Tag Archives: Emmanuel Hospice

You’ve filed your taxes; now do something else important for you and your loved ones

Health, Senior Living, West Michigan
Completing an advance directive outlining your end-of-life wishes can serve as a final gift of clarity for loved ones. (Photo Courtesy, Emmanuel Hospice)



By Emmanuel Hospice

greer@wktv.org



OK, you’ve made the mid-April tax deadline. Congrats. Now what?

Here’s a thought: Get something arguably as important – or even more so – in order next.

We’re talking about critical health care decisions in the event you’re not able to communicate decisions yourself – decisions you can define in an “advance directive.”

That’s the aim of National Healthcare Decisions Day on April 16 every year, which is typically the day after taxes are due.

Unlike taxes, advance directives aren’t something you’re obligated to execute, but experts agree you’ll feel immense relief should you take on the task. You’ll then have legal documents in place to safeguard the ways in which you want important decisions made about your health care if you are unable to communicate them yourself due to an accident, illness or other factors.

“Having a conversation is a good place to start, after you’ve gone through the contemplative part of it,” says Sara Lowe, executive director of Emmanuel Hospice in Grand Rapids.

Lowe, and scores of her employees, have witnessed firsthand the friction that can ensue when advance directives aren’t in place, and loved ones start arguing about what dad or mom would want when they can no longer decide on their own.

“What we’ve seen is how there is so much more peace in the family when those documents are in place,” says Lowe, noting that setting up advance directives “can serve as a final gift of clarity for your loved ones.”

Conversations should eventually include the person or persons you’re confident about choosing to serve as your durable power of attorney for health care decisions revolving around the types of medical interventions you do and do not want dependent upon the situation.

“Those conversations help determine who the right person for that is,” says Lowe, emphasizing that you shouldn’t automatically choose your spouse or firstborn, but instead that person you can best trust to carry out your wishes.

Advance directives remain in effect until you change it, so it’s a good idea to review your advance directives on an annual basis, especially if your life has been affected by divorce, separation or other family crises that might affect your initial choice.

“You never know when something unforeseen is going to happen,” she says.

Lowe understands that some people find it a daunting task to discuss death and dying. Her suggestion?

“You don’t have to do it all at once. Take your time,” she says. “Think about it, then have those conversations. Break it up into smaller pieces, but then act.”

And she offers this to consider, “It’s always better to have advance directives in place and not need them, than it is to need them and not have them.”

A lawyer is not needed to fill out an advance directive, but witnesses are required for the document to become legally valid. For more information about advance directives, consider visiting websites like CaringInfo.org, where you can navigate to the state you live in for specific guidelines, and download forms. You can also learn more via the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization at nhpco.org.

Once your advance directive is complete, be sure your doctors have a copy, as well as everyone who might be involved with your health care decisions. Store the original document in a safe, but easy to find place. Avoid locking the document away, so it can still be accessed by loved ones if you’re unexpectedly hospitalized.

For more information about Emmanuel Hospice, call 616-719-0919 or visit EmmanuelHospice.org.

Music therapists strike a loving chord with hospice patients

3-bottom, West Michigan,
Emmanuel Hospice Music Therapist Roger Scott is playing the guitar during a music therapy session with a patient. (Courtesy, Emmanuel Hospice)



By Emmanuel Hospice

You might say that for hospice music therapists like Roger Scott, they perform their work in the key of C, where the “C” translates to care, compassion and comfort.

Along with colleague Miranda Eden, Scott is one of two board-certified music therapists employed by Emmanuel Hospice. He considers the complementary therapy the twosome provides arguably as vital as traditional physical care administered by medical staff. And it’s a popular choice among patients and their loved ones. In 2023, Scott and Eden made more than 1,770 patient visits.

“It’s a very intense, rewarding experience,” says Scott, who hails from California, but settled in Michigan after earning a degree in music therapy at Western Michigan University.

He traces his interest in music therapy back to the year 2000, when he started serving as a member of the U.S. Army Europe Band and Chorus, primarily as a vocalist.

“When we’d perform for soldiers, it really seemed to make a difference to them,” he says, noting that after his discharge, he went to a conference for music therapists and “fell in love with it.”

Music therapy offered to enhance a patient’s life

At Emmanuel Hospice, music therapy is offered as one of many ways to enhance a patient’s life, engage the senses and create joyful memories. During the last two years working with Emmanuel, Scott has discovered that every day – and every patient – is different.

During a session, he’ll often sing and strum the guitar, inviting patients and their caregivers to sing or hum along. He’ll even record a patient’s heartbeat and then marry it to music, so it can be enjoyed time and time again.

Heartbeat recordings are an opportunity for patients to create a legacy gift for their loved ones. The accompanying music often speaks to a review of their life and serves as a keepsake for caregivers to cherish after the patient has passed.

What patients might need in the way of music therapy is largely tied to how they express themselves to any one of their care team members. Communication is key among Emmanuel colleagues in order to provide holistic care that supports the patient’s mind, body and spirit.

The end result often manifests itself in a reduction of the patient’s pain, a chance to work through emotions and as a special way to recount memories as they embark on an otherwise difficult journey. Music therapy can be employed at a hospital, home or other living center – wherever the patient is receiving care.

From rock to pop to Gregorian chants

Scott has played everything from rock to pop to Gregorian chants for his patients, and says it’s surprising how many requests he fields for arias from operas, such as “Nessun Dorma,” which debuts during the final act of the Puccini opera “Turandot.”

Whatever the music, Scott says it’s common for the patient to choose something near and dear – hymns or folk tunes or something from their heyday – that reminds them of significant people and events from throughout their lives.

“Often times, people will light up when they hear something that was popular when they were younger,” he says. “It meets their needs, and can help them work through a tough time.”

Music therapy can bring up a range of emotions while helping manage anticipatory grief, pain and anxiety. It can provide great comfort, as well as sensory stimulation and self-expression.

“It’s always hard not to smile when they’re smiling,” Scott says, “and it’s hard not to cry when they’re crying. You do the best you can for them, and in doing so, seek those moments when you can bring patients and their family members to a place of peace.”

Music therapy is one of several complementary therapies and services Emmanuel Hospice offers. To learn more, visit EmmanuelHospice.org/holistic-care or call 616-719-0919.

