The Monthly Membership Publication of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization October 2013

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Inside

A Message From Don

Member News

Compliance Tip

Videos Worth Watching

News From NHF

Creating a Professional Paradise

The Wired Volunteer CoordinatorThere are real advantages of using electronic communications to engage and educate your organization’s volunteers, but there are a few disadvantages too. This article will help you make wise use of these tools.

Social Media Campaign to Dispel the MythsIn support of World Hospice and Palliative Care Day, NHPCO will launch a social media campaign on October 12 to help dispel some of the myths about hospice care that still exist today. Take a closer look at the campaign — and consider using the same messaging in your social media for even greater impact.

Helping Staff Feel Better — On and Off the JobWhile many staff are shouldering greater demands these days, some organizations are lending support in a range of creative ways. Five hospices share what is working for them — from sponsoring festive ‘Fruity Fridays’ and monthly programs that nurture the spirit to wellness benefits that reward healthy activities.

By Vicki Hess, RN, MS, CSP

I s it really possible to find a state of “paradise” or “bliss” at work when everything seems chaotic around you? Absolutely! In fact, now more than ever, Professional Paradise™ is alive and well.

Far more than a feel-good concept, Professional Paradise is a solid, business-altering paradigm that revolutionizes the way you feel and think about work, and therefore, how you perform. It is a state of mind where you are satisfied, energized and productive at work. This mindset leads to intentional behaviors and actions. Professional Paradise is about developing personal accountability for engagement, execution, results and job satisfaction. Are you ready to become chief paradise officer™ of your job?

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2 NHPCO NewsLine

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Creating It

Professional Paradise is created when you experience a series of workplace “WOWs” day-in and day-out. A WOW is something internal or external that creates a positive outcome, result or emotion. An external Wow might be a sincere “thank you” from a satisfied patient or family member. An example of an internal WOW is solving a difficult problem or creating a great new process. The more Wows you experience at work, the more time you spend in Professional Paradise.

On the opposite end of the Paradise continuum is Professional Prison. Like Professional Paradise, it is a mindset followed by actions. People end up in Professional Prison when they don’t manage the “POWs” they experience at work.

The opposite of a WOW, a POW is something internal or external that feels like a heavy blow — it is upsetting and leads to poor results or negative outcomes. An internal POW could be making a mistake that leads to extra work, while interdisciplinary team conflicts are an example

of an external POW. You might not always be able to control the POWs, but you can always control your response to them.

A key component of getting to — and staying in — Professional Paradise is transforming negative workplace experiences into positive ones. Or in other words, shifting your POWs to WOWs.

SHIFT is actually an acronym that describes a series of steps you can use to transform any POW to a WOW. It’s a proprietary technique from my first book (SHIFT to Professional Paradise: 5 Steps to Less Stress, More Energy & Remarkable Results at Work) that simplifies the process of changing ineffective, detrimental thought patterns and actions into positive, beneficial thought patterns, actions and habits.

SHIFT is much more than just positive thinking. It’s a way of looking at situations and events differently, and making the necessary adjustments to create better outcomes. The steps are designed to help you discover where there are disconnects and make deliberate changes to get back on track.

What does SHIFT stand for?

• Stop and breathe.

• Harness knee-jerk reactions.

• Identify and manage negative emotions.

• Find new options.

• Take one positive action.

For example, imagine that you’ve just experienced a POW, such as getting an email from a coworker that questions something you did (and your boss is copied). Now…

Stop and breath:

This first step is pretty straightforward. Notice that you’ve been hit with the POW and simply say to yourself, “stop!” When you think or say, “stop,” the messages that are firing throughout your brain are literally interrupted, allowing you to replace them with calmer, more rational thoughts.

Then take a deep cleansing breath and capture the benefits of deep breathing. This is exactly what you need when you’ve been hit with a POW. This step gives you the time you need to collect yourself.

S

H

I

F

T

S

The professional community will honor Galen at a service in Washington, DC on October 4 that will feature music by Mosaic Harmony Choir and this commemorative video.

To learn more about Galen’s contributions to the field, see the NHF website.

NHPCO NewsLine 3

A s I had shared in a statement to the membership in late August, NHPCO’s executive vice president, Galen Miller, PhD, died on

August 22, following a two-month battle with an acute bacterial infection.

His passing is a tremendous loss to the NHPCO family and to the entire hospice community, not only for his service to the organization, but also for his breadth of knowledge, his skills and insights, and his willingness to share these gifts for the greater good of others — never for personal gain or self-promotion.

These are my words, but not mine alone. This became clear as many of Galen’s friends and colleagues posted comments on the NHPCO website following his death, including individuals outside the hospice field whom he mentored as a secondary school teacher and university professor during his early career in Nebraska and California.

Now in the days following his death, I realize that he is continuing to teach us.

Certainly during my tenure at NHPCO, this is the organization’s first experience in dealing with the loss of an employee. With several of us on staff having worked in hospice for many years — including our vice president of professional development who was herself a bereavement counselor — I know we are in good hands. But as you well know, the grief journey can be a long and difficult one.

Galen’s death, and the bereavement work that will follow, is a valuable reminder to us of what you, our members, address each day, with great skill and compassion.

On behalf of the staff and board, let me extend our gratitude for your emails, your flowers, and donations of support. But most importantly, for the wonderful gift you provide as hospice professionals.

J. Donald Schumacher, PsyD President/CEO

He Continues to Teach Us Now

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4 NHPCO NewsLine

Harness harmful knee-jerk reactions:

In short, knee-jerk reactions are our automatic, unthinking responses to POWs. They can range from storming out of the room to becoming a shrinking violet and anything in between, such as raising your voice, complaining, sulking, talking fast, name calling, blaming others, and talking about people behind their back. Get the idea? The reaction is what you do in response to a POW. You don’t think about it, you simply react.

When harnessing your knee-jerk reactions, be sure to identify them and determine if they are helpful or harmful. The tricky part is getting out of your own way so you’re able to notice that the knee-jerk reaction is occurring. Everyone benefits when you harness your negative knee-jerk reactions — but you benefit the most.

Identify and manage negative emotions:

POWs always create negative emotions! You can probably imagine how, left unchecked, negative emotions can cause trouble in any number of work situations. The first part of “I” is to identify the negative emotions you’re experiencing. That means you have to make a conscious effort to notice where in your body you feel these emotions and then name them. Each of us experiences emotions differently, so the key is to know yourself.

The second part of this step is to manage the negative emotions. Once you know which emotions you’re dealing with, you can choose to break the pattern. This step is about learning how to flip the switch on your emotions (in a helpful way) to put you on the road from POW to WOW.

Find new options:

By “new,” I mean considering a fresh or different approach rather than the one you might typically use. This step puts you in a proactive position instead of a reactive one. When you take a few minutes to consider new options, you move closer to WOW and closer to Professional Paradise. Having a choice provides a feeling of being in control that most people appreciate. Being creative and thinking of a variety of options opens up possibilities that may have gone unnoticed in the past. For every POW you encounter, brainstorm and write down at least three to five new ways to handle the situation.

