May 2015 News & Events
12th Annual Women Swimmin'
Registration Opens May 4

Swimmers head out onto the lake on board one of the boats.
photo by Lauren Comley/www.jonreis.com

 

This year's Women Swimmin' for Hospicare will be August 8. As we did last year, we will be opening up swimmer registration one week before the boater registration opens. 
  • Swimmer registration will open May 4 at 6:00 AM
  • Boater registration will open May 11 at 9:00 AM and continue through August 1
  • Women Swimmin' Laps, our new event, will be open for registration May 5 through May 31

Last year's swimmer registration filled in less than 3 hours, so if you'd like to swim the lake this year, we suggest you plan on setting your alarm for 6:00 AM on registration day. This year's event is eagerly anticipated by women in our community--and beyond. Some will even come from other states and other countries to particpate! 

 

For regular updates on the 2015 event, "like" Women Swimmin' on Facebook.

 

For more information, visit the Women Swimmin' website: www.womenswimmin.org 

 

And don't forget the Ithaca Festival Parade on Thursday, May 28. Women Swimmin' will again be represented in the parade. If you'd like to march with us, sign up by e-mailing info@womenswimmin.org. If you're unable to march, we'd still love to see you in the crowd!    


How to Care for a Loved One with Alzheimer's or Dementia

an elderly woman appears concerned.

 

Caring for a loved one who has dementia can be stressful. The Alzheimer's Association offers the following tips for how to deal with various types of behavior stemming from Alzheimer's and dementia.

 

Memory Loss & Confusion

In the later stages of the disease, a person with Alzheimer's may not remember familiar people, places or things. Situations involving memory loss and confusion are extremely difficult for caregivers and families, and require much patience and understanding.

 

How to Respond

  • Stay calm: Although being called a different name or not being recognized can be painful, try not to make your hurt apparent.
  • Respond with a brief explanation: Don't overwhelm your loved one with lengthy statements or reasons. Instead, clarify with a simple explanation.

Read more about caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's or dementia.

 

Visit the Alzheimer's Association website for more information about Alzheimer's disease. 

 
HFA Teleconference 
The Longest Loss: Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia  

When a loved one has Alzheimer's disease or other dementia, grief doesn't wait for death. Grieving attends every step of the disease as the patient loses cognitive and physical ability. After the death, survivors' grief may be complicated by the lengthy disease process. Join us for a Hospice Foundation of America teleconference on this difficult disease. A local panel of experts will hold a discussion after the prerecorded program.

When Thursday, May 14, 1:00-4:00 PM

Where Thomas Ficorelli Conference Room, Island Health and Fitness, 310 Taughannock Blvd., Ithaca

Register to attend with Mark Costa, mcosta@hospicare.org

 
Hospicare Fundraiser May 14 
Nina Miller to Give Reading from New Novel at Hospicare  
photo of Nina Miller and dog.
Photo by Dede Hatch
 
Nina Miller, former executive director of Hospicare, will read from her new novel
The Mother of Invention as a fundraiser for Hospicare. The reading will take place in the Nina K. Miller Hospicare Center great room and will include a book signing.

 

The Mother of Invention

looks at the profound changes facing Claire Goldstein as she enters middle age and realizes she needs to reinvent herself. Unable to communicate her feelings of foreboding to her husband, she shares instead with her close friend Maude, who is thirty years her senior. Maude's eventual diagnosis of cancer, along with the environmental threat of hydrofracking, set a personal crisis in motion for Claire.

When May 14. Book signings begin at 5:30 PM. Nina will read from her novel at 6:00 PM.

Where Hospicare, 172 East King Road, Ithaca 

 

Print copies of the novel will be available for purchase at the event, with proceeds going to Hospicare. The book will also be available at Buffalo Street Books in Ithaca and on Amazon starting May 10.

 

For a Kindle e-book copy, visit Amazon.com.


Memorial Event June 4 
Join Us for Illuminations

The Hospicare grounds glow with luminarias.

 

On Thursday evening, June 4, we will be holding Illuminations, our annual memorial event, in the Hospicare gardens. The pathways around our building will glow with luminarias, each dedicated to the memory of someone who has died. The service includes live music, spoken words and refreshments.    

 

Luminarias can be personalized for a suggested donation of $25. Donations are greatly appreciated but not required.  

 

When May 4. The reception and luminaria lighting begins at 7:30 PM. The program of remembrance begins at 8:00 PM.

 

Where Hospicare, 172 East King Road, Ithaca    

  

Visit the Illuminations website to learn more or to purchase a luminaria in memory of a loved one. 

 

Save the Dates!

Held at the Nina K. Miller Hospicare Center

172 E. King Road, Ithaca, NY

  • Women Swimmin' Registration Monday, 5/4, opens at 6:00 AM
  • Women Singin' (1st Tuesday of the month), 5/5, 6/2, 5:30−7:00 PM
  • General Support Group for All Bereaved (1st & 3rd Wednesdays of the month), 5/6 & 5/20, 6/3 & 6/17, 5:30−7:00 PM
  • Monthly Bereaved Parents Group (1st Thursday of the month), 5/7, 6/4, 5:30−7:00 PM
  • Hospicare Film Series: Death: a Love Story
    Wednesday, 5/13, 7:00−9:00 PM
  • Remembering Our Parents: Honoring Their Lives and Legacies Tuesday, 5/19, 6:00−8:00 PM, an event for adults to share memories of their parents
  • Illuminations Memorial Event Thursday, 6/4, 7:30−dusk
  • How Men Grieve Tuesday, 6/11, 6:00−8:00 PM, a support group for men only!
Held at the Cortland Hospicare Office
11 Kennedy Parkway, Cortland, NY
  • Morning Support Group for All Bereaved (1st Tuesday of the month), 5/5, 6/2, 10:00−11:30 AM
  • Afternoon Support Group for All Bereaved (3rd Thursday of the month), 5/21, 6/18, Noon−1:30 PM
Held Offsite
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.

 
Our mission is to bring medical expertise and compassionate, respectful care to people and their loved ones at any stage of a life-threatening illness, and to provide information and education about advanced illness, dying and bereavement to the entire community.

In the News
When a dying person stops eating, loved ones can find it difficult to accept.

  

After the death of her husband, Elaine Mansfield had trouble sitting at the family table. How could she fill the empty space?

A professor of medicine explains why he did not honor his father's wishes at the end of life.

Palliative Care Expert Is Vocal Opponent of Death with Dignity Law
Ira Byock, leading palliative care expert, speaks against physicians helping the terminally ill end their lives.
How Do You Want to Die?
PBS News Hour looks at The Conversation Project, a non-profit that focuses on the importance of talking openly about dying.

Hospice Gardens Bring Patients Closer to Nature
Gardens and nature play an important role in hospice care. Hospicare's gardens are among those featured in this article.

Websites of Interest

This website is devoted to exploring the sacred and profound spiritual experience that is fundamental to the end-of-life process.

Living/Dying Project
A Buddhist oriented website focusing on "conscious dying," using the dying process as a way to reach profound spiritual awakening.

two hands clasping
Help terminally ill people spend the end of their lives peacefully and without pain.

Our Wish List
Items to make patients and their families more comfortable. 

Amazon Smile
Shop through Amazon Smile, and 0.5% of your purchase price will be donated to Hospicare.
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