HopeHealth Blog
Stories of courage, compassion, hope, healing and support from our experts, caregivers, patients, families and loved ones.
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“Dear Veteran”: A letter-writing campaign reaches veterans at the end of life
Student volunteers from Brown University have been sending thank-you letters to veterans at HopeHealth. Here’s what the letters mean to veterans, and to the students who write them.
On the road with a home care physical therapist
Home care physical therapy meets patients in the intimacy of home, tackling the specific challenges of the environment where they live. A physical therapist shares what it’s like.
Knocking on doors: How a silent monk became a hospice chaplain
Denis Lynch was a silent monk for 16 years. Today, he’s a hospice chaplain. Here’s how his path led to HopeHealth, and the lessons along the way.
7 common myths about palliative care
If you’re living with serious illness, palliative care can transform your life. But due to common myths, not enough patients understand how. Here’s what palliative care is — and isn’t.
Full circle: The inspiring journey of a volunteer turned patient
Over 12 years, volunteer Nancy Reiser shared many gifts with patients and families: compassion, a generous spirit, boundless energy. At the end of life, she made a final gift that will last forever.
Activities to prepare your child for the death of a loved one
Kids with a parent, sibling or loved one on hospice need help coping with anticipatory grief, and preparing for what’s ahead. These activities can help.
A matter of wellness: Why health workers need a Professional Pause
Healthcare work is a special calling, with unique emotional demands. To support employees, HopeHealth launched Professional Pause. These monthly “well-being debriefings” use a simple, powerful technique to prevent burnout.
In the halls of Hulitar: An inpatient hospice nurse opens up
An inpatient hospice nurse opens up about his experiences at Hulitar Hospice Center, and what it means for patients and their families spending their final moments together.
What to expect from hospice care? A South County volunteer tells her story
Joy, comfort, connection: In 10 years as a HopeHealth volunteer, Dace Krasts of South County, RI, has seen the many sides of hospice care.
Connected, even after death: Where to put your love when you’ve lost someone special
When you’ve lost someone special, your love for them continues. Where can you put that love? A grief expert shares ways to heal and feel connected after a death.
How to plan meaningful activities for someone living with dementia
If your loved one is living with dementia, meaningful activities can help them feel connected, engaged and valued. Here are tips and ideas to get you started.
South County spotlight: After personal loss, a grief counselor finds her calling
When Marsha Ireland was 36, she lost her husband and the father of her young children. In the wake of that loss, she found her calling as a grief counselor.
From a dementia caregiver: 3 lessons that changed everything
Caring for a loved one with dementia can often feel isolating – but you’re not alone. A dementia caregiver shares his top three pieces of advice, one caregiver to another.
5 case studies: When is it time for palliative care versus hospice?
Many patients with life-limiting illnesses can receive a palliative care consultation even if they aren’t ready for hospice. Understand how palliative care and hospice are similar yet different.
Teaching from the heart: A conversation with HopeHealth’s educators
HopeHealth’s community educators aren’t just experts in serious illness. They have a personal stake in the courses they teach. Read about three of them, and the education they lead.
What is pediatric hospice care, and how is it different for kids?
When a child is facing serious illness, they need a special approach to care – and their family does too. Pediatric hospice is here to help.
Music therapist eases pain for children in palliative care
A music therapist who can play 30 instruments helps comfort children with life-threatening illnesses through HopeHealth’s palliative care program.
How to be present with a loved one at the end of life
When your loved one is nearing the end of life, here are tips for what to say and do – and how to simply be present with them.
“I feel the same way”: The power of caregiver support groups
Taking care of yourself is the most important thing you can do as a caregiver. Caregiver support groups offer community, understanding and advice from people who’ve been there.
With volunteer’s help, hospice patient shares her legacy
Hospice volunteers share their unique gifts and personal touch to make a difference for patients. For Erin Hazlett and 96-year-old Ruth Rotenberg, simple companionship turned into a legacy project.
This can help when a loved one won’t eat or drink at end of life
Here’s what you should know when your loved one no longer wants to eat or drink while receiving hospice care.
Peer debriefing: We now pause to support each other
A new initiative brings HopeHealth clinical care teams together to talk about difficult cases they are encountering and to support each other.
What hospice care can do for advanced cardiac patients
Hospice care helps patients with heart failure avoid trips to the emergency room. Learn how this Medicare-covered benefit helps provide an extra layer of support to improve quality of life for people with advanced cardiac disease.
Sharing love after loss: Widower writes book to help his grandchildren with grief
Guy Marini was inspired by what he learned from participating in a HopeHealth grief support group. So he wrote a children’s book about grief to honor his late wife’s memory and comfort his two grandchildren.
Starting hospice care: What families coping with dementia should know
HopeHealth’s Circle of Love Dementia Care offers specialized care and resources for hospice patients with dementia and their families. Here’s what families should know about how and when a loved one is ready for hospice.