Home is where the heart is – and how that heart is cared for

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, Health, Senior Living, West Michigan
Emmanuel Hospice Music Therapist Miranda Eden uses a specialized stethoscope to record Lloyd “Bud” Afton’s heartbeat to create a heartbeat recording set to his favorite song. (Courtesy, Emmanuel Hospice)



By Emmanuel Hospice

Two sobering facts to consider: One, that heart-related disease is the leading cause of death among U.S. adults. And two, that hospice care is vastly underutilized by that very population.

“There’s a big gap,” says Melissa Page, director of clinical services at Emmanuel Hospice. That’s why she and her colleagues have been aggressively advocating for more education and awareness revolving around Emmanuel’s Heart & Soul Advanced Cardiac Program.

It’s a toolkit of sorts, linked in with a program developed by the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation in collaboration with the American Heart Association. The goal is to ensure patients with heart disease and their loved ones are well informed so symptoms can be managed safely at home, reducing trips to the ER or hospital.

A mainstay of the collaboration is a 32-page Advanced Cardiac Care Guide, which includes valuable information on everything from recognizing symptoms to dietary recommendations. Many patients living with end-stage heart disease are burdened by visits to the doctor’s office, emergency room and hospital due to breathing difficulties, edema, fatigue and other worsening symptoms.

Such exacerbations can often be prevented or managed by hospice and palliative care, says Julie Chambers, a nurse case manager for Emmanuel.

“With hospice care, it’s more about providing comfort,” Chambers says. “And that can mean fewer visits to offices and more time with family enjoying a higher quality of life while still collaborating with a cardiac team to treat anything from breathing issues to swollen limbs to fluctuations in weight and appetite.”

“We’re seeking ways to include people already involved with the patient’s care, while also folding in all the services our organization provides,” Page adds.

To that end, Chambers and Page and other team members at Emmanuel Hospice are constantly looking for ways to help make cardiologists and other professionals aware of the benefits hospice can provide.

“When hospice care is part of the formula, we see lower anxiety levels, less fear of the unknown and fewer feelings of helplessness,” Chambers says. “It’s all part of putting the patient at ease, a different culture of care.”

Support might include regular visits from Emmanuel Hospice experts, and can extend beyond traditional care to complementary therapies and services involving everything from massage to music to essential oils.

Chambers and Page emphasize that people affected by cardiac disease either personally or through a loved one can reach out with questions at any time, even if they’re not experiencing end-stage symptoms.

“Death doesn’t need to be imminent,” Page says. “It’s OK to simply call and say, ‘I’d like to know more about this.’”

“It’s also important for people to know that they’re not ‘giving up’ when they reach out to us,” adds Chambers. “We’re fighting against that stigma, that ‘If I’m going on hospice, I’m giving up.’ No. You’re choosing what you want, and we’re here to honor that choice.”

For more information about Heart & Soul, visit EmmanuelHospice.org/cardiac-care.

Even on Holidays, hospice heeds no clock or calendar

3-bottom, Health, West Michigan
Hospice is a service that remains available year-round to provide necessary care to patients and their loved ones, even on holidays. (Courtesy, Emmanuel Hospice/IStock)



By Emmanuel Hospice


In the words of Joyce Robinson-Beck, “We never close.”

But she’s not employed at an all-night diner or 24-hour convenience store.

Robinson-Beck is a long-time registered nurse for Emmanuel Hospice, where the critical mission of providing personalized care and comfort doesn’t bow to the clock or calendar.

“No matter the hour of the day, no matter what time of year, people have needs, and it’s our privilege to serve them,” she says. “And that goes for holidays – Christmas and New Year’s included.”

Waiting to start hospice care until after the holidays is a common inclination, but hospice services can provide the necessary care and comfort to support both patients and their loved ones during what is already an overwhelming time of year. Having this support can enable families to focus more on cherishing their time together.

“Holidays are stressful enough,” Robinson-Beck says. “There are so many expectations already in place, and when you are in need of healthcare, that just intensifies the situation. So we make it our responsibility to be there, and in what can be the toughest of times.”

According to Robinson-Beck, Emmanuel strives to return a call for service within five minutes. The care team then does everything possible to respond to the need within an hour – which is a pretty tall order for a hospice organization whose service area translates to a 50-mile radius.

Just last winter during the holidays, Robinson-Beck recalls a situation where a patient’s daughter called late at night and needed to admit her mother for hospice care.

Through rain or snow

Despite a blizzard raging, “We were able to bring her meds, equipment and pretty much everything she needed to receive care in that daughter’s home rather than enter a hospital.”

Robinson-Beck says many calls received during the holidays – and after traditional daytime business hours in general – are from older caregivers who are unable to return a patient to their bed following a fall.

“That happens more than people realize,” she says. “These days, people are living longer, and it’s not unusual for a caregiver to be in their 70s or 80s or even 90s, and unable to lift that loved one.”

The reaction Emmanuel receives from its patients and caregivers?

“They’re incredibly grateful,” Robinson-Beck says. “They may be initially hesitant to call us during a holiday, for example, because they don’t want to be a bother. But when they realize this is something we do and want to do, they’re amazed, and it humbles us.”

For Robinson-Beck and many of her colleagues, stepping up at all hours of the day and times of the year isn’t just an obligation or duty.

“It fulfills the needs we have as caregivers ourselves,” she explains. “The way I see it, God gives us all gifts, and it’s on us to uphold that responsibility.”

Her job was made more complicated this past year due to the passing of a brother-in-law this past fall, an uncle seven months ago and her mother five months ago.

“I’ve been really sad since my mother passed away. But I know I have a job to do. And I can hear my mother’s voice whispering  ‘Go back to work, Joyce. You’re needed’.”

That work, says Robinson-Beck, “fills my cup, and there’s no bigger calling.”

Anyone can connect a loved one with Emmanuel Hospice. You don’t need a physician referral to begin the process. Visit EmmanuelHospice.org or call 616-719-0919 to learn more.

Shared bond among veterans supports hospice care journey

3-bottom, Health, Local Business, Senior Living, West Michigan
Emmanuel Hospice volunteer Jim Parent talking with a patient. (Courtesy, Emmanuel Hospice)



By Emmanuel Hospice



At Emmanuel Hospice, you might say Veterans Day is every day when it comes to providing patient care to those who have served in our country’s military.

