August 2015 News & Events
Join us August 8 
Women Swimmin' Is Comin' Right Up




Women Swimmin' for Hospicare's 12th annual event will begin at dawn on August 8, at the Ithaca Yacht Club. More than 300 women will swim 1.2 miles in Cayuga Lake. They will return to shore at the Club, where they will be greeted with cheers from the supporters waiting there. 

"Why do we do it?" says swimmer Demetra Molina. "Love. Love for those who have loved us, remembrance for those that no longer walk with us, and joy that we are ABLE to swim--to support individuals and families that need it." 

If weather is inclement or water conditions are problematic, we will post updates to the Women Swimmin' Facebook page and website around 5:30 a.m. If we can't gather outside at the Yacht Club because of weather, we will convene at Cass Park Rink for a celebration, breakfast and music at 8 a.m.

 

So far, as of August 2, our swimmers have raised more than $300,000 toward our goal of $370,000. If you'd like to support a swimmer, you can make a donation on line.  

 

Support a swimmer now!   

 
Grief 101
Understanding Grief

 

Grief is something we all experience some time in our lives. And yet, for most of us, it is mysterious and frightening. We don't know what to expect before it happens to us, and even when we are deep in the grieving process we can feel blind sided by the unexpected up and downs of our feelings.

 

To help our community members understand the grief experience, Hospicare is offering a one-time educational workshop for bereaved adults, those anticipating the loss of a loved one and those interested in learning more about grief. At the workshop, Hospicare bereavement counselors will explain what to expect from the grieving process and how to know if you need more support. They will also give a perspective on helpful ways to cope with grief. 

 

Date: Thursday, September 17 

Time: Noon-1:30 PM

Place: Nina K. Miller Hospicare Center, Ithaca

 

Free and open to all adults. For more information, or to register to attend the workshop, contact Donna George LMSW, FT, at dgeorge@hospicare.org 

 
Love, Light and Song: A Hospice Patient Finds Hope

In the video Carmen's Love, Light and Circle of Song, a terminally ill patient embraces her strength with the help of hospice. 

Two years ago Carmin Greaves was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer. At first she was devastated and overwhelmed. But when she began receiving palliative care, and later hospice services, through Elizabeth Hospice in San Diego, CA, Carmin found her ability to cope improving, and Carmin's natural resilience took over. Her warmth, exuberance and positive energy shines through in this beautiful video, showing that hospice truly is about how you live!

 

TOPS Gives Donation to Hospicare

Melissa Travis Dunham (right), Hospicare Community Relations Manager, accepts a donation from TOPS.

Recently TOPS Friendly Markets presented Hospicare with a $500 donation in celebration of the grand re-opening of their Triphammer TOPS store. Thank you, TOPS. We truly appreciate your support of our end-of-life work in the Tompkins and Cortland County communities.  
   
Save the Dates! 

Held at the Nina K. Miller Hospicare Center

172 E. King Road, Ithaca, NY

  • Women Swimmin' Laps Registration ongoing through 8/6
  • Women Singin' (1st Tuesday of the month), 8/4, 9/1, 5:307:00 PM
  • General Support Group for All Bereaved (1st & 3rd Wednesdays of the month), 8/5 & 8/19, 9/2 & 9/16, 5:307:00 PM
  • Monthly Bereaved Parents Group (1st Thursday of the month), 8/6, 9/3, 5:307:00 PM
  • Journey Through Grief: A Spouse/Partner Loss Support Group Tuesdays, 9/1, 9/8, 9/15, 9/22, 9/29, 6:007:30 PM
  • Grief 101: Understanding Grief Thursday, 9/17, noon1:30 PM
Held at the Cortland Hospicare Office
11 Kennedy Parkway, Cortland, NY
  • Morning Support Group for All Bereaved (1st Tuesday of the month), 8/4, 9/1, 10:0011:30 AM
  • Afternoon Support Group for All Bereaved (3rd Thursday of the month), 8/20, 9/17, Noon−
    1:30 PM
  • Volunteer Training Two consecutive weekends, 9/12 & 13 and 9/19 & 20. Attendance at all sessions is required.
Held Offsite
  • Women Swimmin' Saturday, 8/8, dawn.
    This event will be held at the Ithaca Yacht Club, 1090 Glenwood Road, Ithaca. 
  • Hospice Foundation of Cortland County Recognition Luncheon Sunday, 9/20, noon-2:30 PM.
    This event will be held at Tinelli's Hathaway House, Solon, NY
  • Sandra Lipsitz Bem Lecture: A Conversation with Dr. Robert Wood About Dying and the Compassionate Choices We Can Make, Thursday, 10/1, time TBD. This event will be held at the Tompkins County Public Library, 101 E. Green St., Ithaca
  • Annual Hospicare Recognition Luncheon
    Thursday, 10/22, time TBD. This event will be held at The Space @ Greenstar, 700 W. Buffalo St., Ithaca.
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

Denying Death Will Not Make It Go Away
Our culture is a death-denying one, says Jane Schantz, Hospicare's palliative care nurse practitioner, in this op-ed piece, but there are things we can do to to make our deaths easier.

Replacing the Irreplaceable
In her profound grief at the death of her husband, and earlier losses in her life, the writer explores the ways we try to mask the pain and concludes "the only way through is through."

Doctor-assisted suicide isn't liberalism. It's nihilism, argues end-of-life expert Dr. Ira Byock.

Aid-in-Dying Laws Are Just a Start
The author argues that to really fix the dysfunctional way our medical system deals with death, we need to change the value placed on end-of-life care rather than pinning our hopes on death-with-dignity laws. 

Knowing How Doctors Die Can Change End-of-Life Discussions
Doctors are more likely to die at home with less-aggressive care than most of us have at the end of life. How they choose to die can help inform our own end-of-life decisions.

Website of Interest

A website where families can create free, online obituaries for their loved ones, get help planning a funeral, and learn about other end-of-life issues.

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

Women Swimmin'
Support a swimmer in our Women Swimmin' event--all donations go to pay for services for our patients and their families.

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.
Quick Links  

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info@hospicare.org

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