The Heart of Hospice Podcast: Recent Episodes
Hosted by Helen Bauer, BSN RN CHPN
The Heart of Hospice podcast is dedicated to helping personal and professional caregivers who are caring for someone with serious illness. We're here to provide information and education so people can make informed choices about end of life care.
Sociavi founder Paula Muller realized the need to keep her mother connected with all the activities of her family living internationally. That need planted the seed for the Sociavi device. #senioradult #cognitivedecline #dementiacaregiver
https://theheartofhospice.libsyn.com/sociavi-is-a-revolutionary-device-keeping-older-adults-connected
The name Sociavi comes from the Latin word “share” and “unite”, demonstrating their mission of keeping seniors and their families closer together despite cognitive decline. Certified in Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care, Paula used her knowledge of cognitive decline to design the features of the Sociavi device. She refers to it as a “picture frame”, avoiding a technology label that might be intimidating to users.
The Sociavi device fosters a feeling of accomplishment as well as keeping the user connected with family and friends. Through simple games and activities, the user has choices that are customized to someone who needs simplicity. It’s super easy to start using the device, no password or login required. Paula ensured the Sociavi device responds easily to touch and accommodates for hearing loss. The screens are clear, with only one activity displayed at one time. Photos and video calls are a wonderful additional feature. To place a video call, the user simply has to touch the photograph of whomever they want to call. The network is private and encrypted, so spam and robo calls are eliminated. Paula’s in-laws consider a video call a “visit” from a family member.
Users with cognitive decline can utilize many of the functions and games of the device. If the user is nonverbal, Sociavi features a communication board with icons that can be utilized to communicate needs and thoughts. There are also alarms that serve as reminders for medications or tasks, keeping the administrator of the device notified of whether their loved one has turned the alarm off. The only things needed in the home for the Sociavi device are power and internet connectivity. Simple set up, simple to use, Sociavi is a great device for any adult with cognitive decline, helping them to stay active mentally and connected with loved ones.
Find out more details about the Sociavi device at sociavi.com.
Read more about the Brain Fitness functions of Sociavi here.
Purchase a Sociavi device for someone you love by clicking here.
Looking for a copy of the Odonata Care Plan? Click here to purchase it for yourself or your care agency.
NEW - the Odonata Care Plan is now available in SPANISH - purchase it here!!**
Check out the free Care Video tutorials from Odonata founders and hospice nurses Nancy Heyerman and Brenda Kizzire here.
Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice at The Heart of Hospice Podcast (theheartofhospice.com)
Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.
Follow The Heart of Hospice on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Connect with The Heart of Hospice podcast on The Whole Care Network, along with a host of other caregiving podcasts by clicking here.
Today’s guest is Sarah Turner, CEO and founder of My Modern Tribute. They’re writing life tributes that provide opportunities to celebrate and honor a life while we’re still alive.
Over the years, Sarah learned that we all have stories to share. We’re all interconnected by a shared human story. Sarah believes that everyone deserves a space to express their feelings, and understands the importance of empathy and warmth.
My Modern Tribute offers writing services for anyone looking to have a written tribute, featuring any information about their lives that clients want to share. Achievements, impact, adventures, and experiences - a Tribute captures all the history of a life.
Partnering with My Modern Tribute is an easy process. Each My Modern Tribute client completes the Tribute Questionnaire. This consists of 10 questions to gather the nuts and bolts of your life. My Modern Tribute will then assign you to a writer that best matches your personality and coordinate a date and time for your client interview. The assigned writer connects with you over Zoom or by phone for an interview. The first draft of your Tribute is emailed to you within 10 business days. Up to two edits are offered before the final draft is sent. The final draft is the client’s sole property to do with as you wish.
Clients can share a Tribute, keep it for themselves, or use it as a personalized eulogy during a funeral or memorial service. It’s entirely up to the client to decide how to use it.
Through My Modern Tribute, Sarah harnessed her life experiences and her passion for people to create an invaluable service to clients while providing fulfilling work to professional writers. My Modern Tribute is helping others explore their mortality.