Just ask Jim Parent, a mostly retired machine repairman, who never thought that his own service in the U.S. Marines more than a half century ago would set the stage for how he gives back to fellow veterans receiving end-of-life care.

“It was a couple of years ago when I turned to my wife, Mary, and said, ‘You know, I’m thinking of retiring, and she said, ‘Well, you might want to look into volunteering,’” Parent said.

So, he did. In exploring his options, Parent learned of something sponsored by Emmanuel Hospice dubbed its “veteran-to-veteran” program. Open to veterans and active-duty service members in West Michigan, the volunteer program offers an opportunity to provide companionship and support to veterans facing a life-limiting illness.

The first patient he saw was so disconnected from friends, family and community that, had it not been for Parent’s efforts, his funeral would have been attended by no one.

“He was in his late 50s, and even though we were fellow Marines, he didn’t want to talk about much at first,” Parent recalled. “He had children earlier in life, but I never saw any family or friends with him during my visits to his facility.”

Parent, whose own service was in Vietnam in 1969, was able to gain the vet’s trust in part by showing him magic tricks he learned via YouTube. Along the way, Parent had assured the veteran that when he passed, he would not be alone.

When he died on a cool day the next spring, Parent and four team members from Emmanuel attended his funeral at Fort Custer in Battle Creek.

“We were able to keep that promise, providing him a military funeral with a 21-gun salute,” he said. “I guess you could say Emmanuel was his family.”

Parent has since spent time with a half-dozen other veterans, whose stories are the stuff of legends, including one World War II vet who turns 102 soon and, at 100, was still piloting around his 400-plus horsepower Chevrolet Camaro.

Another WWII vet – also still living, at age 97 – grew up dirt-poor in a West Virginia coal-mining town and quit school at 14 because he was tired of being teased about his shoes, which were fashioned from cardboard and tape. He worked the mines until he was 17, then joined the U.S. Navy.

Parent says he receives more out of his volunteering than he gives.

“I get so much from their stories, and it makes me a better person, more aware of the different paths they walk, that we all walk,” he said. “I guess I’m cultivating a little empathy, too. And it’s a great learning experience.”

For his service, Emmanuel Hospice awarded him the Sister Gabriela Caring Spirit Award to honor him as the 2022 volunteer of the year.

Parent was humbled to receive the honor. The award recognizes a volunteer who carries with them the mission and vision of Emmanuel Hospice and who goes above and beyond with their compassion for patients and their families. It is named after Sister M. Gabriela Hilke, the founding visionary behind the creation of Emmanuel Hospice and the award’s first recipient.

“Jim embodies what we look for in all our team members and volunteers – the ability and willingness to go that extra mile for all the people we serve,” said Sara Lowe, Emmanuel Hospice executive director. “He’s an excellent example of all that we try to be, and to bring to our people.”

Emmanuel Hospice is seeking more volunteers for its veteran-to-veteran volunteer program, which is offered year-round for patients. Those who are interested may visit EmmanuelHospice.org/volunteer to learn more and register.

Support, strategies for a ‘good death’

3-bottom, Senior Living, ,

By Emmanuel Hospice

At Emmanuel Hospice, helping someone have a “good death” is about delivering comfort and care that aligns with the unique needs and wishes expressed by each patient and their loved ones at the end of life. (Courtesy, Emmanuel Hospice/iStock)

Not everyone is comfortable with the term, but at Emmanuel Hospice, professional caregivers are increasingly leaning on the concept of a “good death,” and gently sharing with their patients how embracing it can help them transition from this world to the next.

“There’s no one definition for it, but in virtually every case, it has to do with paying attention to a person’s goals at the end of life,” says Eleazar “Ellie” Lopez, a spiritual caregiver at Emmanuel Hospice. “What do you want and how can we help? How can we deliver that comfort and care?”

Relatively speaking, a “good death” is a fairly new term that is understood in different ways across various places and cultures. Some experts tend to agree it should focus on a death free from avoidable distress and suffering, a hallmark of hospice care in general. There also is consensus a good death aligns with needs and wishes expressed by patients and their loved ones.

“It can be different, though, for each person,” Lopez points out. “For me, I would make sure I’d apologize to people I may have hurt during my life. And I’d want to make sure my family was with me. So, it would be about reconciliation and relationships.”

Lopez recalls that just last month, he counseled a woman who was having issues with her children, and asked, “How can we make the most of this Mother’s Day?” because it was possible she would not be alive to celebrate another.

Lopez believes one of the best ways to dignify people and help them have a good death is to listen to their stories – and be aware of how those stories connect us to one another and celebrate both our differences and commonalities.

“Each life is a story worth telling,” he says, “and each experience helps make that story special to that individual. So, you listen, and I believe listening is what I’m good at. When a person passes, their stories are now my stories, and I have them in me.”

Lopez brings a unique perspective to his job. He labored for many years in the restaurant industry, as well as in a heat-treatment facility. He’s been employed at Emmanuel for just under two years.

He’s generous with his time and gifts, aware that when he visits a hospital or retirement community, a complete stranger might summon him to their bedside upon discovering the role he plays: “I might pray with several people in a day whom I wasn’t there to visit.”

In taking time for patients, Lopez believes he’s helping people create that good death because someone is acknowledging thoughts and feelings that can assist them in moving forward in a positive way on what is arguably a difficult journey.

“Their goals become my goals,” he says. “I support them in the moment, and where they are in that moment. I want to offer quality over quantity of life. At Emmanuel, it’s what we do. It’s who we are.”

For more information, visit EmmanuelHospice.org.

Hospice surfaces as special gift on Mother’s Day

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Health,

By Emmanuel Hospice

Bea Blasingame (courtesy, Emmanuel Hospice)

For Joan Mattson and her four siblings, it’s all about the subtle differences conveyed in such significant ways to define her mother’s journey with Emmanuel Hospice at her side.

Especially during this month, featuring Mother’s Day as a gentle touchstone.

“One of the Emmanuel Hospice aides, Tanya, always kisses the top of mom’s head before she leaves,” says Mattson, drawing a breath. “I mean, just that kindness. It means so much.”

Mattson’s mother, Bea Blasingame, is 87 and has been under Emmanuel’s care since late last year. Initially, it was difficult for Bea to accept and adjust, given her life-long sense of independence. She was also missing friends in rural Truman, Arkansas, where she and her late husband, Robert, spent most of their 67 years together.