Take one positive action:

Once you’ve discovered new options, the final step is to choose at least one that feels right for the situation and implement it. This is the action part of SHIFT. It takes what was merely positive thinking and moves it toward reality.

H FI

T

Vicki to Speak at NHPCO’s Virtual Conference in November

Given the popularity of last year’s virtual conference, NHPCO is also holding one this year — on November 4 through 8 — on the important topic of “Loss, Grief and Bereavement: Helping Patients, Families and Communities.

As the closing plenary on November 8, Vicki will present on “Thriving in a ‘Do More With Less’ World: 5 Steps to Less Stress, More Energy and Remarkable Results.”

To learn more, visit the Conference webpage.

NHPCO NewsLine 5

For additional,

free resources, see

the Professional

Paradise website

Remember, thoughts alone rarely achieve anything. You must act if you want a better outcome. You can certainly choose to implement more than one option, but one is the minimum needed to create a true SHIFT. Which option will produce the best results? Which one will get you one step closer to less stress, more energy and remarkable results? Which one will create the biggest WOW?

That’s it! With these five easy steps, you can SHIFT any POW to a WOW. They will revolutionize your ability to get to and stay in Professional Paradise. Happily, you are the chief paradise officer of your job, and as such, you can create your own Professional Paradise no matter what’s going on around you.

Free Resources Online

If you want help remembering these SHIFT steps or want additional examples of how you can use SHIFT, visit ProfessionalParadise.com > Free Resources to download some helpful tools.

Vicki Hess is a certified speaking professional, trainer and consultant as well as the author of four books about employee engagement, including her most recent: 6 Shortcuts to Employee Engagement: Lead & Succeed in a Do-More-With-Less World. To learn more about Vicki, visit www.VickiHess.com.

MAKING WISE USE OF TODAY ’S EL EC TRONIC TOOL S

The WireVolunteer Coordinator

By Tasha Beauchamp, MSc

6 NHPCO NewsLine

W ho would have guessed, even just 10 years ago,

how pervasive the Internet would become in day-to-day life? Now, with smartphones in our pockets, for better or for worse, we are truly a wired society.

If you are a volunteer coordinator working in hospice, there are some real advantages of using electronic communications to engage and educate your organization’s volunteers.

On the plus side, you can reach many people inexpensively 24/7, without the hassles of playing phone tag. Given the relative ease of integrating photos, videos, and even music with your messaging, the information you are sharing can be presented in very engaging ways. And of course, without all that paper, it’s very “green.”

But there are some disadvantages too.

Not everyone is online. Seniors, for instance, are far less likely to use the Internet than younger age groups — and seniors often make up the bulk of your volunteers. And even if they are online, they may not see your message given spam filters, too many competing posts, and their periodic “mental health holidays” from Facebook. But more importantly, most electronic communications —be it email or the Internet — are not

protected enough to be HIPAA-compliant.

That said, whether you love or hate living in today’s wired society, electronic communications are here to stay. Given this reality, it’s worth looking at which methods can help you with recruitment, retention, training, and basic administrative tasks.

First, a Word About HIPAA

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) refers specifically to protecting sensitive medical data. Unlike those in other organizations, volunteer coordinators in the healthcare setting must pay special attention to HIPAA regulations.

Confidentiality of patient information is at the bedrock of good medical care. And in the digital age, we are presented with even more challenges because there are so many ways that protected health information can be compromised.

Most Breaches are UnintentionalWhen confidentiality is compromised in a digital context, it is usually a matter of negligence or simple human error. (Fortunately, hackers do not

There are so

many ways that

protected health

information can be

compromised

NHPCO NewsLine 7

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target medical records the way they target credit card numbers!)

Most security breaches actually occur as a result of a lost or stolen laptop.1 Still, the federal government is paying attention, and even looking at the “little guys” for signs of non-compliance.

A hospice in Idaho, for instance, received a $50,000 fine for a breach that compromised 441 patient records when an unencrypted laptop that contained protected medical information was stolen.2 From the government’s point of view, the issue was not that the laptop was stolen, but that the company had never done a risk analysis of its mobile equipment and did not have policies in place to protect the data against mobile device theft.

The Matter of PHIVolunteers rarely work with medical records directly. Still, they do have contact with “protected health information” or PHI. For instance, simply writing about a patient over an unprotected channel such as email or Facebook is a violation of HIPAA regulations.

So what exactly constitutes PHI? In addition to common sense items such as patient diagnoses and names, information that needs to be kept confidential is anything that is unique enough to lead to identification of a patient. This can be a phone number, a mailing address, or an email address. It also includes photos, videos, and other electronic data with unique imprinting, such as voice recordings. Even a medical record number is considered PHI because an unauthorized person could gain access to the decoding file and then confidentiality would be compromised.

If you are going to communicate with volunteers electronically (or you are doing so now), you must train them on what they can and cannot post, and on which platforms. For instance, regular email is verboten when it comes to discussing a patient, but a HIPAA-compliant, protected email channel may be okay. As a general rule, if you wouldn’t say it in the elevator, do not write it online — unless you have a HIPAA-secure channel approved by your IT department and legal counsel.

Getting Legal AdviceYou should consider consulting your organization’s attorney about an appropriate HIPAA policy for volunteers. You might also want to check the Social Media Governance Policy Database to see the social media policies of well-established entities, such as the Mayo Clinic, the Cleveland Clinic, and Kaiser Permanente.

Utilizing the Best of the Best

EmailFrom recruitment announcements to

monthly volunteer newsletters, email is probably the most accepted of the online media. According to 2013 demographic data from Pew Internet and American Life, with the exception of teenagers, email is used by 88 percent or more of all Internet users in all age groups.3 (Teens prefer to text instead; to them, email is “old school.”)

While email is generally well-received by adults who are online, the catch is that even in this day and age, not everyone uses it. Seniors (persons 65 and older) are the least likely, with only 26 to 52 percent reporting use of email during the previous

8 NHPCO NewsLine

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12 months. Boomers — who represent the vast majority of current caregivers and potentially your future volunteers — are more connected, with 71 percent using email. Roughly 68 percent of teens, ages 12 to 17, also report using email.4

E-newsletters are probably the most effective use of email. You can employ them to communicate regularly with existing volunteers on a variety of topics — from announcements of upcoming meetings to informative articles for training purposes and even poetry or other inspirational stories to lift their spirits and promote retention.

If your organization also produces an e-newsletter for donors, don’t overlook the volunteer recruitment opportunity it provides. Many of these individuals became donors because a loved one received the benefits of your hospice care, so they know firsthand how important your work is, and may even have had a very positive experience with a volunteer. They, in turn, could be your future volunteers.

To foster this potential relationship, ask the development department if you can contribute stories to the donor e-newsletter about volunteer projects, or perhaps highlight a particular

volunteer and his or her activities. (This also helps to build pride among your existing volunteers!) And when it’s time to recruit new volunteers, remember to also post announcements in the donor e-newsletter.

Some hospices also create an educational e-newsletter for family caregivers that is written jointly by development, outreach and the volunteer department. The majority of its content will focus on information that is helpful for family caregivers in the chronic, pre-hospice stage of elder care. (These folks will eventually become key hospice decision-makers as their loved ones’ condition deteriorates.) The balance of content will cover fundraisers, capital campaigns, volunteer projects, and profiles of specific volunteers.

