, and this number is expected to grow even higher. And for every one person with dementia, there are numerous others in the picture, providing care as the disease progresses. When a person enters the final stages of Alzheimer’s disease, care needs become more intensive and demanding. Many people are surprised to learn that hospice is available to help care for people in the end stages of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

Hospice Foundation of America has developed a program, Alzheimer’s Disease and Hospice Care, to help families understand how hospice helps persons with advanced dementia face the end of life with compassion and dignity.

Not Too Late to Watch HFA’s LGBT Webinar

HFA hosted an informative webinar on supporting the LGBT community through illness, death and grief on April 20^th, 2011 and you’re not too late to take part. The archived webinar is available on-demand until April 19^th, 2012.

Featuring Kimberly Acquaviva, PhD, MSW, of George Washington University, who discussed the challenges faced by this community and how organizations can better serve older LGBT adults and their loved ones and Kenneth Doka, PhD, MDiv, who discussed the psychosocial issues faced by this community, the webinar included a substantive question and answer session.

Continuing Education credits are available for a wide range of professionals including nurses and social workers. The Organization Registration Fee is $75, allowing an unlimited number of viewers to attain credit when viewed from one computer; the Individual Registration Fee is $25 and includes one hour of CE credit for the registered individual. Learn more here.

We’re hearing some wonderful feedback about the program. Check out this blogger’s review of this ‘terrific webinar’ that he called, ‘Just outstanding.’

Aging and death don’t discriminate.

National Healthcare Decisions Day

Tomorrow, April 16, is the 4^th annual National Healthcare Decisions Day, a collaborative effort of national, state and community organizations committed to ensuring that all adults with decision-making capacity in the United States have the information and opportunity to communicate and document their healthcare decisions.

As a participating organization, Hospice Foundation of America encourages all of us to Have the Talk - discuss what care you want at the end of life with your friends and family members, and complete an advance directive. The NHDD website has many tools you can use to walk you through the process and make your wishes known; access them through the NHDD Public Resources page.

Spirituality and End-of-Life Care Live Call-In Sessions Underway!

Ken Doka, Senior Consultant to HFA and one of the panelists appearing in HFA’s Living with Grief:^® Spirituality and End-of-Life Care program, and HFA President and CEO Amy Tucci, take viewers’ questions during the first of four live call-in sessions.  Panelists from the prerecorded program are taking calls, live, from viewers around the nation today during telephone “roundtable” discussions scheduled throughout the afternoon.  Nearly 900 viewing sites in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico are signed up to show the recorded program today or in the near future.

Celebrating Hospice Volunteers

This is National Volunteers Week and hospices know the vital role over 460,000 volunteers play in providing quality patient care for dying patients and their families. Hospice volunteers perform a wide variety of vital services, including support for patients, respite care, bereavement support and more. In fact, hospice volunteers provide more than 20 million hours of service annually. HFA thanks these key members of the hospice team for the dedication they show each and every day.

Have you thought about the rewards of becoming a hospice volunteer? Learn more about what being a hospice volunteer means or watch this short video to hear from other volunteers.

Are you a hospice worker interested in expanding your volunteer program? Watch “Hospice Volunteers: Recruiting, Retaining, Rewarding,” a free online webinar that examines the important role that volunteers play in hospice, and explores creative ways that hospices can recruit and retain volunteers. The program includes tips and ideas from professional hospice volunteer coordinators, as well as personal insights from hospice volunteers. The program, plus additional resources and Fact Sheets, can be used as for volunteer recruiting and training purposes at no charge.

Supporting the LGBT Community through Illness, Death and Grief

Aging and death don’t discriminate.

Whether someone is heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender, everyone grows older. HFA will host a live webinar on April 20, Supporting the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Community through Illness, Death and Grief, from 1-2pm ET. This webinar will feature Kimberly Acquaviva, PhD, MSW, of George Washington University, who will discuss the challenges faced by this community and how organizations can better serve older LGBT adults and their loved ones. Kenneth Doka, PhD, MDiv, will discuss the psychosocial issues faced by this community. Continuing Education credits are available for a wide range of professionals including nurses and social workers.

Each registration allows one computer to access the live program via a password. Continuing education credits for one credit hour are available for a range of professional boards for the applicable registration fee. The Organization Registration Fee is $75, allowing an unlimited number of viewers to attain credit when viewed from one computer; the Individual Registration Fee is $25 and includes one hour of CE credit for the registered individual.

Paying for Hospice Care

When people learn about all that hospice has to offer, often they are both relieved and concerned: relieved that the comprehensive list of services aims to comfort the patient and assist the caregiver; concerned about how such valuable services are paid for. But they needn’t worry. HFA's newest video, “Paying for Hospice Care” explains that if someone is medically qualified for hospice, there almost certainly is a way to pay for it. Whether through Medicare, Medicaid, or even if the patient lacks insurance or any other means to pay for their care, hospices work hard to provide access, not deny it. “Paying for Hospice Care” runs just over 11 minutes and is subtitled for the hearing impaired. It was produced with funding from a grant by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. See more Hospice Information Center videos.