These days, Bea resides in Mattson’s Grand Rapids area home following a series of seizures and discovery of a related tumor that have affected her speech, mobility and other aspects of her daily life.

With Mother’s Day coming up, Mattson relates that it’s bittersweet to wax nostalgic on how things used to be.

“My mom was a morning person,” Mattson recalls. “She might be up as early as four, and I can remember her going into the cold kitchen and standing on a rug by the register where the heat came up, saying her prayers and reading the Bible.

“And if you know how noise carries through those vents, well, her voice would come to me in my bedroom, and that’s just a very special memory.”

Mattson’s sister, Barb Raymond, says Emmanuel Hospice has been helping the family harvest and express those remembrances as they work to make their mother’s final months as comfortable as possible. In return, Bea personally thanks her Emmanuel Hospice care team – by name, when she can – during evening prayer.

One time, she couldn’t quite recall specifically one Emmanuel team member, but knew she was a spiritual caregiver. “The shepherd,” she managed to whisper. In another instance, she couldn’t conjure the name of a therapist who comes with her guitar and harp to sing hymns and more with her. “Bless the ‘music-maker,’” she offered.

Bea Blasingame makes a hand mold with the help of Emmanuel Hospice staff. (courtesy, Emmanuel Hospice)

Indeed, music and prayer have always loomed large in Bea’s life. She led songs at her church, sang solos and played the accordion. Her favorite Bible verse is from Psalms: “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Losing her husband – whom she married at 17 (she fibbed her age up to 18 on the legal document) – was tough four years ago. COVID made the grieving worse.

When Bea fell ill last winter, her son and four daughters helped her battle back, but eventually, it was decided hospice care would be best. The whole family shares their mother’s gratefulness for Emmanuel Hospice. In addition to providing medical care, the nonprofit has prioritized making space for opportunities to create lasting memories and have joyful experiences as they cherish time together.

“We don’t know where we’d be without Emmanuel,” Mattson says. “I think honestly that God has had a hand in all of this, in having Emmanuel beside us.”

Raymond adds: “We’re just floored with the quality of people at Emmanuel. What they provide is just beyond what any one of us expected.”

To learn more about hospice care, visit EmmanuelHospice.org.

Flexibility and compassion for to serving as hospice nurse

3-bottom, Community Health, Senior Living

By Emmanuel Hospice

Left, Rachel Baxter, a registered nurse with Emmanuel Hospice, focuses her attention on the needs of patient June Winstanley. Working in hospice care, Baxter treats every patient like they’re her only one – making the most of every precious moment. (Couresty, Emmanuel Hospice)

A “typical day” in the life of a hospice nurse?

Well, that’s a tough one. Because arguably, it doesn’t exist.

Just ask Rachel Baxter, a registered nurse with Emmanuel Hospice, who is greeted every workday by a schedule that is anything but typical.

What every day does guarantee, however, is that as an ambassador for hospice, she will be challenged to provide top-notch care and treat every patient like they’re her only one.

“You learn to expect the unexpected,” says Baxter, a healthcare provider the better part of a decade. “Often, I make a plan first thing in the morning that looks great on paper, but with a single text or phone call, everything can change, which requires me to be flexible.

“It’s what you do when you’re trying to make every moment count for every patient to whom you’re providing care.”

Serving as a hospice nurse demands you remain nimble during the workday, looking for opportunities to tap into an array of services a hospice care provider like Emmanuel offers. When caring for patients, Emmanuel Hospice draws on a holistic approach that focuses on mind, body and spirit.

“I rely on a very talented team of providers,” Baxter says, taking her cues from other Emmanuel Hospice practitioners and therapists who specialize in areas from pain management to playing music to providing medical massages.

“We differentiate ourselves in that way,” she says. “It’s what sets us apart, and makes us especially capable of helping our clients along on their journey.”

The interdisciplinary team is all about collaboration and communication, sharing resources, skills and expertise to deliver care with compassion and ensure all needs are met.

“I put my absolute trust in judgment and knowledge of my co-workers,” she says. “We all see different things, and it’s vital we share that information because it’s in the best interest of the patient and that patient’s family.”

Working in hospice care, Rachel Baxter treats every patient like they’re her only one – making the most of every precious moment. (Couresty, Emmanuel Hospice)

This extends in varied ways especially when serving a patient in the privacy of their home, which can contrast markedly from treating someone in a facility.

“When you’re in someone’s home, it can begin to feel like your own,” Baxter says. “You might be there often with a spouse or other members of the family. You begin to see rhythms and patterns, and you adapt and adjust to those. You become acutely aware of the sights, sounds and other elements important to your patient.”

Baxter might see three patients in a workday or as many as six or seven. While she might serve anyone within Emmanuel Hospice’s service area, she primarily sees patients near the lakeshore before returning to her own home in Zeeland. She appreciates the flexibility of her schedule, which allows her to enjoy her surroundings and read or crochet during breaks.

While the care she provides can change from patient to patient, there is always one constant: “I’m focusing on every precious moment my patient has left. I want to be calm and confident, warm and reassuring. How do you feel? What can I do? How do you want to live?

“Living life to the fullest – no matter the time left – is what we’re all about.”

For more information about hospice care, visit EmmanuelHospice.org

Providing physical comfort in hospice requires attention to cues, team approach

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Community Health, Health, Senior Living

By Emmanuel Hospice

A combination of medical care and complementary therapies can be used to provide physical comfort in hospice. (Courtesy, Emmanuel Hospice)

Sometimes, it’s what the patient shares by simply speaking. But a hospice practitioner can also make inroads by what patients express with a turn of the hand, the way they’re sitting, a look on their face.

“In treating the body, we’re listening in a lot of different ways,” says Joan Blessings, a licensed massage therapist at Emmanuel Hospice based in Grand Rapids. “Sometimes, you can feel patients relax and, in that way, they’re communicating. And ultimately, that helps us help them live their best lives.”

Blessings has been a massage therapist some two decades, nearly half of those years in a hospice setting.

“At first, I really didn’t know if I wanted to do this,” she says, “because our patients pass away. But what I find joy in is giving them comfort. It can be a simple foot or hand massage, but that can create a huge difference for them.

“We believe our patients are more than just their diagnosis. So, we’ll make available all kinds of complementary therapies aimed at treating them in a truly holistic way.”