By expanding the scope of the newsletter so it becomes a content marketing vehicle (i.e., providing educational information), you reach more people than would ordinarily be interested in a newsletter that was just about you and your organization. And since many of these family caregivers may one day become volunteers, you are investing in your future.

Beyond recruitment, your educational e-newsletters can also serve as valuable training

As a general rule,

if you wouldn’t say it

in the elevator, do not

write it online

NHPCO NewsLine 9

continued on next page

information, so consider giving your existing volunteers free subscriptions or easy access to them.

BloggingBlogs (aka web logs) are a type of online

publication that tends to be much more casual than a newsletter: the author “posts” an article which gets emailed to the blog’s subscribers. Blogs are more of a public diary entry and have the potential to educate and inspire, or prompt or provoke action.

Unlike an e-newsletter, however, which only allows for publication “out” to the audience, the readers of a blog have the ability to comment back, and to do so publicly. Specifically, anyone who reads the blog can make a comment on the page and read the comments left by others. It’s often the discussions that happen among readers in the comments section at the end of the blog post that really bring vitality to the topic.

Alive Hospice has one of the longest-running blogs in the hospice industry. As an early adopter of this technology, its staff has made masterful use of the medium:

• Volunteer coordinators write about volunteer projects (e.g., quilts, pet visitation, massage therapy)

• Specific volunteers are profiled or interviewed

• Volunteers themselves write about their experiences and share what they love about being a hospice volunteer.

• Photos and videos abound.

Creating a Volunteer Blog TeamA blog is well-suited to having multiple authors over the course of a month — and you very likely have volunteers who enjoy writing. So why not talk to the person in charge of your hospice’s blog to explore the possibility of forming a volunteer blog team which can help contribute regular content? Of course, as you would with any employee, you will need to train them about your social media policy and what is and isn’t acceptable to post. Their contributions should also go through an editing process just like anyone else’s. Still, this is a new way to engage community volunteers, especially younger volunteers who might be eager to hone their writing skills outside the school setting.

If contributing content is not possible, the volunteer blog team could be assigned the job of commenting on your hospice’s blog posts and helping to prompt the conversations that make blogs so engaging. It’s a sad truth that many hospices have very few comments on their blogs. There are many reasons for this, but oftentimes it’s simply because no one wants to be the first one to comment, just

10 NHPCO NewsLine

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like no one wants to be the first person out on the dance floor. If your volunteers break the ice by posting interesting comments, then others are more likely to follow.

If you don’t want responsibility for maintaining a blog, you can still avail yourself of the many advantages of the medium. As a first step, take an inventory of local bloggers and find out who blogs for the newspaper, the library, the community center, the hospital, the local United Way, etc. Also find out if there are blogs that specifically speak to seniors and family caregivers. Blog writers are the Op Ed journalists of the Internet, so reach out to them just as you would with any member of the press.

Lastly, find out who your local influencers are (i.e., the bloggers who have a lot of followers and appear to connect with the audiences you want to reach). Start following them and begin making supportive or insightful comments to their blog posts. They will often comment back, so keep the conversation going. This can begin to build a genuine relationship so that, eventually, you can email them media releases about anything you might send to a reporter. The bloggers will pay more attention if they recognize you as a regular

and constructive contributor and may well use your press release as background for their next blog post.

FacebookAnything you would do with or about

volunteers on a blog, you can do on Facebook. Facebook is a lot like a blog in that viewers can post comments about anything you post on your Facebook page. Other visitors can comment on the comments, and eventually you can build quite a following with very sweet insights and what often amounts to testimonials.

Like a blog, Facebook posts are designed to educate or inspire. Status updates typically link the viewer to another website, or to a photo or video with a comment.

Facebook posts are different from blog posts in that status updates are much shorter, averaging 250 to 300 characters. (Blogs are typically 300 words). The comments on Facebook are also notably shorter compared to those on a blog.

Another difference is that only people who have a Facebook page can make comments. Think of Facebook as a giant online scrapbook. Everyone who signs up gets his or her own page on

The volunteer

blog team can

comment on your

hospice’s posts

to prompt more

conversations

NHPCO NewsLine 11

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which to post trivia, photos, current opinions about life, and key personal information. (Facebook has, in fact, been called the “Museum of the Self.”) Viewers must have their own page filled out before they can comment on anyone else’s.

Lastly, Facebook caters to a much younger audience. Although teens complain that Boomers have taken over the medium, the truth is that only 33 percent of middle-aged adults and 20 percent of seniors have a Facebook page. By contrast, 78 percent of adults, ages 18 to 34, use this social networking tool, as do 68 percent of adolescents.4

A 2011 study by idealware indicated that most non-profits report lack-luster results when they use Facebook for recruitment. Those organizations that were successful attributed their good results to regularly posting information about volunteer projects and “tagging” or highlighting individual volunteers in their posts.

If you have a teen volunteer project, post about it on Facebook. And, along the same lines of enlisting volunteer help for a blog team, ask your

existing teen volunteers to consider “liking” and “sharing” posts from your Facebook page. This will spread the word to their “friends” who, in turn, can pass it along to their friends, building street credibility in the Facebook crowd while also boosting the profiles of your young volunteers.

Another interesting use of Facebook is to create a “secret group” where volunteers can share updates, confer on logistics, celebrate successes, and discuss any problem areas and possible solutions. Note, however, that in the world of Facebook, a secret group only means that you have very strict privacy settings — you as the convener of the group have control over who can become a member and post on the group’s page. It also means that any updates made within that group page will not be displayed on the Facebook pages of the individuals who are making the post. But, most importantly, no patient information should be shared on these secret groups; despite the name, like all of Facebook, they are not HIPAA-secure.

Because so many older teens and young adults use Facebook, a secret group might be a preferred method for organizing activities around a walk for hospice or some other non-clinical volunteer project. But all your volunteers will need to have their own Facebook page in order to participate. And you will have to monitor them very heavily to be sure they don’t

inadvertently cross a HIPAA line and start posting about patients.

YouTubeYouTube is the social media platform that allows you to post or view videos that are 10 minutes or less in length. Certainly video interviews with existing volunteers or about volunteer projects can help with recruitment and retention. The special gift of YouTube, however, is in its ability to help you with volunteer training.

Do you have a training session that you must repeat often? See if you can get it recorded and then post the video on a YouTube page so it’s available to your volunteers 24/7.

Even more cost- and time-effective is to search YouTube

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12 NHPCO NewsLine

for videos on topics that you need to cover. From universal precautions to instructions on how to transfer a patient from a bed to a wheelchair, you can find it on YouTube — for free.

While living in a wired society has some disadvantages, electronic communications can make our work easier and more effective, as long as we take precautions to use it wisely.

Tasha Beauchamp is the webmaster and research scientist for Elder Pages Online, LLC, a company dedicated to helping hospice professionals make better use of the Internet.

References:1 Ponemon Institute, LLC. (2012). Third

Annual Benchmark Study on Patient Privacy & Data Security. Sponsored by ID Experts. Retrieved on 8/1/13.

