A physical therapist’s perspective

By Fran Moore, PT

When people ask me what I do in homecare, they are often surprised to learn that many of the patients I work with are hospice patients. The first response I often hear is, “It seems that a hospice patient could not tolerate physical therapy.” Patients and caregivers often confuse physical therapy with physical training. And, while it’s true that physical therapists provide “physical training” with some patient populations, the role of the physical therapist with the hospice patient and his caregivers is very different than it is with traditional rehab patients.

What does a speech therapist do in hospice care?

By Terri Durkin, SLP and Maggie Vescovich, SLP

It may seem like every time you turn around you are welcoming another member of the hospice team to your home. The nurse, home health aide, and social worker may have been expected. But a speech therapist?

Quieting the mind: Stress reduction practices for hospice caregivers

By Valerie Hartman

Hospice caregiving brings about stress and sadness of a life-altering nature. As the holidays bring even more stress and emotional expectations, finding a day, an hour, or even a moment of peace and relaxation is essential. I can’t say this enough- “Worry and fear are what define stress as a hospice caregiver”. Calming the nervous system for a short time each day is an important self-care plan that will enable you to cope from day to day, or week to week.

The silent world of speech therapy in hospice

By Maggie Vescovich, SLP

In a world of many different voices and languages, there is yet another world where people live, a world where they’ve lost their ability to communicate as they once did. As a speech therapist, it is a special privilege to be consulted to see individuals on hospice care, to be a part of that person’s life at a time where they, and their loved ones, particularly desire to maintain a sense of closeness, communication, and connection for as long as possible.

What is hospice reflexology?

By Valerie Hartman

My hospice, Holy Redeemer Hospice, has a team of complementary therapy nurses who use their skills in a variety of ways to help patients with symptoms, and to help caregivers cope with stress.  This nursing team can provide sessions using massage, reflexology, healing touch, and aromatherapy.

The complementary therapy nurses all like to teach about the simplest forms of touch that can help connect caregivers to their loved ones during difficult times. They also like to teach about the clinical benefits (symptom relief) for patients and caregivers under stress.  Since teaching is such a big part of what nurses do in their role, I want to use this opportunity to blog about one bodywork therapy that is designed to relieve and restore most everyone enduring stressful times in a healthcare crisis:  reflexology.  Reflexology was designed to bust stress.

Aromatherapy in Hospice: The Connection to Biblical Oils

By Valerie Hartman

More than a year ago, I started studying for my clinical aromatherapy certification, perhaps an unusual thing for a hospice nurse. The introductory weekend explored Biblical oils: more than 18 aromatic plant oils are mentioned in the Old and the New Testament.  While I expected to be learning about essential oils that were used for religious purposes (such as an anointing), I discovered that the essential oils of Biblical times reflect a lifestyle. Dating back 4,000 years ago people of all faiths and traditions had a close relationship with, and reliance on, the extracted oils from a variety of herbs, flowers, and tree resins. Physicians and spiritual leaders relied on plants for health and spiritual care.  Physicians used essential oils for healing ailments (anxiety, depression, insomnia); spiritual leaders burned aromatics in sacred rituals and used essential oils to prepare the body after death and to ease the grief of mourners.

Gardens and Grief

By Valerie Hartman

Four years ago, I lost my mother to cancer.  Three days after my mother died, a close neighbor lost his battle with cancer, too. Our families shared lives, and in 2008 we shared losses.  I remain very close to Ann, who was a constant source of strength to her young husband and her children during fragile times.

My family and Ann’s were connected through more than our bereavement. My mother, who was a poet laureate, developed her poetic voice in the garden as she grieved the loss of her own 26-year-old son.  The garden and writing poetry saved her emotional life years ago as she lived through that difficult time.  My neighbor Ann is also an avid gardener.  I asked her the other day how the garden has played a role in her grief process since her husband died.  She thought about it, and then described a comfort and a revelation that she said she had never articulated before.  She agreed to share a few insights in honor of  ‘the garden’ as therapist.

The garden as refuge for hospice caregivers

By Valerie Hartman

For the past 40 weeks, I have been driving my car down a tree lined avenue, parking on a side street, and walking up to Mike’s door. I pass a small pond garden in the front yard, the water sounds capture my attention and I slow my step, pause at the trickle of water for a deep breath. Mike’s wife gardens, she looks to the calming influences of nature to find refuge – a place to relax her nervous system, reflect on life, and establish order during a time of change. Admittedly she has much less time to tend to the garden this year, so she finds ways to bring the natural elements from the outside, in. The environment of the home is designed around principles of Feng Shui; she uses color, sound, light, and uncluttered space to maintain a restful environment.

Bathing in the last days of life

by Valerie Hartman

I have been a nurse’s aide and a hospice nurse since the grass roots movement of hospice philosophy took hold in America.  Those years taught me a lot about providing personal care and bathing with sensitivity. A bath can, and should, be more than a daily head-to-toe routine. It can provide a presence that brings dignity and respect during a time of vulnerability. Adapting the bath creates a gentle nurturing experience for both you and your loved one, especially during the last days of life.

The art of simple caregiving: Hand massage, hand holding, and meaningful presence

by Valerie Hartman

“Simple, careful touch of the human hand is one of the most ancient and effective means for relieving discomfort in the body.”

                                                                                                      Dawn Nelson, Massage Therapist, 2002

In February we talked about the benefits of complementary therapy in hospice care. While complementary therapies are usually provided by skilled or certified therapists, many techniques can be adapted and used in daily caregiving. Holding or massaging hands, is one natural way to develop meaningful connections and demonstrate care for the ones we love.