It’s remarkable, she continues, the way in which the body responds to music, to scents, to time with a pet – and of course, her specialty – massage.

At times, that can mean a light touch to someone experiencing generalized pain. In other cases, it might call for zeroing in on anything from facial muscles to the entire spine. The benefits can manifest themselves in increased mobility, reduced inflammation and more.

 

It takes time and practice to focus on the physical needs of each patient.

“Every patient is different,” she says. “When I go in for the first time, I am seeking to meet their expectations, and working hard to understand what those are.”

While she focuses on massage, she’s also paying attention to how else that patient might benefit from others on the care team. During the massage, they might talk about craving a spiritual connection. Perhaps they want to visit the beach or a flower garden. Another might want to sing or listen to hymns.

Blessings makes detailed notes of those desires into a digital logbook that everyone else attending to that patient can discover and then act on. A variety of complementary programs can be used alongside pharmaceutical approaches to provide physical comfort and support other health needs.

“We are so team-oriented,” Blessings says. “And everything we do is integrated on behalf of the patient, so they get everything they need from everyone with whom I work. It’s a very important part of their care program, and when a situation changes, we’re all aware of it.”

The rewards are many: “I served a woman the other day who said to me, ‘I’m 94-years-old, and I have never had a massage.’ I was able to smile and tell her, ‘Well, after I walk out that door, you won’t be able to say that anymore.’”

For more information, visit EmmanuelHospice.org/holistic-care.

To Listen is to Learn is to Nurture the Spirit

3-bottom, Community Health, Health, Senior Living

By Emmanuel Hospice

Spiritual caregivers provide a caring listening ear for hospice patients and their loved ones as unique questions and experiences arise during life’s final journey, helping them find peace. Pictured are Spiritual Caregiver David Veldt with former patient Richard Murley. (Courtesy of Emmanuel Hospice)

There are a lot of ways to define and discuss the ways in which a hospice professional might nurture a patient’s spirit.

For the Rev. Madelyn Thompson, a spiritual caregiver at Emmanuel Hospice, it doesn’t lean much on credentials she might bring to the bedside. Instead, it relies on her ability to listen, learn and be actively present.

“One of my favorite spiritual influences,” says Thompson, “is Henri Nouwen, who said, ‘The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing…not healing, not curing…that is a friend who cares.’

“Generally speaking, being spiritual is being in a relationship – with yourself, with other people, with nature, with your pets, with creation,” Thompson says. “What I’ve discovered is that patients can be most distressed at life’s end with regrets or unforgiveness, wishing they’ve done something differently. I might not be able to fix things, but maybe I can help them be at peace with themselves. That’s nurturing the spirit.”

Although Thompson has an advanced degree and plenty of experience, she prefers to focus on how she’s still observing and absorbing.

“I don’t have a plan when I walk through a door,” she acknowledges. “I have to rely on something other-worldly, something other than myself.”

Over the course of some 20 years working in hospice care, Thompson has become increasingly aware of how the spirit is much more powerful than any words she might bring to a patient and their family.

She’s also been struck by how an awkward moment can be placated in the most beautiful and bittersweet ways. Many years ago, flustered at not being able to reconcile all the people in a room paying their final respects to a dying woman, a 5-year-old great-grandson burst in, flung himself on the patient’s bed and said, “I will love you forever, grandma,” then kissed her and disappeared.

“The whole countenance of the room started to change,” says Thompson, who believes that moment – and so many others she’s witnessed – was rendered by the divine.

She’s quick to admit how “that’s not always the lovely case,” but more times than not, if you’re patient, “some redemption can occur.”

Thompson has worked for other hospices, and emphasizes, “Every hospice shares some components, but you can tell which ones go above and beyond, who extend complementary therapies, who continue to offer a hand and an ear to loved ones even weeks and months after a loved one has passed.”

She says the best hospices attend to the whole person, including their spirituality. “And that involves listening to their life story, to their experiences, allowing them to guide us into how we can help them, rather than walking in and saying, ‘I know how to help you.’”

As an interfaith organization, Emmanuel Hospice meets the spiritual needs of all individuals, guiding patients and their loved ones in finding solace and strength through a peaceful life transition.

Over the years, Thompson says she’s discovered “we all express ourselves and our spirituality in different, creative ways.”

She notes the more she exposes herself to opportunities for more learning, the better she’ll be prepared to nurture that spiritual side.

“I like to assume we’re all interconnected and interested in one another’s stories,” she says. “I find solace in building on that base of love and understanding.”

For more information, visit EmmanuelHospice.org/holistic-care.

Acknowledging a complex mind is integral to caring for the whole person

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By Emmanuel Hospice

The human body’s most complex organ?

A range of activities, including counseling, journaling, massage therapy and more, can be offered to hospice patients and their loved ones to help put the mind at ease. Pictured are Joan Blessings, a licensed massage therapist and member of Emmanuel Hospice’s complementary therapy team, with patient Virginia “Ginny” Gengle. (Courtesy, Emmanuel Hospice)

The brain, teeming with some 86 billion neurons, all of which are in use and communicating with other neurons to form circuits and share information along myriad pathways.

That is exactly why healthcare providers like Emmanuel Hospice pay special attention not only to a patient’s physical needs, but to the mind – a growing trend among medical professionals in general, who are embracing this holistic approach more than ever before.

“The traditional medical mindset has been to focus in on what is going on with the body,” notes Lauren Enos, a social worker at Emmanuel Hospice who has been a healthcare worker 16 years. “What we’re learning, though, is that things occurring medically can be the result of external stressors and events. When we pay attention to that as well, we gain a more accurate picture of causes and circumstances surrounding what a patient is going through.”

Because providing comfort is a primary goal of hospice programs, it’s important to know a patient’s history so that they can receive the best care possible.

“A person’s life is steeped in history, culture and habit,” Enos says. “They’re a product of the people who came before them, and it can inform their qualities and characteristics – anything from education to spending habits to relationships.”

Learning about how a person thinks and acts – especially in a singular situation like dying – can help caregivers approach that patient and their friends and family in more sensitive ways.

“Each patient could be someone who perhaps is carrying five generations of history with any particular issue,” Enos says. “It’s important we know as much as we can.”