2 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (January 2, 2013). HHS announces first HIPAA breach settlement involving less than 500 patients. Retrieved on 8/1/13.

3 Pew Internet and American Life. (2013). What Internet users do online. Retrieved on 8/1/13.

4 Zickuhr, K. (2010). Generations Online 2010. Published by Pew Internet and American Life Project. Retrieved on 8/1/13.

Another

interesting use

of Facebook is to

create a secret

group

Volunteers Recognized

at CTC:

The annual “Volunteers are the Foundation of Hospice” awards

sponsored by NHPCO’s National Council of

Hospice and Palliative Professionals, were

presented at the Clinical Team Conference on

September 26.

Please join us in congratulating these

volunteer honorees — and look for photos from the

event in next month’s NewsLine.

For Teen Service: Christina A. Solazzo Suncoast Hospice

Clearwater, FL

For Patient/Family Service:

Cecil Bartlett Casa de la Luz Hospice

Oro Valley, AZ

For Organizational Support:

Opal Phillips Hospice of the Bluegrass

Lexington, KY

NHPCO NewsLine 13

O n October 12, individuals and organizations in 70-

plus countries will participate in more than 1,000 events to support World Hospice and Palliative Care Day 2013 (aka “World Day”). Some will sponsor public awareness campaigns, some will engage in advocacy, and others will hold fundraising events.

While the activities may vary, the goal of each is to help carry out the year’s World Day theme: Dispelling the myths and encouraging people to promote the facts about hospice and palliative care.

“Although we have made some progress, there are still millions of people around the world who do not have proper access to hospice and palliative care,” say World Day organizers. “Shockingly, 42 percent of countries do not have any identified hospice and palliative care services and 80 percent of people globally lack adequate access to medication for treatment of moderate to severe pain.”

The NHPCO Campaign

To support World Day 2013, NHPCO has assembled six common myths held by many Americans and will use social media channels to help dispel them — starting on October 12 and ending in late November (to coincide with the conclusion of National Hospice Palliative Care Month).

In Support of World Day:Social Media Campaign to Dispel Myths

14 NHPCO NewsLine

Because images typically generate more retweets and posts, each myth and fact will be paired with a compelling photograph. As an example, here are two of the planned messages:

Download

copies of the six

myth busters from the

NHPCO website

NHPCO NewsLine 15

Join Us

NHPCO is making the six myth busters available for those members who wish to use them in their social media (see www.nhpco.org/resources/social-media). Or, if you prefer, just follow NHPCO on Twitter (@NHPCO_news) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/NHPCO)!

Be sure to also visit the World Day website to learn more — and plan ahead for next year. It features a host of materials to help groups and organizations lend support, including a Communications Toolkit.

Myth: Having hospice or palliative care means I only have days or hours to live.

FHSSA Champions Program: Another Way to Help

As World Day organizers have noted, there are millions of people around the world who don’t have proper access to hospice and palliative care. A new campaign by NHPCO affiliate, FHSSA, is striving to make a difference in a corner of the world where the needs are indeed dire — Sub-Saharan Africa.

Through its Champions Program, any individual or organization is given the chance to fulfill a one-time need — from $1,100 to purchase nappies for a South African program… to $5,500 to purchase 40 bikes for volunteers at a Tanzanian hospice… to larger donation amounts to fund education and training, and even clinic and inpatient facility construction. They are all relatively small-scale efforts that, together, can make a great impact.

There are many causes from which to choose, and all are organized online based on price range: $5,000 or less; $5,001 to $10,000; and more than $10,000. Each cause includes a brief but helpful description.

To learn more, visit www.fhssa.org/champions.

Myth: Hospice palliative care is just for the elderly.

16 NHPCO NewsLine

HEALTHCARE CONSULTANTS

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ent A

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NHPCO NewsLine 17

NHPCO’s Webinars provide cutting-edge education, ensuring you provide the highest quality of care.

Develop fresh insights, pioneering practices, and successful strategies while earning valuable continuing education/medical education credit! Attend live or purchase MP3s* for your library.

*CE/CME credit is available only for participation in live Webinars.

For more information about our 2014 Webinar schedule, visit www.nhpco.org/webinar.

End-of-Life Education Online (E-OL) is a convenient and affordable online learning experience.

NHPCO’s E-OL courses in clinical, interdisciplinary, psychosocial, spiritual, hospice regulatory and leadership topics are available 24/7. Regardless of budget size, access to each course and CE/CME credit (as applicable) is provided for one low cost.

To view a list of current courses, please visit www.nhpco.org/eol.

Save the Date: NHPCO’s 15th Clinical Team Conference and Pediatric Intensive in Nashville, Tennessee!

Preconference Seminars: October 25-26, 2014

Main Conference: October 27-29, 2014

Keep pace with evidence-based practice, interdisciplinary care and medical, clinical, psychosocial, spiritual and bereavement best practices. Invest in your professional development and the future of your practice!

Visit www.nhpco.org/conferences for additional information.

Three ways to gain knowledge, advance practice and increase competence!

Amid the ever-increasing demands of running a hospice program, it’s more important than ever to support your organization’s staff and volunteers. So here, NewsLine shares some of the ways providers are doing just that — from sponsoring healthy and festive ‘Fruity Fridays’ and monthly programs that nurture the spirit… to wellness benefits that reward healthy activities.

At Hospice Savannah:

“Our Wellness Program continues to grow,” says HR director, Ron Williams, MBA, PHR. ”We offer three weekly yoga classes at times very convenient for staff. And at both our administrative office and hospice house, we have a designated walking route, replete with maps. Every Friday is also known as ‘Fruity Friday’ since we provide staff with fresh fruit from local farmers.”

The organization offers several creative, seasonal initiatives as well that do a great job of creating a sense of community.

To celebrate spring, the hospice holds its quarterly staff meeting on a Friday and has coined the

day, “Flip-flop Friday” since staff can wear their flip flops and indulge in free manicures and pedicures after the meeting, courtesy of a local cosmetology school. “It’s been a wonderful way to show appreciation and give our staff a little pampering,” Williams says.

For the third consecutive year, the organization has also designated the week of May 13 as its “Week of Wellness” which culminates with a Wellness Fair on Friday. This year’s Fair featured local providers who shared information and tips on staying physically and financially fit as well as a “Wall of Thanks” where staff could write notes of appreciation to one another. The Fair also served

as the kickoff for three new wellness initiatives: a Hospice Savannah Farmers Market where staff could share produce from their home gardens throughout the summer; a Coupon Exchange; and a book-sharing library.

At State of the Heart Hospice:

Bereavement team specialists at State of the Heart Hospice, who are social workers by training, facilitate Compassionate Care Groups eight times a year to help support the organization’s direct-care clinical staff and volunteers.

“These group meetings give the staff and volunteers the chance to offer and receive support from coworkers on a range of issues,”

How 5 Hospices are Helping Staff Feel Better — On and Off the Job

18 NHPCO NewsLine

says Director of Social Services Traci Straley. “They are a time to reflect on professional practice, to celebrate accomplishments, and to identify areas in need of growth or improvement.”

