Hospice Needs You This Holiday Season

With the holidays quickly approaching, what better way to celebrate the season that to give the gift of compassion to families facing terminal-illness, loss and grief. HFA has worked tirelessly as an advocate for these families and patients. We’ve educated tens of thousands of professionals with better training on important topics such as ethics, pain management, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and grief. We’ve supported hospices across North America with bereavement materials and funding for children’s grief camps. But we need your help to do more! Hospice Foundation of America will turn 30 years old next year, and we want to celebrate by doing more to help those in need. Can you help us by donating $30 to support HFA in our 30th year of service?


We know you are inundated with requests from many worthy causes, but we ask that you please consider a donation to the Hospice Foundation of America in your annual charitable giving. Any gift, large or small, can help families find the care and resources that are desperately needed for their loved ones and themselves. Will you please give those individuals comfort today?


Donate to Hospice Foundation of America here today, http://www.hospicefoundation.org/donate


All of us at HFA wish you and yours a merry holiday season and happy New Year!

HFA Saddened by Loss of Longtime Board Member

Former Hospice Foundation of America Board Member Thomas E. Bryant died on December 9 in a car accident on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. We are saddened by his loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. As an advocate for hospice care, Bryant served on HFA’s board for many years, helping to shape its growth into an organization recognized nationally and internationally for its consumer and professional education.

National Standards on Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services

The Journal of Palliative Medicine blog recently posted about the National Standards on Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services issued by the Department of Human Services/Office of Minority Health that outline best practices to provide culturally and linguistically competent care.


Listed as a resource is HFA's 2009 book, Living with Grief: Diversity and End-of-Life Care.


HFA is currently offering this title at 40% off the cover price through December 31st.


To receive the discount, use the code: booksale

Making Choices, Choosing Hospice

Steve Lopez writes a wonderful piece in the Los Angeles Times about end-of-life care choices. Here he examines the decision of one cancer patient to accept hospice care.

Not that the transition was easy. There were difficult, frank conversations and lots of prayers before a sense of calm settled in and Ramos knew he was done with chemotherapy."

It might give me three more months," Ramos said, but the side effects would be unpleasant, and he was finished with such compromises.

A Kaiser member, Ramos was offered a chance to receive hospice care with a focus on palliative measures. Those are ominous-sounding words to a lot of terminally ill patients, and Ramos was no exception. The picture that popped into his head was of him dying in some kind of nursing facility with the hospice team at his side.

No, he was told. He could go home and be with his family. A doctor, nurse, social worker and chaplain would make house calls, care for Ramos and educate and support his family. If there were emergencies, he could still go to the hospital.

The fact that Ramos has rallied a bit since leaving the hospital in September does not surprise his doctor.

"All of our patients prefer to be home," said Dr. Peter Khang, chief of geriatrics and palliative medicine. He noted that in addition to familiar surroundings, home cooking and the love of family, this kind of care means fewer stressful, exhausting trips to the clinic or hospital.

Select Living with Grief Book Series On Sale Now

Each year Hospice Foundation of America publishes a companion book to our annual Living with Grief® program. For a limited time, you can purchase a selection of these in-depth resources for 40% off the individual and/or box of books.

Featured titles include:

Living with Grief®: Cancer and End-of-Life Care (2010)
Living with Grief®: Diversity and End-of-Life Care (2009)
Living with Grief®: Children and Adolescents (2008)
Living with Grief®: Before and After the Death (2007)
Pain Management at the End of Life: Bridging the Gap Between Knowledge and Practice (2006)
Living with Grief®: Alzheimer's Disease (2004)

To receive the discount, use the code: booksale

Order your Living with Grief® book today!

Offer Expires: December 31, 2011