An Interview with Gulf Coast Executive Director David Slaughter “We want our patients to have the best quality of life no matter what the quantity is,” said David Slaughter, Executive Director of Heart to Heart Hospice in the Texas Gulf Coast…
Pet Therapy Provides Comfort and Delight for Hospice Patients “Dogs do speak, but only to those who know how to listen.” —Author Orhan Pamuk, My Name Is Red There’s no denying the special bond between people and their pets, who provide happiness, comfort, and companionship. The same is true for…
Visiting a loved one on hospice care can be a scary thing. You don’t know what to say. You are dealing with your own grief. You’re afraid you’ll make your dying loved one and their caregivers feel even more emotional. So you procrastinate or avoid a visit altogether. But in…
Nanci Phillips has been called an “angel” more than once during her time as a nurse with Heart to Heart Hospice in Texas’s Permian Basin region. She humbly sidesteps the compliment, saying she’s simply doing her job. But the job of a hospice nurse requires much more than medical knowledge…
What happens when a hospice professional becomes a family caregiver? Hospice employees — whether a nurse, aide, or spiritual care coordinator — are accustomed to walking through the dying process with terminally ill patients and their families. But when it’s your own loved one, the importance of compassionate hospice care…
Grief can be confusing, especially to a child. As a parent or close adult walking alongside a child grieving the death of a loved one, the goal isn’t to avoid sadness but to help them process it in a healthy way. For young children, the permanency of death is difficult…
I wish I would’ve asked… “What’s your favorite memory with me?” “What do you want us to remember about you?” “What do you want me to tell your son or daughter?” “That hurt then, but I forgive you.” After a prolonged illness and months of hospice care followed by the…
The essential work of caring for hospice patients didn’t stop during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, two years later, “pandemic fatigue” still lingers for hospice workers, patients, and family caregivers. Even at the height of the pandemic in 2020, employees at Heart to Heart Hospice continued to provide…
Grief has many layers when a relationship is healthy, but even more so when you have a complicated relationship with the person who died, such as an absent or abusive parent, a sibling who caused constant conflict in the family, or an unloving spouse. When someone was the source of…
Requesting hospice services can be difficult for families, the terminally ill, and their health care providers. Medical requirements, countless unknowns, and the emotional implications often cause patients and caregivers to wait too long to utilize the full benefits of hospice care. According to a 2021 report by the National Hospice…
How to Meaningfully Say Goodbye If your loved one in hospice care becomes nonverbal and unresponsive, it’s easy to believe the misconception that they can’t hear you. A recent study, however, reveals that hearing is the last sense that remains for dying patients. With this in mind, Heart to Heart…
Five Ways to Get through the Holidays after Loss: Bereavement Support after Hospice Care “Grief is in two parts. The first is loss. The second is the remaking of life.” -Anne Roiphe, Author After the death of a loved one, especially one you’ve cared for during their hospice journey, the…
Caregiving During the Holidays: Reduce Stress for a Memorable Last Christmas While the Christmas season ushers in joyful traditions, the needs of your loved one with end-stage illness don’t take a holiday. Grief is normal as you navigate holidays that look different than years past. As a caregiver for someone…
Many terminally ill patients wish to spend their final months or weeks at home surrounded by loved ones instead of in the hospital. Hospice care helps make that possible with resources and a support team available at many different stages. Understanding these levels of hospice care helps families know support…
Chaplain’s Role in End-of-Life Care: Offering Emotional and Spiritual Support Chaplains or spiritual care coordinators are an essential part of your hospice team. During this tender time, patients and families are reflective of their lives and seeking comfort and hope. “A human is fundamentally a spiritual being dressed in a…
You’re never truly ready to let a loved one go, even if they’ve suffered a long-term illness that has caused a slow decline in health. And as a caregiver for someone approaching death, the release can be even more painful. You’ve created routines to make them comfortable. You’ve shared quiet…
There is no manual when it comes to saying good-bye to a loved one. Heart to Heart Hospice wants to partner with caregivers to help answer your frequent questions, while providing comfort, support and dignity for end-of-life care. Our new Caregiver’s Corner blog series will compassionately address your concerns and…
Caring for a patient with a terminal illness is difficult enough for families, and involving hospice care means creating a support system for medical, emotional, spiritual, psychosocial and practical needs. One of the most frequent questions we receive is “How do I know if my loved one qualifies for hospice…
Heart to Heart Hospice Criteria for Hospice Care In 2018, over 1.5 million individuals with Medicare coverage received hospice care. This large number does not reflect hospice care recipients with alternative health care coverage. If you or a loved one are living with a life-threatening condition, you may be wondering…
What Does Hospice Provide? It's a question that fewer Americans know the answer to than we might expect. That isn't to say it should be surprising; Americans often have a hard time discussing life-limiting illnesses and their treatment. If you are considering hospice care for a loved one or just…
There are many misconceptions about hospice. We want you to know the facts about hospice care and all the benefits it provides for patients and their families. Myth: Hospice is a place. Fact: Hospice care is a service that can be provided anywhere the patient calls home. Our trained, compassionate…
When deciding whether to continue cancer treatment, the American Cancer Society recommends, “at some point you may need to consider that further treatment is not likely to improve your health or change your outcome or survival. At the same time, it might have side effects that could affect your quality…
Do you know the difference between Home Health Care and Hospice Care? Goal of Home Health Care: Curative/Rehabilitation for the patient Eligibility Requirements: Physician certifies that the patient is in need of intermittent skilled nursing or therapy: The patient’s condition is expected to improve in a reasonable period of time. …