Have you strolled the Commons in downtown Ithaca recently? If you did, you may have seen Hospicare's section of the barrier wall that encircles the work zones for the Commons remodeling project. Unlike the many murals that have been painted on other panels, Hospicare's panel, on Bank Alley, is simply a black chalkboard bearing the words "Before I die, I want to _____." The many blanks are for you, our community members, to fill in your hopes and aspirations.

We have been very gratified to find that the chalkboards are constantly being filled in by passersby. Each week we have been documenting the statements so many of you have been sharing with our community. We then erase the boards to start fresh all over again.

Modeled on similar projects throughout the country, the Before I Die project is a way for all of us to stop and think about where we are and what we feel is important in our lives. We give our thanks to all of you who have participated, and we encourage everyone to fill in the blanks whenever you happen to be in Bank Alley.

Angela Mennitto and her therapy dog, Luca.

Often we don't know how to be fully present in the company of a dying person. Hospicare Volunteer Angela Mennitto was drawn to exploring the idea of "compassionate presence" in a formal program offered by Rigpa's Spiritual Care Program.    

We live in a death-denying culture making it difficult to talk about death, to know how to be, and what to say, in the 

I found all of my interactions with the team quite remarkable and unlike anything I encountered with medical and nursing home staff during that period of her life. Only later did I realize I was responding to the quality of their presence--being grounded in the moment, open to whatever happened and completely authentic in their responses.

That quality of presence is the thread I followed from my mother's death, to volunteering with Hospicare in direct patient care and sitting vigil, and more recently, to completing the Contemplative End-of-Life Care (CEOLC) Certificate Program for health care professionals and hospice volunteers.

At the heart of the program is the cultivation of compassionate presence--referring to how we are when providing care--being in the present moment fully attentive, receptive and responsive to patients and their families.  

To read more click here.

Watching loved ones with terminal illness deal with end-of-life decisions can be hard. Often we wish to ease their burden by helping them move toward acceptance of hospice services, but we don't know how to talk to them about this important decision.  

Hospice of the Red River Valley offers some thoughtful and gentle suggestions for how to approach this topic with your loved one.

• Choose a quiet, comfortable place. Turn off your cell phone, the television and other distractions.
• Sit at eye level with your loved one. Lean forward to express concern; look him/her in the eye.
• Choose your first words carefully; they are remembered best. Speak clearly, slowly and with expression."I'd like to spend some time talking to you about your illness."
• Reflect on a recent circumstance. "That last stay in the hospital seemed hard on you, and I think there is a way to avoid it in the future."

To read more click here.   

Kevin Sullivan presents the FLFDA donation check to Saoirse McClory, Hospicare director of community outreach, and Dale Johnson, Hospicare executive director.

On June 25, the Finger Lakes Funeral Directors Association (FLFDA) gave three checks for $2,500 each to Hospicare and two other area hospices.

The presentation was made at the Nina K. Miller Hospicare Center. Kevin Sullivan, President of the FLFDA--together with Lisa Auble from Lansing Funeral Home and Roger Meier from Bangs Funeral Home--gave the donation to Hospicare, with many thanks for the work we do in the Tompkins County community.

The money was raised from FLFDA annual conventions, Sullivan says. "We wanted to give back to our communities here in the Finger Lakes," he explains. "We know the work hospices do is so important, and we are grateful to Hospicare and the other hospices for the services they provide. The clinical and administrative staff are all so caring. We know there's a lot of love present in these organizations."

The other two hospices that received donations from the FLFDA were CareFirst in Syracuse and Caring Community Hospice in Cortland.

• Women Singin': 7/2, 5:30-7:00 p.m. 
• Evening Bereavement Support Group: 7/3 & 7/17, 5:30-7:00 PM
• Tuesday Lunch Group: 7/9, Noon 
• Wednesday Breakfast Group: 7/24, 8:30 AM
• Women Swimmin' Boater Registration: on-going through July 31 
• Hospicare's 30th Anniversary Celebration: 11/8, 6:00-9:00 p.m.   

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.