As a social worker, Enos says it’s especially important to be an active listener. The rewards will manifest themselves in the patient’s story, which will provide cues as to what they’re thinking and why they react the way they do. They will also serve as a springboard for developing strategies to effectively navigate end-of-life needs.

“We want to decrease the patient’s tension, and maybe that’s achievable in having someone play music for them and sing hymns,” Enos says. “Maybe it’s through massage therapy or acupuncture or just practicing deep breathing.”

At Emmanuel Hospice, a full slate of complementary therapies is available to patients and their families, including journaling, which can take multiple forms. While some patients make daily diary-like entries, others might simply write a letter or two that helps them internalize feelings that are tough to verbally express.

Another program offered is Art Legacy, which gives patients the opportunity to create and leave behind legacy artwork for their loved ones. Patients can use anything from crayon to watercolor paint, fabrics and more for self-expression.

“All of these activities allow the mind to relax and let creative energy flow,” Enos says. “It can bring emotions to the front.

“Supporting our patients’ minds culminates in some very powerful moments. It begins with having a respect for the entire person and all the systems they might be in – home environment, community, school, family origins. It’s a privilege to be part of a team which honors that process.”

Knowing when to call hospice can be a game-changer

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Knowing when to call for hospice care can be a difficult decision, but many families say they wish they would have called sooner. Hospice care is available to anyone who’s received a physician’s diagnosis of six or fewer months to live.

By Emmanuel Hospice

It’s sometimes easier to define what hospice is not rather than trying to absorb all the things it is – especially in assessing when one should reach out.

“A common misconception is that we’re available only at the eleventh hour, or just days or weeks before someone passes,” says Dana Shelton-Clark, an admissions social worker with Emmanuel Hospice. “But hospice care is really holistic support for anyone who’s been given a physician’s prognosis of six or fewer months to live. And that’s only a requirement for admission.

“There’s no ticking clock, no time limit for the amount of time the hospice benefit can be used as long as someone remains eligible.”

What Shelton-Clark and her colleagues too often hear from patients and their caregivers is this: We wish we would have called sooner.

Dealing with an approaching death can be understandably trying, to say the least. At Emmanuel Hospice, says Shelton-Clark, a team approach is instituted to rally around the loved one and care for them in mind, body and spirit. And there’s no one-size-fits-all approach, either. Instead, care and options are customized to consider each individual’s wants and needs.

“We often get comments such as ‘I didn’t know this is what hospice is’ and ‘I didn’t know hospice could provide this,’” she explains. “All it really takes is a phone call to set up a meeting that will provide a clear and accurate window into all the services hospice offers.”

Shelton-Clark notes some people put off calling hospice because they’re being counseled by medical personnel still fighting for a cure.

“We understand that,” she says, “because most doctors are trained in an approach to do all they can to ‘fix’ the problem. But cures are not always possible, and hospice is a treatment option that should be offered and considered.

“Our focus is to instead provide interventions that relieve symptoms and allow patients to focus on how they really want to live, so that they have as many good days and months as possible.”

Shelton-Clark emphasizes hospice will come to wherever it is the loved one calls home – their own house, or a relative’s, or an assisted living facility or memory care unit. During a first discussion, there’s never any obligation to sign on or take next steps. That’s up to the individual and their caregivers. But sometimes, just that initial meeting is enough to help people understand their options going forward.

Some people actually improve during hospice care, in some cases enough to no longer require services. But they’re free to return if they decline to a point where they again meet eligibility standards; there are never any deadlines imposed.

Shelton-Clark acknowledges that the role of Emmanuel Hospice is as much to provide education as it is to provide care – doing all it can to acquaint people with what hospice is and why it’s better to reach out earlier than later.

“There are so many ways for us to assist,” she says, “especially for that person who’s been in and out of the hospital and is ready for that revolving door to finally stop. That’s the time to give us a call and learn more.

“Our compassionate and experienced team is ready to answer any questions you may have.”

For more information, visit EmmanuelHospice.org or call 616-719-0919.

Cardiac program provides better quality of life, control over care

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By Emmanuel Hospice
EmmanuelHospice.org

Despite frequent doctor, ER and hospital visits for those with end-stage heart disease, many eligible patients don’t receive palliative or hospice care to improve their quality of life – but Emmanuel Hospice wants to change that.

With care guidelines developed by the American Heart Association, Emmanuel Hospice professionals are helping patients living with end-stage heart disease achieve better quality of life and control over their care. (Supplied/Adobe Stock)

Hospice professionals like Melissa Schmidt are working to help more patients with advanced congestive heart failure access the enhanced care they deserve.

“Even though heart disease is the nation’s top cause of death, hundreds of thousands of patients with heart failure die alone in hospitals, never utilizing end-of-life care and support,” says Schmidt, who serves as Emmanuel Hospice’s director of clinical services. “Hospice care can help manage or even prevent symptoms associated with cardiovascular disease and keep patients out of the hospital.

“This not only puts patients and families in better control over their care, it also saves money and reduces the stress of repeated hospitalizations.”

At Emmanuel, care is provided to patients wherever they call home. With the nonprofit’s Heart & Soul Advanced Cardiac Care Program, patients have access to a robust care team – nurses, physicians, spiritual caregivers and complementary therapists, all of whom are specially trained in heart failure and in collaborating with outside care providers.

Made possible through the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation, or NPHI, Heart & Soul relies on care guidelines developed by the American Heart Association for individuals living with end-stage heart disease.

“Our advanced cardiac care program enables patients to be cared for in a way that works alongside their diagnosis,” Schmidt explains. “We’re able to look at innovative ways to care for patients in collaboration with their cardiologists or other physicians to support the whole person – mind, body and soul.”

Among the unique ways Emmanuel Hospice can support people living with advanced cardiac disease are its complementary services, which can be used alongside pharmaceutical approaches or as alternatives for holistic end-of-life care. In particular, music and massage therapy have proven to be successful in the management of symptoms for Heart & Soul patients.

For example, Emmanuel Hospice’s music therapists aid in anxiety relief for patients living with heart disease through music-assisted relaxation to influence heart rate, enhance breathing and support management of stress.

The use of massage therapy can help reduce painful swelling of feet, ankles and legs that comes with end-stage heart disease. For one of Schmidt’s patients, this service helped avoid an increase in medication, enabling him to remain comfortably at home until his death.