Partner with My Modern Tribute to have your tribute writing at mymoderntribute.com.
Looking for a copy of the Odonata Care Plan? Click here to purchase it for yourself or your care agency.
Check out the free Care Video tutorials from Odonata founders and hospice nurses Nancy Heyerman and Brenda Kizzire here.
Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice at The Heart of Hospice Podcast (theheartofhospice.com)
Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.
Follow The Heart of Hospice on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Connect with The Heart of Hospice podcast on The Whole Care Network, along with a host of other caregiving podcasts by clicking here.
Melanie McMillion has found meaning in her decades working as a hospice counselor and community educator. Melanie is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, and has worn a lot of hats as a hospice worker. She worked as the Director of Psychosocial Services, leading a 45-person interdisciplinary team of social workers, counselors, and spiritual care counselors to coordinate psychosocial, spiritual, and bereavement services. As a hospice worker, she was an advocate for her team. Educating her community became Melanie’s focus later in her career. Her work in hospice gave Melanie an understanding of how compassion fatigue affects each member of the team. The unique structure of a hospice team enables each member to support the others to combat the effects of compassion fatigue. Melanie has found meaning in the decades she has spent working in hospice care.
Find all the services and products Odonata Care offers at thecareplan.net.
Order your copies of The Care Plan here.
Check out the free video tutorials from Nancy Heyerman and Brenda Kizzire here.
Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice at The Heart of Hospice Podcast (theheartofhospice.com)
Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.
Follow The Heart of Hospice on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Connect with The Heart of Hospice podcast on The Whole Care Network, along with a host of other caregiving podcasts by clicking here.
The Legacy Letters Journal is a passion project that created meaning for Kera Sanchez after losing her mom.
Here’s how Kera describes the mission of the Journal. “This guided journal is designed to help individuals create a personal legacy for their loved ones to cherish after their time is up. The journal prompts users to reflect on their life experiences, values, and beliefs, and to record these thoughts and memories in writing.”
The Legacy Letters Journal contains thoughtful prompts to help the writer record messages to loved ones to be read at life milestones, like weddings and graduations. It doesn’t have to be completed at one sitting - it might be overwhelming, and our perspectives change as we experience life. Some of the prompts might not be appropriate for every writer, either. It’s ok to write only in the topics that speak to you. It’s a great way to leave a legacy and tell your stories.
As Kera says - write that love down.
Read more about Kera Sanchez and how she created the Legacy Letters Journal at legacylettersjournal.com.
Find Legacy Letters Journal on Instagram and Facebook.
Buy your copy of the Legacy Letters Journal on Amazon.
Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice at The Heart of Hospice Podcast (theheartofhospice.com)
Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.
Hospice nurse and EOL doula Gabrielle “Gabby” Jimenez of The Hospice Heart talks about navigating a complicated death, managing grief, and finding your way through the most difficult losses. As an end of life doula, nurse, educator, and author, Gabby has guided many families. She says "Meet them where they are, not where we want them to be". End of life workers strive to support the patient and caregivers in the ways they need during what can be a confusing time. Fear, family dynamics, and grief complicate the situation. Gabby teaches that every griever goes through grief in a different way. It’s important that we allow each other to grieve in their own way. When we can only see our own grief, we need to stop for a minute and remember we’re all going through the same thing.
Concerns about medications are often a big issue for caregivers during end of life care. Pain and symptom management is an important part of hospice. Gabby teaches that disease is what the patient is dying from, and the meds are brought in to manage symptoms - not to end the life. Hospice workers are there to validate the concerns of the caregiver, to educate them, and to understand the caregiver’s perspective.
You can connect with Gabby Jimenez on The Hospice Heart Facebook Page and her website, thehospiceheart.net.
Register for Gabby’s Hospice Master Class here. Find her other classes at thehospiceheart.net.
Gabby Jimenez has wonderful books to guide anyone needing information about death and dying - purchase your copies here.