The group meetings also provide the opportunity to learn and share skills which can help improve their personal and professional well-being. “We discuss things such as compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue, burnout, and vicarious and secondary trauma, and we also suggest steps they can take to promote well-being” she says.

At Saint Luke’s Health System:

“Our wellness strategy at Saint Luke’s is designed to make it easy for staff and their families to incorporate healthy habits into their daily lives,” says Gayle O’Connell, RN, MS, a nurse at Saint Luke’s Home Care & Hospice. “One of the ways we accomplish this is through the online social networking program, Aetna Get Active, that provides health information and support 24/7.”

This year, Aetna Get Active featured an eight-week team-based wellness competition called “Ready, Set, Go” that encouraged all employees to join together to be more physically active and improve their health. “The Saint

To celebrate

spring, the hospice

hosts Flip-flop

Friday

NHPCO NewsLine 19

continued on next page

continued from previous page

Luke’s Hospice team led by Janice Keeton won first place in the weight loss category, with an average loss of 6.1 percent,” O’Connell said. “The winners received $50 Giving Cards that could be donated to the charity of their choice.”

The organization also offers healthy, appropriately portioned food choices in its cafeterias, and has begun offering nicotine replacement products at no charge to employees and their family members who want to quit smoking. Other benefits include disease management, onsite pharmacies, and onsite fitness facilities.

Last year, the Kansas City Business Journal recognized Saint Luke’s as one of the five healthiest employers in the Kansas City area. Proof that its strategy is working.

At Casa de la Luz Hospice:

Every other month, Casa de la Luz Hospice offers “Journey to Music,” a one-hour program led by former case manager, RuthiE Neilan, who is also a certified music practitioner and flutist.

“The hour begins with several deep-cleansing breaths, and is followed by music that RuthiE performs on a Native American flute,” says the hospice’s communications specialist, Carrie Bui. “We make writing and art supplies available too as ways for staff to express their thoughts and feelings. Then, near the end of the hour, participants are given at least 10 minutes to reflect and share with one another.”

The program has been held for many years now. While attendance will vary, depending on the level of stress or discomfort staff may be feeling, it is one of the important ways in which the organization lets staff members know they are supported in their work.

At VNHC Santa Barbara:

Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care (VNHC) of Santa Barbara gives staff the opportunity to become trained in the integrative therapies, such as reflexology, Reiki, and mindfulness practice — skills that not only improve patient and family care, but also their own well-being. “We routinely offer staff time to practice newly learned skills

Above: A staff member from VNHC Santa Barbara practices Reiki skills on an appreciative

co-worker.

Opposite: Casa de la Luz flutist, RuthiE Neilan.

20 NHPCO NewsLine

on each other, benefiting the giver and the receiver,” says Susan Clark, RN,HNB-BC, the integrative therapies coordinator for VNHC’s Serenity House and Home Hospice.

The organization has also invited skilled practitioners and consultants to facilitate workshops designed to help staff intentionally create a culture of compassion throughout the organization.

“Our hospice teams incorporate breathing and mindfulness practice, and self-care tips into staff meetings and often even at some of our interdisciplinary team meetings,” says Clark. “And both our 18-bed inpatient facility and our staff office have beautiful meditation rooms for staff members to use if they feel the need for a quiet space.”

In 2012, VNHC added a Wellness Program to its employee benefits package, with the goal of rewarding employees for being proactive about their health. Through participation in the program, staff members learn of their risk factors, receive suggested interventions and personalized action plans, and earn a $250 reduction in their health insurance deductible.

VNHC also covers 50 percent of the cost for membership in Weight Watchers; provides a fitness club subsidy for both staff and their families; and offers weekly restorative yoga at no charge and a weekly exercise class for a $5 drop-in fee. Additionally, alternative therapies, including acupuncture, acupressure, naturopathy and massage, are eligible medical expenses under the benefit plan.

“To sustain our long-term goal, VNHC envisions even more for patients and staff,” says Clark. “We plan to offer additional free or low-cost classes on nutrition, exercise and healthy lifestyle choices, and find more ways to address stress reduction.”

The Saint Luke’s

Hospice team won

first place in the

weight loss category,

with an average

loss of 6.1 percent

NHPCO NewsLine 21

22 NHPCO NewsLine

Thank you to the generous sponsors of

Held on Friday, September 27th at the 14th Clinical

Team Conference in Kansas City, Missouri.

We thank you for supporting compassionate care

where the need is great and resources are few.

From Kansas City to Africa

*Sponsor Listing as of September 5, 2013

www.fhssa.org/CTC2013

Platinum Sponsors

Gold Sponsors

Silver SponsorMidland Care Hospice

Bronze SponsorsBob & Joanne Clarke

Covenant HospiceGlatfelter Healthcare Practice

Hope HealthCare ServicesHospice Pharmacia

Hospice Services, Inc.Hospice of the Western Reserve

Infinity Hospice CareMike & Jeannee Martin/The

Corridor GroupMark Murray

National Association of Social Workers

Suncoast Solutions and Suncoast Hospice

Patron SponsorsCathy Gibney

Hospice of Hope, Inc.Hospice of Wake County

Prairie Haven Hospice John Thoma

In-Kind PartnerCCR Events

Sponsor Listing*

NHPCO NewsLine 23

National Hospice Foundation presents the 10th Annual Gala

www.nationalhospicefoundation.org(877) 470-6472

info@nationalhospicefoundation.org

H E L D I N C O N J U N C T I O N W I T H

NHPCO’s 29th Management and Leadership Conference

We are pleased to celebrate forty years of hospice care in the U.S. We can’t wait for you to join us for this momentous event!

Sponsorship opportunities are available.

For more information, please contact Joy Nguyen at (703) 647 - 5167 or jnguyen@nationalhospicefoundation.org.

FRIDAY, MARCH 28 , 2014G AY L O R D N AT I O N A L R E S O R T

N AT I O N A L H A R B O R , M A R Y L A N D

24 NHPCO NewsLine

Member News and Notes

$900,000 Gift Awarded to Community PedsCare

The Neviaser Charitable Foundation has given $900,000 to Community Hospice of Northeast Florida for its Community PedsCare® program.

The three-year gift will provide funding for the program’s day-to-day operations, with a portion also going toward a new fellowship in pediatric palliative medicine that will begin at the University of Florida in 2014.

The Neviaser family has made a tremendous impact on Community Hospice for many years. During their lifetimes, parents Doris and Buddy gave $1 million to establish an educational institute and generously supported educational programs annually. In 2010, through the Neviaser Charitable Foundation, their children, Nancy and Michael,

also contributed $2.5 million to establish a PedsCare endowment fund and a professorship in pediatric palliative care at the University of Florida.

Nancy Neviaser Baker with a 9-year-old Community

PedsCare patient.

Kathleen Hessler Joins Simione Healthcare Consultants

Kathleen A. Hessler, RN, JD, has joined Simione Healthcare Consultants as the director of compliance and risk. In

this role, she is responsible for enhancing industry relationships, managing projects, and developing and growing the compliance and risk team nationwide.

Her previous experience includes serving as associate/corporate counsel for three different national long-term/post-acute care companies, providing legal advice to the subsidiary businesses.