The additional support and education hospice can provide is ideal for patients who wish to avoid repeated trips to the emergency room.According to NPHI, advanced cardiac care programs like Emmanuel’s have already helped lower hospitalization rates in the last year by 23% for patients during their last 30 days of life. Patients who are a part of these programs visit the ER nearly half as much as those not receiving hospice care.

“The decrease in emergency rates is remarkable because patients with heart failure are known to need frequent visits to the doctor’s office, emergency room and hospital due to breathing difficulties, fatigue and other worsening symptoms,” Schmidt says. “Reducinginpatient and emergency services reduces stress, which can improve both mental and physical health outcomes.”

Avoiding trips to the ER or hospital also helps save patients money. The average cost of care in NPHI advanced cardiac care programs is 20-35% lower for patients than those who aren’t in hospice care.

While this is promising data, Schmidt says there’s more work to be done in overcoming myths about hospice care and encouraging families and caregivers to reach out sooner to seek this invaluable service.

“Many people think that hospice is just for your last couple of days or weeks or that calling hospice means giving up,” she says. “Hospice is holistic care and support for people who have been given a physician prognosis of six months or less to live and want to maximize that time.

“We want to help these individuals and families know it is absolutely OK to utilize hospice to supplement other medical care that’s already being provided. Our entire team is trained and ready to walk alongside you with individualized care for your end-of-life journey.”

To learn more about Heart & Soul, individuals can visit EmmanuelHospice.org/cardiac-program or call 616-719-0919.

Navigating grief around Father’s Day with planning, support and connection

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People Attending Self Emmanuel Hospice’s grief support services are open to anyone in the community. (Adobe Stock/Supplied)

By Emmanuel Hospice

In our commercial world, we’re subjected to displays of gifts, candy and cards for weeks ahead of a holiday. With technology today, there are even targeted ads on our phones and social media platforms that show us memories from past celebrations.

For someone struggling with grief, these aren’t always friendly cues to prepare for the holiday. They can be triggering reminders of how a loved one isn’t here anymore.

“We know significant dates like anniversaries, birthdays and holidays can be a challenge for those grieving the loss of an important person in their life,” says Merrin Bethel, a bereavement coordinator with Emmanuel Hospice. “Holidays like Father’s Day and Mother’s Day can be especially difficult after the loss of a parent.”

Parents are often the first to love and care for all of us. It can be painful mourning that unique relationship with someone who has known you since you came into the world. Around days dedicated to honoring parents, there can be multiple, conflicting emotions.

“You may be angry at the world for celebrating a day that highlights just how much the person you love is missing from the picture, all while wanting to be a part of the laughter and joy around you,” Ashley Huisman, another Emmanuel Hospice bereavement coordinator, explains. “Remember it is OK to feel more than one thing at once and none of these feelings are wrong. Give yourself the space to ride the roller coaster of emotions the day may bring.”

Quite often the anticipation of the day can be worse than the day itself. To help prevent anxiety, Huisman recommends making a plan A, B and C – or as many as you need – to find a sense of peace that whatever happens, you’ll be ready.

“Take a good inventory of yourself, your emotions and what you need out of the day,” Huisman says. “Maybe plan A is to be with friends and family, sharing memories and participating in planned activities. Maybe plan B is leaving the gathering early or skipping a part of the day all together because being with others may be a bit overwhelming.”

Acknowledging the day with a remembrance activity is another healthy way to cope.

“It’s common for people to wonder if the holiday should even be celebrated or observed after the loss of a loved one and what that should look like,” Bethel adds. “We invite people to do whatever feels best for their family.

“It’s great if you want to get birthday cake on your dad’s birthday or go out to dad’s favorite restaurant on Father’s Day. It’s healthy to continue finding ways to stay connected with a person we’ve lost.”

After the loss of a loved one, it’s also important to find support in family, friends and sometimes even the help of a professional to navigate what you’re experiencing.

“If possible, find a friend or other supportive person you can talk to honestly about the day,” Huisman says. “Let them know when you are having a hard moment or when you want to share a memory. Remember, you are not alone.”

For more information on coping with grief, Emmanuel Hospice is hosting topical three-session workshops through end of August. Held at 401 Hall St. SW in Grand Rapids, the in-person grief support events are free and open to anyone in the community regardless of whether they have a prior connection with the nonprofit or hospice care.

The organization also provides individual support to anyone who has suffered a loss. For more information or to RSVP for a workshop or group, email EHBereavement@EmmanuelHospice.org or call 616.719.0919.

Another way to offer love: Art Legacy helps hospice patients create lasting memories

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By Emmanuel Hospice

Licensed Massage Therapist Joan Blessings works with an Emmanuel Hospice patient. (supplied)

While gathering a curated kit of art supplies, Joan Blessings marvels at how the act of creativity can bring such physical and emotional comfort to the patients she serves through Emmanuel Hospice.

A longtime fan of arts and crafts herself, Blessings never anticipated a day she’d be incorporating her hobby into her work. As a licensed massage therapist and member of the complementary therapy team, she works to manage patient symptoms through the power of touch, essential oils and other services.

But now with Art Legacy, Emmanuel Hospice’s newest complementary service offering, she’s also able to share her passion with patients, giving them the opportunity to create and leave behind legacy artwork for their loved ones.

“Art has a way of working different parts of the brain and bringing up different memories, as well has having positive effects physically,” Blessings says. “As patients create, their breathing can get easier, their shoulders relax, they laugh and smile more – it’s amazing to see the impact it can have.”

Art Legacy is designed to encourage self-expression while assisting with symptom management, supporting memories and providing connection. The program utilizes a variety of materials and relies on the creativity of Art Legacy facilitators, like Blessings, to give patients the opportunity to create.

The Art Legacy Hand Mold provides an opportunity for a person to make a hand mold with or for their loved ones. (supplied)

As a complementary service, Art Legacy is used alongside pharmaceutical and other medical approaches to help with mood regulation and coping, as well as anxiety, restlessness or boredom.

In addition to this new art program, Emmanuel Hospice offers other complementary services such as music therapy, pet visitors, virtual reality and acupuncture, to name a few. Blessings says what sets Art Legacy apart from the other offerings is how it engages patients.

“It’s important to us to provide our patients with a variety of options that engage the senses and create unique, joyful memories,” Blessings says. “Art Legacy is one more way we are able to do that. It differs from our other complementary offerings in that most of those services are something that the patient or loved ones are receiving rather than creating.