Soft Landing
What Would Gabby Say?
The Hospice Heart
At The Bedside
And her newest book - End of Life Tips
Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.
Follow The Heart of Hospice on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Chris Magliocca of National HME knows providing medical equipment for hospice patients is all about service, empathy and quality of life. Part of the service provided by hospice care is what’s called DME, Durable Medical Equipment. DME includes items like wheelchairs, walkers, canes, oxygen, hospital beds, Hoyer lifts, bath equipment, and other pieces of equipment. While DME is 10% of the internal cost of a hospice patient for the agency, it means so much more to the patient and caregiver. Patients at end of life have access to any or all of the equipment the agency covers, depending on what’s needed. Medical equipment companies furnish that equipment so patients and caregivers have enhanced quality of life, stay safe, and are as mobile as possible. Chris had his first experience with hospice when his grandfather was terminally ill. He was fascinated by the service and equipment. After serving in the military, he started working with an HME company. Chris has worked his way up through National HME, starting as a delivery technician. He now serves as Senior Vice President of Business Development. Chris knows empathy training is critical to maintaining high quality care when providing equipment for seriously ill and dying patients.
If your hospice agency is interested in partnering with National HME, connect with them at nationalhme.com.
Connect with National HME on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.
Follow The Heart of Hospice on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Connect with The Heart of Hospice podcast on The Whole Care Network, along with a host of other caregiving podcasts by clicking here.
Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice at The Heart of Hospice Podcast (theheartofhospice.com)
GrandPad founders Scott and Isaac Lien recognize how important it is to make older senior adults feel confident and stay connected. Scott’s 80-year old mom was easily frustrated by technology, sharing with him that she felt stupid trying to use online video chat and social media sites. The father and son team founded a company and created a device that provides a myriad of ways to support older adults. While the tech might be designed by 20-somethings, the designs of GrandPad are tested and approved by GrandPad’s group of senior advisors.
It’s more than a product. Scott and Isaac foster a culture of empathy at Grandpad. Each staff member at GrandPad is required to have a GrandPad user in their lives, and to stay connected with them. The importance of relationships between different age groups is at the heart of their work.
New features on the GrandPad include multiplayer games, health monitoring, and telehealth partnering with medical providers. One great new feature is the Moods app, which provides calming scenes and music to promote sleep and relaxation.
A GrandPad subscription comes with its own 4G LTE, so the device doesn’t need wifi. Additional features include 24/7, one-on-one support from a live person and a secure network of connections that shields the user from scammers. GrandPad was born from the idea that older adults need to stay safely connected with loved ones. The device has security and privacy features that don't come with other devices.
Get a GrandPad for someone you love at grandpad.net.
Talk with the team about partnering your healthcare organization or facility with GrandPad at grandpad.biz.
Participate in a free webinar and get 10% off your subscription by clicking here.
Read about GrandPad’s team of GrandAdvisors here.
Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.
Follow The Heart of Hospice on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Connect with The Heart of Hospice podcast on The Whole Care Network and other caregiving podcasts by clicking here.
Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice at The Heart of Hospice Podcast (theheartofhospice.com).
The death of Leilani Maxera’s grandmother changed her, propelling her into a career path she hadn’t predicted. Now she’s a social worker, a home funeral advocate, and a grief worker supporting families who have experienced Medical Aid in Dying.
Hospice was never offered to her grandmother, and this made Leilani an outspoken advocate for advance care planning and end of life care. She’s also a spokesperson for home funerals, and sits on the board of the National Home Funeral Alliance. Leilani provides capacity evaluations for people who are considering Medical Aid in Dying. Those evaluations are required by the state of Hawaii as part of the MAID process. She’s working to correct the misinformation out there about MAID and to reduce the stigma attached to a MAID death.
As the owner of Kaipuokaualoku in Hawaii, Leilani provides individual counseling, grief counseling, and grief support for individuals who have experienced Medical Aid in Dying with a loved one. A safe, nonjudgmental space to talk is important for someone who’s had a MAID loss.