HNSGB to Build Second Hospice Facility

Hospice of the North Shore & Greater Boston (HNSGB), based in Danvers, MA, has announced plans to develop a 20-bed inpatient hospice facility.

The facility will be located on a 12-acre wooded parcel, three of which fall within the City of Waltham and nine of which fall in the Town of Lincoln. “With our acquisition of Partners Hospice in 2011, our territory and the number of patients we care for has grown significantly,” said Diane Stringer, HNSGB president. “We’re caring for more patients in Middlesex, Suffolk and Norfolk counties and oftentimes it is not convenient for them to travel to our inpatient hospice facility in Danvers.” This new facility will be easily accessible from the major cities and towns within its service area.

NHPCO NewsLine 25

Nominations Now Open for REAL Awards Honoring Healthcare Workers

The REAL Awards is a first-of-its kind awards platform that honors frontline healthcare workers who are providing life-saving care around the world.

Created by Save the Children and the Frontline Health Workers Coalition, the goal of the Awards is to demonstrate the universal and urgent need for more trained workers since, by some estimates, the world is short more than 5 million!

While the award categories change from year to year, hospice care was a featured category in 2012 — and Carri Butcher from Hospice of the Ozarks was honored.

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2013 Awards. As a proud supporter, NHPCO encourages all members to take a closer look: therealawards.com.

HNC Uses Concierge-approach to Improve Community Relations

Hospice of the North Coast (HNC), based in Carlsbad, CA, has established a hospice team to provide a customized concierge approach to supporting the needs of physicians, senior facilities and, most of all, patients and their families.

“Whether it’s advanced care planning assistance, connecting aging parents to services such as Veterans’ benefits, or navigating Medicare as a terminally ill person transitions to hospice care at home or at our in-patient residence, we are here to help,” says access and customer support manager, Bonnie Bell, who is supported by hospice benefits specialist, Katy Ott, and hospice representative/pathways specialist, Dina Kelsay, MSW.

Tidewell’s Monahan Named to International Workgroup

Jim Monahan, executive vice president of admissions and professional relations at Tidewell Hospice, has been selected for membership in the International Workgroup on Death, Dying and Bereavement (IWG).

The IWG — an invitation-only, non-profit organization comprised of approximately 120 professionals from 25-plus countries — supports leaders in these fields.

DEA Proposed Rule

This past January, the DEA issued a proposed rule on drug disposal. See the NHPCO website for a copy of the comment letter submitted by NHPCO, with input from the NHPCO Regulatory Committee and the NCHPP Pharmacy Section.

26 NHPCO NewsLine

P atients receiving hospice care at home may be prescribed a variety of

medications to ease their symptoms. If the medications are disposed of the wrong way, however, they may become harmful to the patient and family as well as to pets and the environment.

Per the U.S. Food and Drug Administration:

• Follow any specific disposal instructions on the drug label or in the patient information that accompanies the medication. Do not flush prescription drugs down the toilet unless the disposal instructions state otherwise.

• If the drug label does not include instructions:

- Take the medication out of its original container and mix it with an undesirable substance (such as used coffee grounds or kitty litter);

- Scratch out all identifying information on the label. This will help protect the patient’s identity and personal health information.

- Place the mixture in a sealable bag, empty can, or other container to prevent leakage, and place it in a garbage bag for disposal.

Additional information can be found on the FDA website.

The Regulations

If the state in which your hospice operates has medication-disposal regulations, your hospice must comply with them. If you’re not already familiar with your state regulations, see “Drug Disposal Laws and Regulations” on the Regulatory Center of the NHPCO website. It provides information by state.

Medication disposal at a home death visit should also be completed in accordance with your state regulations (if any) as well as your organization’s policy. Note, however, that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) considers the patient to be the owner of the medications, so disposal of the medications after the patient dies requires approval from the patient’s medical power of attorney or surrogate decision maker. Hospice staff should never remove medications from the patient’s place of residence.

Medication Drug Disposal

Tip of the Month

National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s2013 Virtual Conference - November 4–8, 2013

Loss, Grief and BereavementHelping Patients, Families and Communities

Join NHPCO and hospice and palliative care professionals committed to holistic care for a national virtual learning opportunity exclusively focused on the loss, grief and bereavement needs of patients, families and communities. The many ways loss permeates, impacts, infl uences and defi nes the end-of-life experience will comprise the cutting-edge content.

This online event will offer all the benefi ts of an in-person conference without the added time and expense of travel:

• Live-broadcast plenary sessions featuring national speakers• Concurrent sessions • Ignite sessions (fi ve-minute, “to the point” presentations) • Networking opportunities• Exhibit hall featuring national vendors• Plus, full access to the content for three months afterwards!

Learn more online: www.nhpco.org/virtual2013

REGISTER TODAY!

Videos Worth Watching

NewsLine is a publication of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization

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Copyright © 2013, NHPCO and its licensors. All rights reserved. NHPCO does not endorse the products and services advertised in this publication.

All past issues of NewsLine are posted online: www.nhpco.org/newsline.

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Affiliates:

Links to Some Resources on the NHPCO Website

Quality and Regulatory

Quality Reporting Requirements

QAPI Resources

Regulatory Center Home Page

Fraud and Abuse

Past Regulatory Alerts and

Roundups

Staffing Guidelines

Standards of Practice

State-specific Resources

Quality Partners

Self-Assessment System

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2013–14 Outreach Materials

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New – 2014 Webinar Schedule

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Weekly NewsBriefs

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ChiPPS Newsletter

The documentary, Road to Hope, will explore the unique challenges of orphaned children after caring for their dying parents in poverty-stricken areas of Sub-Saharan Africa. The film is being produced and directed by Mike Wargo, COO of the Hospice Foundation in South Bend, IN, whose last film, the award-winning Okuyamba, followed palliative care workers in Ugandan villages.

Filming took place in August and September in Uganda, Kenya and South Sudan. Joining the crew was actress and hospice advocate Torrey Devitto who serves as NHPCO and NHF’s Hospice Ambassador. Watch a video preview of the film now.

To learn more, see www.roadtohopefilm.org and NHPCO’s press release.

F A L L 2 0 1 3

A n e w s l e t t e r o f t h e N a t i o n a l H o s p i c e F o u n d a t i o n | F a l l 2 0 1 3 1

• CONTENTS

Honor, Remember, Invest: The National Hospice Foundation Launches the Tribute Project; page 1

Proceeds from New Book by Award-Winning Photographer and Author, Judith Fox, to Benefit Hospice; page 1

National Hospice Foundation Becomes ‘Featured Charity’ on Tributes.com; page 2

Gift it Forward Bracelets Spread Kindness; page 3

Drayer Physical Therapy Institute Goes All-Out to Support Colleagues; page 3

We Honor Veterans Program Specializes in Meeting Unique Needs of Veterans at End-of-Life; page 4

You can honor or remember someone important to you with a Tribute Tile displayed at the National Center for Care at the End of Life

Honor, Remember, Invest: The National Hospice Foundation Launches the Tribute Project

OnePoint Patient Care is an Early Contributor to New Fundraising Project for Hospice

Through the Tribute Project, NHF offers a meaningful way to honor loved ones or recognize the contributions of an individual or organization while investing in the hospice and palliative care community.