“Art Legacy really involves our patients in hands-on, enriching activities that improve their quality of life through self-expression, symptom management and more.”

The program also provides an opportunity to make a hand mold with or for their loved ones as a meaningful and tangible artifact. The hand mold can be of the patient’s hand alone or with a loved one to commemorate a relationship.

Art Legacy is designed to encourage self-expression while assisting with symptom management, supporting memories and providing connection. (supplied)

For patients who are more isolated, Art Legacy not only provides a way to engage with something but also someone. Patients enjoy the comfort of companionship that is included with a session through an Art Legacy facilitator.

Whether it be a staff member or trained volunteer, Art Legacy facilitators offer a compassionate presence while patients create. While an interest in art is helpful, no experience is needed to serve as a facilitator.

“Art Legacy facilitators don’t have to be super artsy; they can just be there to facilitate the activity,” Blessings explains. “We’re really there to spend quality time with someone, to bring some joy to their life and to offer them some love in a different way.”

Individuals who are interested in volunteering or learning more about Emmanuel Hospice can visit EmmanuelHospice.org for more information.

Education is critical to understanding hospice options

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Emmanuel Hospice and Palliative Care Music Therapist Miranda Eden leads a session on the benefits of music therapy at a recent conference on aging in Grand Rapids. (Supplied)

By Emmanuel Hospice

A wise philosopher once said, “Education is the ability to meet life’s situations.”

That’s especially applicable to understanding all the options offered by a hospice organization, according to Jennifer Radaz, education manager at Emmanuel Hospice.

“As we make contacts, we’re constantly assessing a person’s educational needs when it comes to hospice,” she says. “One of our main goals is to inform, and help patients and caregivers understand the scope of our services and how we operate.”

Radaz says that often means countering misconceptions about hospice care, including the mistaken notion that you must necessarily be within your last hours or days to receive services.

 

“As a result, we see a lot of late referrals, where people have been ill for some time and were unaware they could have had all of our services a long time beforehand,” Radaz notes. “The longer hospice is able to develop a relationship with a patient and their family, the better we can care and prepare them both for what lies ahead.”

Radaz points to critically ill cardiac patients in particular, noting that heart disease is the number one killer of Americans, and yet those suffering from heart disease typically wait too long to summon hospice for assistance. They sometimes receive only a few days’ care when, in reality, they qualified for hospice and could have taken advantage of hospice services for weeks or even months prior to their deaths.

Another misconception that Emmanuel seeks to address is that a hospice takes over with a plan of their own.

 

“We do not come in with an agenda,” Radaz explains. “Rather, we’re there to work with family and other caregivers, eager to know what matters to them, and how we can best address their needs. We don’t offer a one-size-fits-all.”

 

Emmanuel also strives to educate people that their brand of hospice care is funded by Medicare and private donations to support programs, like complementary therapies. This enables Emmanuel to provide core nursing, pain management, grief support and related services, as well as complementary therapies that bring music, massage, art and much more to the bedside.

Participants at a recent aging conference in Grand Rapids participate in a music therapy program. (Supplied)

“We want to approach people on multiple levels for their pain and management,” Radaz says, “and part of that is providing those soothing human touches that aren’t addressed by conventional medicine.”

Educating the public doesn’t stop at patients and caregivers, she emphasizes. Emmanuel, for instance, is constantly seeking ways to make connections with communities of caregivers that includes doctors, nurses and social workers. In fact, much of what they offer in a formal setting will count toward continuing education hours for health professionals.

Additionally, Emmanuel often delivers presentations at businesses, organizations, colleges and universities and professional conferences to promote better understanding of hospice and its benefits. The nonprofit also reaches out to retirement communities and medical facilities, continually exploring new ways to share its mission, philosophy and array of services with those who need it most.

“We believe that information is key,” Radaz explains, “and that it’s wonderful to be informed. We’re happy to provide that information in whatever setting is comfortable for that person. And there’s never any obligation. Sometimes, people aren’t ready to sign on for hospice; they just want to understand their options going forward.

“We’re happy to simply establish a relationship. As changes occur, we can step in, but only when that door is open to us. In the meantime, we’re happy to have those conversations.”

On-Call Hospice supports patients in their hour of need

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By Emmanuel Hospice

Emmanuel Hospice works with those family members wanting to help as caregivers. (Supplied)

When it comes to providing care for its patients, Emmanuel Hospice doesn’t differentiate weekdays from weekends or days from nights. It’s a commitment that runs 24/7/365.

“We do whatever it takes to answer every need, and it doesn’t depend on the hour of day,” said Joyce Robinson-Beck, an extended care nurse for Emmanuel Hospice.

In her role, Robinson-Beck serves as the point person for a larger team of caregivers, who are also available overnight and on weekends. This includes registered nurses, social workers, aides, spiritual caregivers and even a nurse who can handle emergency admissions after-hours.

“When it comes to providing holistic care and compassionate support, we don’t pay too much attention to clocks and calendars,” said Emmanuel Hospice Executive Director Sara Lowe. “We are always at the ready to provide answers and care for our patients in their hour of need – whenever that may be.”

When someone calls the nonprofit provider of hospice care on an evening or weekend, they’ll speak to a registered nurse trained in triage, which is the ability to assign a degree of urgency to an illness or injury. That nurse then communicates with other Emmanuel Hospice personnel, who then process the information and act accordingly.

Sometimes, the situation can be handled by a phone or video call. If a personal visit is warranted, Robinson-Beck says there’s never any hesitation, even if it means repeated visits during the same night.

“Just the other weekend, we had a lady who had fallen to the floor and her husband couldn’t lift her,” Robinson-Beck said. “I went there in an instant and helped get her up. It was two in the morning, but that’s not a factor. You just go.”

She and other members of the extended care team might personally visit up to two dozen or more patients on any given weekend, tending to everything from a need for supplies to altering medications to coaching family members willing to help as caregivers.

 

“Extended care that provides services at night and on weekends is, to me, the root of what our team depends on,” Robinson-Beck said. “Everybody expects people in place from 9 to 5, but we are always trying to go the extra mile in those so-called off hours as well. It’s our goal to fulfill every need, no matter the time.

“And if you need us there in person, we’re on the way.”