Read more about Leilani and the services that she offers at Kaipuokaualoku at leilanimaxera.com.
Find information about Leilani’s Medical Aid in Dying Bereavement group here.
Connect with the National Home Funeral Alliance at homefuneralalliance.org.
Get your copy of the NHFA Home Funeral Guidebook (available on a pay-what-you-can basis) by clicking here.
Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.
Follow The Heart of Hospice on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Connect with The Heart of Hospice podcast on The Whole Care Network, along with a host of other caregiving podcasts by clicking here.
Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice at The Heart of Hospice Podcast (theheartofhospice.com)
Hospice physician and podcaster Jordan Grumet is sharing how his work with hospice patients creates deep conversations about end of life planning, money, and life. Dr. Grumet is currently an associate medical director at Journeycare Hospice. After years of blogging about financial independence and wellness, Jordan launched the Earn & Invest podcast in 2018. In 2019 he received the Plutus Award for Best New Personal Finance Podcast and was nominated in 2020 for Best Personal Finance Podcast of the year.
Jordan believes in having end of life conversations early and often. He’s seen the positive influence of those conversations in the lives and deaths of his patients. After losing his dad at an early age, Jordan noticed people didn’t know how to be with him and his family, or what to say to them. Jordan wanted the medical care he provided to align with the end of life wishes of his patients, so he joined a hospice interdisciplinary team. He considers his real job to be supporting his fellow team members as they provide the moment-to-moment, bedside care.
Jordan endorses including financial discussions when we’re having conversations about healthcare needs in later life and when we’re approaching death. Caregivers are often dealing with money issues as well as the typical challenges of being a caregiver. Jordan’s podcast Earn and Invest deals with topics like focusing on retirement and determining the things that matter most.
You can win a copy of Jordan Grumet’s book Taking Stock: A Hospice Doctor’s Advice on Financial Independence, Building Wealth, and Living a Regret-Free Life! Here’s how: 1. Leave a review for The Heart of Hospice podcast on Apple podcasts. 2. Just scroll down to the bottom of our show page, select a star rating, and tap "Leave a Review". 3. Send an email to host@theheartofhospice to let us know you left a review. 4. If you’re one of the first 5 people to leave a review, you’ll receive a copy of Jordan’s book. 5. You’ll be notified by email that you’ve won, and we’ll ask for a mailing address. 6. We’ll mail the book to you - enjoy!!
Purchase a copy of Dr. Grumet’s book Taking Stock: A Hospice Doctor’s Advice on Financial Independence, Building Wealth, and Living a Regret-Free Life.
Amazon Barnes and Noble Bookshop BAM
Listen to Jordan Grumet’s podcast Earn and Invest here.
Visit Jordan’s website at jordangrumet.com.
Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.
Follow The Heart of Hospice on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Connect with The Heart of Hospice podcast on The Whole Care Network, along with a host of other caregiving podcasts by clicking here.
Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice at The Heart of Hospice Podcast (theheartofhospice.com)
Sue Ryan has been walking a caregiver’s journey for 40 years. Now she’s teaching others how to thrive while caring for a loved one. Sue is the founder/owner of Sue Ryan Solutions, a company that offers guidance for non-professional caregivers, helping them to be confident. Caring for various loved ones through the years and now caring for her husband has taught Sue deeply valuable lessons about thriving while providing care. She knows what it’s like to be isolated, scared, and acting blindly. Since those early experiences, Sue has learned caregiver coping and hacks that she now shares with others through Sue Ryan Solutions. Her TEDx Wilmington talk “Ultimate Freedom - Unlocking the Power of Choice” is about massive acceptance and radical presence and what they allow you to do in your life. Sue believes it’s about not judging, so we’re open to potential and possibilities.
Visit Sue Ryan solutions at sueryan.solutions.
Book a Complimentary session with Sue here.
Join the Caregiver’s Journey Online Course here.
Access Sue Ryan’s caregiver resources by clicking here.