Donors can create a “tile” to be mounted at the National Center for Care at the End of Life. “We have already begun building the ‘wall’ of tiles here at the National Center. It’s a wonderful, lasting tribute to individuals and organizations who have contributed to hospice, or touched the lives of those who work in hospice in many different ways,” says John Mastrojohn, NHF’s executive director.

OnePoint Patient Care

OnePoint Patient Care, a specialty pharmacy that works closely with hospice programs to provide in-home deliveries, is an early participant in the Tribute Project.

“Our choice to participate in NHF’s Tribute Project was based on our hope to increase awareness of the tremendous value hospice care provides to end-of-life patients, accentuate the tremendous value local community-based partners such as OnePoint Patient Care play in supporting the needs of hospice patients, and to encourage hospices to ‘demand more’ from the partners they choose to deliver care to the patients and the community they so proudly serve,” Kevin Kirkland, president, Eastern Division, OnePoint Patient Care.

To learn more about how you can contribute to hospice and honor an individual or organization, visit nationalhospicefoundation.org/tributeproject.

Proceeds from New Book by Award-Winning Photographer and Author, Judith Fox, to Benefit Hospice

100 Percent of the Author’s Royalties from One Foot Forward Will be Donated to the National Hospice Foundation

On September 3, a new book was released by the award-winning photographer and author, Judith Fox. One Foot Forward explores the poignant stories and portraits of 20 widowed women and men who have grieved, accepted, and persevered in the face of losing their spouses to sudden death and chronic illness.

Fox is donating 100 percent of her royalties from this book to the National Hospice Foundation. Fox comes to this topic from deep personal experience. She lost her first

(continued on pg. 2)

A n e w s l e t t e r o f t h e N a t i o n a l H o s p i c e F o u n d a t i o n | F a l l 2 0 1 32

husband, Jerry, to an aggressive cancer in 1992, and for the past 15 years has supported her second husband, Dr. Ed Ackell, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease just three years after they married.

In 1998, after a successful career as a business leader and entrepreneur in both New York and Virginia, Fox returned to an earlier career in photography. Her first book, I Still Do: Loving and Living with Alzheimer’s, focuses on both her and her husband’s experiences with the disease and caregiving.

She explains the impetus for creating One Foot Forward: “Because I was widowed before, it’s difficult not to think about the pain that I know is ahead of me when Ed dies. Writing One Foot Forward was a way to find some personal comfort as Ed’s life is coming to an end.”

A Larger Mission

But beyond meeting her own needs, Fox has a larger mission.

“Death is an inevitable — and very difficult — part of life. But if we are fortunate enough to love and to have a significant relationship, one of the individuals in the relationship is eventually going to be widowed. So we might as well learn to talk about death and grief, and understand what it’s like to live through,” said Fox.

Fox selected NHF as the recipient of her royalties because she believes in the hospice and palliative care mission and wants to support work at the national level. She notes further, “Both my parents benefited from hospice care and my husband is currently being helped — as am I — by compassionate people at The Elizabeth Hospice in San Diego.”

“We are overwhelmed at Judith’s generosity and commitment to support the work of the National Hospice Foundation,” noted J. Donald Schumacher, NHF president and CEO.

To learn more about Judith, her new book, One Foot Forward, and her other works, visit www.judithfox.com.

To order her book and support NHF, see One Foot Forward on Amazon.com.

National Hospice Foundation Becomes ‘Featured Charity’ on Tributes.com

Online Obituary Services Site Connects Users to NHF

A new partnership between the National Hospice Foundation and Tributes.com provides a simple way for family members to direct memorial donations to NHF.

Tributes.com is an online source for current local and national obituary news and a supportive community where family and friends can come together during times of loss and grieving to honor the memories of their loved ones with lasting personal tributes. The site has a database of over 95 million records dating back to 1936 and documents more than 80% of the deaths in the U.S. each year. Users can find an obituary or create a tribute to a loved one that allows the circle of grievers to post written comments, audio messages, and photos. In addition, Tributes.com provides recommended articles and books related to grief recovery along with links to vendors offering sympathy floral and gift delivery services.

”As the number of individuals that require hospice care at their end-of-life approaches 50 percent, the need for an organization like NHF that is laser-focused on continuing to evolve the quality of that care is critically important,” said Elaine Haney, CEO and president of Tributes.com. “We are very much honored to be in a position to promote the work of the NHF and to help stimulate memorial giving through our platform.”

When creating an obituary, a consumer or funeral home may select from a list of charitable organizations to which contributions can be made. NHF was recently added to this list of organizations as a featured partner and when selected the NHF logo and a Make a Donation link are included in the obituary.

Close to 4 million unique consumers and thousands of funeral homes use the site each month to locate and publish obituaries. As a result, the partnership creates a tremendous opportunity for consumers to support hospice care in memory of a loved one.

“Collaborating with Tributes.com makes so much sense. Memorial donations are a vitally important component of the funds we raise at NHF, which are used to support the care that makes such a difference in the end-of-life experience for family members and loved ones,” said John Mastrojohn, executive director of NHF.

Visit www.tributes.com to learn more about the site and the resources it offers.

Looking to start holiday shopping early? Each time you make a purchase from one of these vendors, they will donate $10 to the National Hospice Foundation.

Or if gift cards are what you’re looking for, TisBest Charity Gift Cards allow the recipient to make a donation to one of 250 national charities, including NHF!

www.nationalhospicefoundation.org/TisBest

Remember also to purchase your greeting cards through Cards for Causes, and 20 percent of your purchase will go to The National Hospice Foundation! www.cardsforcauses.com. They offer cards for every occasion!

www.nationalhospicefoundation.org/Shop

HOLIDAY GIFT SHOPPING IDEAS

3A n e w s l e t t e r o f t h e N a t i o n a l H o s p i c e F o u n d a t i o n | S u m m e r 2 0 1 3

Drayer Physical Therapy Institute Goes All-Out to Support Colleagues

12-Member Bourbon Chase Team Don’t Pull a Hammy Raises $6,000

If you have to raise $6,000, it helps if you’ve got a big team behind you. And that’s exactly what Run to Remember Team Captain Christina Breeding has. She and 11 of her colleagues at Drayer Physical Therapy Institute® plan to run the Bourbon Chase, a 200-mile overnight relay through Kentucky, on October 18 and 19, 2013 as a Run to Remember. They have a lot of support behind them. Drayer Physical Therapy Institute has more than 100 outpatient clinics across 14 states.

When Christina, a clinical services specialist, and her colleagues decided to do the race this year, choosing hospice as their charity was a unanimous choice. “I wanted to run for hospice because of my family history. We asked our 12 runners, and everyone voted for hospice. It was even more appealing that we could designate half our proceeds to Hospice of the Bluegrass,” she explained.

One of the team’s first fundraising ideas was to sell chocolate candy bars. Soon receptionists in four Drayer clinics in Kentucky were eagerly selling the treats. Next, the team decided to sell concessions at Lexington Legends minor league baseball games. Christina said, “I put the word out that we needed workers, and people eagerly volunteered. They went through the mandatory training on selling alcohol and then they donated their time and tips.” Their efforts raised more than $1,000 at 9 “Thirsty Thursday” games. Even clinics without runners on the team have donated funds through Jean Days.

