March 2016 News & Events
We Need You!
Join Us for Spring Volunteer Training, Coming This April

Photo of Volunteer Jeannie Barnaba
Bereavement volunteer Jeannie Barnaba writes letters to the family members of Hospicare patients. (Photo by Sheryl Sinkow)
 
Would you like to volunteer with Hospicare? We depend on over 100 volunteer community members from Tompkins and Cortland counties to help our agency carry out our work. Our trained volunteers visit patients in their homes or assisted care facilities, offering practical help and companionship. They also assist the agency in other ways, depending on their interests and backgrounds.

The rewards of volunteering are many, says former volunteer Barbara Butcher. "Please think about volunteering," she recently wrote on our Facebook page. "I loved every minute of my time at Hospicare. So much life lived every moment."
 
Right now, we are especially looking for the following volunteers:   
  • Licensed masssage therapists who would like to volunteer to give therapeutic massages to Hospicare patients.
  • Licensed beauticians who are willing to visit patients in their homes to cut and style hair.

 

Read more about Hospicare's spring volunteer training.  

   
5 Common Myths About Hospicare

Patient Frank Turek celebrates his birthday with Hospicare staff.
Patient Frank Turek celebrates his birthday in 2013 with Hospicare Home Health Aide Tina Jacintho (left) and Hospicare Nurse Connie O'Brien.
 
Many myths can keep people from choosing hospice services when they need them. Here are some of the most common misconceptions:
 
  • Myth #1: Hospice care is only for the last week of life. Patients benefit more from the wide range of team-based services Hospicare offers the longer they are on hospice service. Medicare and private insurance will pay for hospice services for those who, in the opinion of a medical doctor, have six months or less to live. Patients may find that once they come on Hospicare's services, the added support of our professional caregivers can help stabilize or alleviate some or all of their symptoms, giving them a higher quality of life.

  • Myth #2: Hospicare is a place. Hospicare offers care wherever the need exists--usually the patient's home, but also in hospitals, nursing homes and advanced care facilities. In fact, around 90 percent of Hospicare patients are cared for in their own homes or a care facility. Recognizing that some patients may live alone, or with family members unable to provide care, Hospicare also offers the Nina K. Miller Hospicare Residence in Ithaca where patients can safely receive around-the-clock care.

  • Myth #3: Hospicare will take away all medications. Our emphasis is on supportive comfort care, which often includes medications to ease pain, anxiety and other issues. When a patient comes on hospice services, the primary care nurse will review all current medications and consult with the patient's doctor and the Hospicare medical director to determine which medications are still appropriate and which may no longer be appropriate. If a patient wants to continue taking medications not related to their terminal diagnosis, they can discuss that with their primary nurse.
 
Hospice Foundation of Cortland County 
Four New Members Join Board 

photo of new board members
New Hospice Foundation of Cortland County board members (L to R) Dianne Higgins, Mary Robillard, Bill Hopkins and Bev Ryan
 
The Hospice Foundation of Cortland County recently welcomed four new members to its board of directors. They are Dianne Higgins, retired career banker and currently administrative assistant, Cortland County Chamber of Commerce; Mary Robillard, assistant vice president/branch manager, Tompkins Trust Company; Bill Hopkins, professor emeritus, Psychology, SUNY Cortland; and Bev Ryan, retired realtor and broker associate.
 
The Hospice Foundation exists solely to support hospice services in Cortland County and works with Hospicare to ensure that all those who need end-of-life services have the chance to choose hospice. The four new Board members say they are excited to be involved in the work.
 
"In the past, I have been a bereavement volunteer, and hospice services have played an integral role in my personal life as well," says Dianne. "I am grateful for this opportunity to serve on the Hospice Foundation Board; it is my way of 'giving-back.'"

"I decided to join the Hospice Foundation Board after my experience when a dear friend passed away," says Bill. "During my friend's last days, I became acquainted with Hospicare. I was mightily impressed, to say the least. I consider it an honor to work with such an effective and caring group."

Hospicare Volunteer Wins Award

photo of Emily Carroll Congratulations to Hospicare volunteer Emily Carroll, who has won the Tompkins Connect Fab5 Young Professional Award for Volunteer of the Year. Emily has volunteered with Hospicare for six years. As a certified massage therapist, Emily is one of two Hospicare volunteers who provide massages to our patients. Time and time again, patients have benefited from Emily's gift of gentle massage and her compassionate and caring touch. Thank you Emily for your donation of your time, talent and training!

Save the Dates! 
Held at the Nina K. Miller Hospicare Center
172 E. King Road, Ithaca, NY
  • Women Singin' (1st Tuesday of the month), 3/1, 4/5 5:30−7:00 PM
  • General Support Group for All Bereaved (1st & 3rd Wednesdays of the month), 3/2 & 3/16, 4/6 & 4/20, 5:30−7:00 PM
  • Monthly Bereaved Parents Group (1st Thursday of the month), 3/3, 4/7, 5:30−7:00 PM
  • Frontline's "Being Mortal" Viewing and discussion led by Hospicare staff and volunteers, Wednesday, 3/9, 6:00-8:00 PM
  • Volunteer Training (Wednesdays & Thursdays for three consecutive weeks) 4/6, 4/7, 4/13, 4/14, 4/20 & 4/21, 5:30-9:00 PM Participants must commit to all 6 sessions. A separate training will be held at the Cortland office.
Held at the Cortland Hospicare Office
11 Kennedy Parkway, Cortland, NY
  • Morning Support Group for All Bereaved (1st Tuesday of the month), 3/1, 4/5, 10:00−11:30 AM
  • Afternoon Support Group for All Bereaved (3rd Thursday of the month), 3/17, 4/21, Noon−1:30 PM
  • Evening Support Group for All Bereaved (2nd Wednesday of the month--group does not meet in March) 4/13, 5:30−7:00 PM
  • Volunteer Training (five consecutive Thursdays) 4/28, 5/5, 5/12, 5/19 and 5/26, Noon-4:00 PM. Participants must commit to all five sessions. A separate training will be held at the Ithaca office.
Held Offsite
  • Women Swimmin' Laps for Hospicare On-going March 1−August 13. Register to participate. In lieu of swimming across Cayuga Lake, you can swim in a pool of your choosing, wherever you wish, to raise money for Hospicare.
  • Managing Conflict/Finding Meaning: Supporting Families at Life's End Hospice Foundation of America teleconference, Tuesday, 3/15, 2:45-7:00 PM. This event will be held in the Borg Warner Room in the Tompkins County Public Library, 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. Some workshops and events require preregistration.
 
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

A New Vision for Dreams of the Dying
Those close to death often dream of their dead loved ones and other profound experiences. Now a team of researchers looks at what these dreams might mean.

Start-Ups Take Rites From the Funeral Home to the Family Home
A new trend for home funerals carried out by the deceased's loved ones is taking hold.

Why Doctors Choose to Die Differently
Modern medicine allows us to keep people alive in ways once thought impossible, but doctors have a different idea where to draw the line than the general public does.

The author reflects on her reaction when she was told her loved one was ready for hospice, and how she learned to accept the situation.

Not Just a Death, a System Failure
The author considers her mother's death in the hospital to have been cruel and looks for answers why so many Americans die in ways they don't want.

Website of Interest

What's Your Grief--Celebrating a Deceased Loved One's Birthday
What's Your Grief is devoted to exploring the many aspects of grief and includes practical, specific suggestions for moving forward. Whether to celebrate a deceased loved one's birthday and if so, how, is one aspect of grief many struggle with.
 
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. 

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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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