Watch Sue’s TEDx Talk here.
Connect with Sue on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.
Follow The Heart of Hospice on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Connect with The Heart of Hospice podcast on The Whole Care Network, along with a host of other caregiving podcasts by clicking here.
Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice at The Heart of Hospice Podcast (theheartofhospice.com)
Mi Alma is helping grievers by bringing together friends, family, and coworkers to provide the help they need most. Co-founders Jordan and Scott Arogeti realized we’re not very good at supporting grievers. They’ve created a place that provides opportunities to record legacies through photos, videos, and memory sharing. It was important to Jordan and Scott that Mi Alma’s services provide a sense of intergenerational connection.
Mi Alma was also created with the purpose of making loss feel less lonely. Mi Alma’s Support Registry includes:
- Funds: Crowdsource support for medical bills, funeral costs, and more.
- Food: Direct supporters toward Mealtrain, meals, and grocery needs.
- Volunteer: Organize lists of volunteers for tasks, to-dos, and in-person help.
- Memories: Collect pictures and stories in one place
Mi Alma’s site provides one-stop shopping, allowing users to offer whatever support they’re able to give according to the specific needs of those who are grieving. In a time when we’re distanced and unsure of what to do when there’s a loss, Mi Alma offers grievers a place to communicate their customized needs. That includes meals, volunteer needs, financial assistance, and the sharing of memories. They’re supporting grievers by leading with empathy. Jordan’s Big Pop would be so proud.
Connect with Mi Alma’s services at mialma.com.
Start a Support Registry at Mi Alma by clicking here.
Find more grief resources at Mi Alma.
Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.
Follow The Heart of Hospice on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Connect with The Heart of Hospice podcast on The Whole Care Network and other caregiving podcasts by clicking here.
Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice at The Heart of Hospice Podcast (theheartofhospice.com)
Physician Dr. Ira Byock is a voice for change in the hospice industry, and an advocate for quality end of life care. His many years of experience in hospice medicine, coupled with the compassion he has for people dealing with serious illness, have made him an industry leader in the U.S. According to his website (irabyock.org), he is “Founder of the Institute for Human Caring at Providence St. Joseph Health. Dr. Byock is Active Professor Emeritus of Medicine and Community & Family Medicine at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. He served as Director of Palliative Medicine at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire from 2003 through July 2013. Dr. Byock has been involved in hospice and palliative care since 1978. His research has contributed to conceptual frameworks for the lived experience of illness that encompasses a continuum from suffering to wellbeing; related measures for subjective quality of life during illness; and effective life-completion counseling methods. From 1996 to 2006 he directed Promoting Excellence in End-of-Life Care, a national Robert Wood Johnson Foundation program that developed prototypes for concurrent palliative care of people with life-threatening conditions. He is a past president of the Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.”
What Dr. Byock’s bio doesn’t describe is his caring heart. It drives his dedication to identifying the issues we face in the hospice industry and offering evidence-based, practical solutions. He wants the hospice silo of healthcare to correct its own path. Dr. Byock believes hospice can heal its own dysfunction by holding providers and clinicians responsible for the care we provide and how we provide it. His articles in STAT magazine and the Journal of Palliative Medicine describe actionable, practical solutions. Hospice practitioners of every discipline can learn from Dr. Byock.
Connect with Dr. Byock at irabyock.org.
Find and purchase Dr. Byock’s books, including The Four Things That Matter Most, by clicking here.
Read Dr. Byock’s STAT article Hospice Care Needs Saving here.
Read Dr. Byock’s article Core Roles and Responsibilities of Physicians in Hospice Care: A Statement by and for U.S. Hospice and Palliative Care Physicians by clickinghere. 28 Apr 2023https://doi.org/10.1089/jpm.2023.0194
Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.
Follow The Heart of Hospice on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Connect with The Heart of Hospice podcast on The Whole Care Network and other caregiving podcasts by clicking here.
Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice at The Heart of Hospice Podcast (theheartofhospice.com)