A Festival of Fun

The biggest effort was a festival held at one of the Drayer Physical Therapy Institute sites in Lexington. It featured a big silent action, a dunking booth (with willing managers in the hot seat), $1/minute massages, a yard sale, a bake sale, and a raffle of a day of paid time off.

“The silent auction was a huge success,” said Christina, “So many staff members and their family members donated items. Even one of our Ohio offices made something to donate.

Gift it Forward Bracelets Spread Kindness

25 Percent of Sales Benefit NHF

What meaning could possibly come from the death of a dad leaving behind three young children, one of whom was just 18 months old?

Eric Riedesel’s widow, Alyce Levy-Riedesel, started a business called Gift it Forward which manufactures and sells “rag” bracelets. Each bracelet comes with a second one for free. The gift bracelet, which has a Gift it Forward charm, is designed to be given away to a person as a random—but purposeful—act of kindness. She is donating 25 percent of proceeds to NHF.

The inspiration for Gift it Forward and its hospice connection comes from a number of sources flowing together. First, her husband made a video for his children called “Words Hurt” in which he shared his philosophy about being kind to others. Alyce shares, “Eric was very quiet, very private. For him to make a video giving our kids such an important life lesson and sharing such words of wisdom was really overwhelming.” The idea that simply being kind can combat the isolation and even violence of modern life took root in their family.

Second, it was a hospice team member who suggested Eric make videos for his children, something Alyce says they never would have thought of on their own. In fact, hospice itself was an inspiration. “The hospice team is a group of people that Gift it Forward tries to emulate. They gave us things we didn’t ask for. A lot of them are volunteers. They became part of our group and their giving to use was done so easily,” explains Alyce.

The decision to collaborate with NHF was simple, because to Eric Riedesel’s family, hospice was the epitome of giving.

Gift it Forward Road Trip

This summer, Alyce took her 11-year-old boy/girl twins and 3-year-old daughter on a 4,000 mile road trip through much of the U.S. Wherever they traveled, they looked for opportunities to make connections with people through the bracelets. For example, they gave bracelets to a homeless woman in DC, an Amish family in Indiana, a weary waitress in Pennsylvania. And in each case, a connection was made and her children learned firsthand the power of connection and kindness.

“What a wonderful tribute to their husband and father,” says John Mastrojohn, NHF’s executive director. “We are honored to have been selected as their charity of choice and are so glad to help spread the word about this unique project.

To buy a bracelet, visit http://giftitforward.com/. If you take a photo of you wearing any of the bracelets and upload it to the website, you will receive a 25 percent discount on the purchase of your next bracelet.

Looking to start holiday shopping early? Each time you make a purchase from one of these vendors, they will donate $10 to the National Hospice Foundation.

Or if gift cards are what you’re looking for, TisBest Charity Gift Cards allow the recipient to make a donation to one of 250 national charities, including NHF!

www.nationalhospicefoundation.org/TisBest

Remember also to purchase your greeting cards through Cards for Causes, and 20 percent of your purchase will go to The National Hospice Foundation! www.cardsforcauses.com. They offer cards for every occasion!

www.nationalhospicefoundation.org/Shop

HOLIDAY GIFT SHOPPING IDEAS

(continued on pg. 4)

The inspiration for Gift it Forward is the love this family shares. This photo was taken in August 2011; Eric Riedesel died in January 2012.

4

The clinical services department at headquarters, where I work, bought jewelry and donated it.” Many people who bought items at the silent auction made an extra donation on top, just to help with the fundraising effort.

Drayer Physical Therapy Institute’s support of Team Don’t Pull a Hammy will continue into the event itself. “Once they heard there is a Spirit Award for the team that has the most and best cheering squads, two of our business office area managers got inspired. They are putting together a spirit team that will dress up and cheer us at as many ‘exchange points’ during the relay as possible.”

NHF is grateful to the Bourbon Chase for selecting NHF as one of its three official charities and to everyone at Drayer Physical Therapy Institute for their creativity and dedication.

Drayer Physical Therapy Institute Goes

All-Out to Support Colleagues (cont.)

NHF has seven other teams participating in this year’s Bourbon Chase and we are grateful to those team captains as well: Brian Ashcraft, Stephanie Banks, Sourav Guha, Brian Lea, Frank Marrero, Scott Stambaugh, and Ashley Welch. To find the online fundraising pages of any Run to Remember participants (teams or individuals), visit www.runtoremember, click on “Support a Runner/Walker.”.

We Honor Veterans Program Specializes in Meeting Unique Needs of Veterans at End-of-Life

New Report Documents Achievements of Joint NHPCO and VA Effort

In an effort to respond to the needs of Veterans, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization partnered with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in 2010 to create a program called We Honor Veterans (WHV).

“We Honor Veterans – Achievements 2012” is a report recently published by NHPCO and the VA that highlights the achievements of the We Honor Veterans program along with powerful examples of Veterans who have benefitted from WHV.

Participating hospices across the country receive tools and resources that allow them to assess their current ability to serve Veterans and access Veteran-centric educational resources for their staff. These include: a military check-list which serves to identify Veterans and their needs, Veteran-to-Veteran volunteer programs, Hospice-Veteran Partnerships between hospices and Veteran facilities and state organizations, “pinning/recognition” ceremonies in which the Veteran receives a special WHV pin in honor of their service, as well as educational and networking opportunities among Partners.

Currently, more than 1,900 hospices have joined as WHV Partners, an increase of 300 programs since the report was written. Through these Partners’ community education efforts, 4,351 educational presentations have been made, reaching 111,842 participants.

“We knew there was a huge need to fill with Veterans’ end-of-life care, and we are grateful for the tremendous number of hospices that have embraced and partnered with the program. They show us every single day what it means to compassionately care for the men and women who served this country,” said J. Donald Schumacher, president and CEO of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.

The next phase of the WHV program is to expand its Partner opportunities to healthcare providers outside of hospice who provide end-of-life care for Veterans and their families so that they may benefit from the Veteran-centric resources the program offers.

To view the report and learn more about We Honor Veterans, visit: www.wehonorveterans.org

Team Captain Christina Breeding is held aloft by colleagues/teammates Dustin Golebieski, Jim Couch, and Ryan Shelton. Ryan brought the idea of a company team to Christina.

National Hospice Foundation presents the 10th Annual Gala

www.nationalhospicefoundation.org(877) 470-6472

info@nationalhospicefoundation.org

H E L D I N C O N J U N C T I O N W I T H

NHPCO’s 29th Management and Leadership Conference

We are pleased to celebrate 40 years of hospice care in the U.S. We can’t wait for you to join us for this momentous event!

Sponsorship opportunities are available.

For more information, please contact Joy Nguyen at (703) 647 - 5167 or jnguyen@nationalhospicefoundation.org.

FRIDAY, MARCH 28 , 2014G AY L O R D N AT I O N A L R E S O R T

N AT I O N A L H A R B O R , M A R Y L A N D

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