Blue Skies Hospice Hosts Elvis Day

On Wednesday, February 15th, Blue Skies Hospice organized and hosted an Elvis concert screening for residents at Kindred Care of Dyer. Residents were able to watch the Elvis Presley: Aloha from Hawaii concert, enjoy refreshments, and sing along with their favorite tunes. The event made for a wonderful and fun afternoon. Elvis was in the building!




Kindred Care resident Michele poses with Elvis

Kindred Care residents filled the dining room to watch The King.

Blues Skies volunteer Julie Hancin, Breanne Bizon, and Blue Skies volunteer coordinator Pearl Masciotra take their picture with Elvis.


                                          

Call For Volunteers at Blue Skies

Blue Skies Hospice is looking for volunteers interested in providing support and companionship to patients and families at the facility, 2712 169th St. Volunteers will receive training. Pearl Masciotra is the volunteer coordinator. Call (219) 554-0688 or visit http://www.blueskieshospice.com/

Writer and Episcopal Priest: Hospice Assists a "Good Death"

Michael Gemignani, a writer and Episcopal priest, writes an informative and moving essay about the importance of hospice. He relates his theological and philosophical thoughts to the experience of losing his wife, Carol. Gemignani writes:

The role of hospice is to educate society about dying and a to make the three criteria outlined above a reality. When hospice workers are clear in their own minds what constitutes a good death, they can help their patients achieve it.

Read Gemignani's essay to discover his "three criteria" and why he believes the "hospice movement" is so vital to the health of America.

Dealing With Anger

When people face a terminal diagnosis or learn of that a loved one has received a terminal diagnosis, anger is a natural response. Anger is a universal emotion that if understood properly and channeled effectively can become useful during the grieving and coping processes. Blue Skies Hospice has a staff of trained and compassionate professionals dedicated to caring for patients and their families as they run the gauntlet of emotions, fluctuating from anger to sadness to despair and to acceptance.

Louisa Rogers, a counselor and communication consultant in California, writes about some of the important ways to deal with anger when terminal or bereaved:

1. Identify destructive expressions of anger. If you express your anger in ways that hurt other people and inculcate feelings of guilt, you are likely expressing your anger in an overly aggressive, overly passive, or indirect fashion. Identify those moments and expressions, and self-critically work to correct and curtail them.

2. Express you anger assertively. State clearly and firmly what is upsetting you without attacking the other person.

3. Give yourself time. Slow down and take a moment of reflection before expressing yourself impulsively and angrily. This step is especially important for the bereaved, who are often operating in an emotional state and should reflect in a number of ways for a number of reasons.

4. Practice detachment. Detachment is not always synonymous with cold and insensitive. Detachment is often necessary for emotional health and intellectual sanity. If a person or series of circumstances is the cause of undue anxiety and anger, it may be wise to momentarily remove yourself from the situation.

Louisa Rogers, in her writing on anger, includes an instructive quote from the great Athenian philosopher Aristotle that summarizes the power of anger and the power to control it:

"Anybody can become angry - that is easyl but to be angry with the right person, and to the right degree, and at the right time, and for the right purpose, and in the right way - is not easy."

Even if it is not easy, everyone can work to accomplish it. During moments of pain brought on by death, Blue Skies Hospice can help those deal with their anger and find the right way.

Hospice Chaplain Writes About Importance of Family Care Giving

The Rev. Amy Ziettlow wrote an interesting commentary today at the Huffington Post on the importance and shifting role of the family caregiver. Rev. Ziettlow explains how caring for the elderly has and will continue to become a most significant issue to countless Americans as members of the baby boomer generation age into their twilight years.

She ends her thoughtful reflection with a series of questions that everyone must consider:

The next 30 years will be defined by the quality of care we provide for our elders. How will the baby boomers age and die? How are we as their kids going to care for them well and honor their memory and legacy? What kind of lives will we review?

Blue Skies Hospice can help families in Northwest Indiana answer these questions. The dedicated staff of nurses, social workers, clergy, and volunteers understands, appreciates, and respects the sanctity of the situation from which these questions arise, and will assist families in determining what is best for them, and how they can achieve peace in moments of pain.

Visit Blue Skies at The Crown Point Community Foundation's Volunteer Fair

It is a great pleasure and great honor for Blue Skies Hospice to participate in this year's Crown Point Community Foundation Volunteer Fair.

The third annual fair will take place at the Crown Point High School cafeteria on March 10, 2012 from 10am - 3pm. It is a terrific opportunity for volunteers of non-profit organizations and local charities to meet each other, and a great opportunity for members of the Northwest Indiana community to interact with some of the volunteers committed to improving conditions in their community.

If anyone is interested in becoming a volunteer for Blue Skies Hospice, you will have the opportunity to meet our staff, ask questions, and gain information at the fair. For more information on the fair visit the website created by the Crown Point Community Foundation, "Spring Into Action."

Use of Hospice Care is Growing

The Souteast Missourian ran a feature on New Year's Day describing the increasing popularity of hospice care and treatment. As perceptions change, more patients and families are realizing that hospice care is truly a gift for the dying and the grieving:

Hospice care is becoming a growing option for health care across the country. Some, however, still may not be aware of what hospice care is and what it provides for the recipient, as well as its availability in the local area.

Hospice care is considered to be the model of quality, compassionate care for those facing life-limiting illnesses, according to Legacy Hospice Inc. in Osceola, which provides residents living in Mississippi, Crittenden and Poinsett counties with hospice services. The goal of a hospice group is to work with the patient, either in their home or in a nursing home, to make their life as full and complete as it can possibly be during the last stages of an incurable illness, according to Kristin Owens, volunteer and bereavement coordinator for Legacy Hospice.
 
"These people aren't giving up. They just want to be able to live life to the fullest until the very end," Owens said.

The committed and competent staff of Blue Skies is available at all times. Please contact Blue Skies if you have any questions about hospice treatment, and the services that Blue Skies offers.