This year marks the 30th anniversary of Hospicare. We will be celebrating throughout 2013 in many different ways. To kick off the festivities, we've commissioned a 30th anniversary mark from Iron Design. The special mark been incorporated into the masthead of the e-newsletter, and can be seen on our Facebook page, among other places.

In the months ahead, we'll be sharing with you stories and memories from the past, as well as reminiscing about the changes our agency has gone through. From small beginnings we now employ 63 staff members who served thousands of patients and their families. 

We could not have grown and developed our expertise to such an extent without the support of community members like you. Thank you and keep a look out for further information about our anniversary activities.

Hospicare is happy to announce some exciting job changes in the clinical area as of January 1.  

First, Pauline Cameron, RN, CHPN, stepped down as director of patient services and into a new role as quality assurance manager. 

Taking over the director of patient services position is Leah Gugino, RN, CHPN, formerly the assistant director of patient services.  

Filling the position of assistant director of patient services is Kirsten Miller, RN, CHPN, formerly primary nurse case manager. 

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Thinking of volunteering with Hospicare? Peter Schrempf has been a volunteer for 15 years and is still going strong. Below he explains why he continues to give of his time to reach out to those dealing with the end of life.

By Peter Schrempf

I am surprised to look back and see that as of this spring I will have been a Hospicare volunteer for 15 years. My visits to patients' homes and area nursing facilities have involved me in many different activities: reading out loud, providing respite for a caregiver, acting as a playmate for the very active child of a patient, assisting with meal preparation, recording and transcribing stories and just being there as a comforting presence. This is a wider range of activities than I ever expected when I decided to volunteer a couple of years after my parents died in the mid-1990's.

I was prepared as a volunteer to constantly be in an emotional giving mode. The reality has been quite different! I have been welcomed into the lives of our Hospicare families and feel that I have received far more in positive emotional feedback than I could ever give to them. It is an honor to think that perhaps I have played a small part in helping a family to better relate to a loved one in his or her final days by providing respite for the caregivers, or by being a companion to the dying person if the family lives far away. 

The philosophy of Hospicare as "a way of caring" continues to resonate with me. However, it will always be the smiles and hugs from our Hospicare families that will truly serve as the best volunteer motivator I could ever imagine and that will keep me striving to provide whatever comfort I can at this important transition in their lives.

As the new year gets off to a fresh start, we'd like to encourage you to make 2013 the year you begin "The Conversation" with your loved ones. What conversation? The one about end-of-life planning. Many people find this a difficult conversation to initiate, yet many also say it is one they long to have with their loved ones.  

The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) suggests beginning the conversation by mentioning what prompted you to think of end-of-life issues. Perhaps an event happened or you read a thought-provoking article. Once you've initiated the discussion, here are some issues you may wish to explore with your loved one.

• How important is it to you to be physically independent and stay in your own home?
• What medical care do you want to receive if you can't communicate?
• Who have you chosen to handle money matters if you cannot?
• Where are your legal documents?
• Would you want your healthcare agent to take into account the effect your illness has on any other people?
• Would you prefer to die at home if possible?

Beginning the conversation is often the first step toward completing advance directives, including choosing a person you trust as your healthcare proxy (or surrogate decision maker), who is authorized to make medical decisions on your behalf if you become incapacitated.

For more information about planning ahead, including downloads of advance directive forms, visit the NHPCO Caring Connections website.  

• Women Singin': 2/5, 5:30-7:00 PM
• Evening Bereavement Support Group: 2/6 & 2/20, 5:30-7:00 PM
• Mindfulness Practice: Wednesdays, 7:30-9:00 PM
• Tuesday Lunch Group: 2/12, Noon 
• Wednesday Breakfast Group: 2/27, 8:30 AM
• Young(er) Adults Grief Group, registration deadline 3/4, sessions start 3/7 and run for 4 weeks
• Grief 101: For Parents with Grieving Kids, registration deadline 3/13, session meets 3/18
• Volunteer Training, registration currently ongoing,         6 sessions total, starting 4/9 

For more information on any of the above groups or events, please call 607-272-0212, or visit our Events page to download a PDF of our current calendar.