July 2016 News & Events
Residence Kitchen Remodeling, Update Finished

photo of new remodeled kitchen
 
Twenty years ago the Nina K. Miller Hospicare Center Residence was created as a home-away-from-home for our patients, their family members and friends. The kitchen is often said to be the heart of any home, and that is certainly true in our Residence.

Our kitchen is a bustling space, but as our staff has grown and the needs of our patients, their families and our community have changed, the demands put on our kitchen facilities have also changed. Hospicare volunteer Virginia Spiers came to us in 2015 with an idea and passion to update and improve the functionality of our Residence Kitchen. 

Virginia began an online and in-person fundraising campaign to raise the funds necessary to do this work . . .

Read more about the remodeling of our Residence kitchen.

If you'd like to help us fill our cupboards with new dishes and culinary items, check out our kitchen wish list on Amazon. 
  
Women Swimmin' Needs Volunteer Boaters    
 
Are you an experienced boater? Would you like to use your boating skills to support Hospicare? Women Swimmin' still needs volunteer boaters to escort swimmers across Cayuga Lake during the 13th Annual Women Swimmin' on August 13. Boaters need to be experienced in open water and comfortable in choppy or windy conditions.

For more information on volunteering as a boater with Women Swimmin' check out womenswimmin.com.

BJ Miller: What Really Matters at the End of Life         

 
At the end of our lives, what do we most wish for? For many, it's simply comfort, respect, love. BJ Miller is a palliative care physician at Zen Hospice Project who thinks deeply about how to create a dignified, graceful end of life for his patients.

Miller himself faced a great life-threatening and life-changing experience as an undergrad when he lost three limbs when he touched an electrical wire. He later became a physician and went into hospice work. In this TED talk he explores how we as a society can redesign the way we die.
  
Dale Johnson Becomes New President of Ithaca Rotary          
photo of Dale Johnson  
On June 29, Hospicare Executive Director Dale Johnson was installed as the new president of the Ithaca Rotary Club. In recognition of his presidency, members of Ithaca Rotary gave of their time, talent and money in support of Hospicare in June.

In early June, they helped us prepare for Illuminations by assembling the luminarias that are central to our community memorial event. They also donated a wide range of items from our wish list. Finally, the club gave a monetary donation to Hospicare in honor of their outgoing leadership team.

We thank Ithaca Rotary Club for their generous support and we wish Dale a successful presidency.
 
Throughout July
Maguire Supports Women Swimmin' Through Community Oil Change Fundraiser     

Maguire Family of Dealerships has designated Women Swimmin' as the recipient of their "Community Oil Change" fundraiser. Hospicare will receive 10% of the proceeds from all oil changes at Maguire dealerships for the month of July. If you have a make of car serviced by Maguire, you can take part in this special charity promotion, regardless of whether you bought the car from Maguire. We thank Maguire for their sponsorship and enthusiastic support of Women Swimmin'.

Save the Dates! 
Held at the Nina K. Miller Hospicare Center
172 E. King Road, Ithaca, NY
  • Women Singin' (1st Tuesday of the month), 7/5, 8/2, 5:30−7:00 PM
  • General Support Group for All Bereaved (1st & 3rd Wednesdays of the month), 7/6 & 7/20, 8/3 & 8/17, 5:30−7:00 PM
  • Monthly Bereaved Parents Group 1st Thursday of the month--July meeting moved to the second Thursday of the month), 7/14, 8/4, 5:30-7:30
Held at the Cortland Hospicare Office
11 Kennedy Parkway, Cortland, NY
  • Morning Support Group for All Bereaved (1st Tuesday of the month), 7/5, 8/2, 10:00−11:30 AM
  • Afternoon Support Group for All Bereaved (3rd Thursday of the month), 7/21, 8/18, Noon−1:30 PM
  • Evening Support Group for All Bereaved (2nd Wednesday of the month) 7/13, 8/10, 5:30−7:00 PM
Held Offsite
  • Women Swimmin' Laps for Hospicare Ongoing March 1−August 13. Register online 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.
  • Women Swimmin' 2016 Saturday, 8/13. Begins at sunrise.
  • Hospice Foundation of Cortland County Recognition Dinner Thursday, 9/8, 5:00 PM. Mark your calendar! More information coming soon.
  • Sandra Lipsitz Bem Lecture Thursday, 9/22. Mark your calendar! More information coming soon.
  • Annual Hospicare Recognition Luncheon Thursday, 10/6. Mark your calendar! More information coming soon.
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.

Women Swimmin' Is August 13.

 Support a Swimmer Now! 

In the News

Ellen Goodman: The Comfort of a Humane, Caring End of Life
Is the death-with-dignity controversy missing the real issue: How can we have a good death without taking a prescription drug to end our lives?

When a Patient Nears the End, a Feared Therapy Can Also Comfort
Morphine has been getting a lot of bad press lately, but when a patient is near the end, morphine can ease many of the most distressing symptoms of terminal illness.

Patient Wishes Are Tough to See in Electronic Health Records
Even when their health care directive forms are filled out, patients are subjected to unwanted treatments because healthcare providers can't find the forms in the patients' electronic health records.

Even when patients state their wish to die at home, there may not be enough practical support available to allow them to remain in their homes all the way until the end.

It's Time to Train All Doctors on How to Talk to Patients About End-of-Life Care
A palliative care doctor explores the reasons why her dying neighbor asked her for help when his doctors kept offering more aggressive treatment options rather than the comfort care he wanted.

Website of Interest

Your Tribute: Funeral Songs
Choosing the right funeral songs can be difficult. This website features helpful song suggestions
appropriate for all types of funerals.

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.
Quick Links  

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info@hospicare.org

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