Blue Skies Hosts Movie Night at Kindred Care

On December 5, Blue Skies volunteers organized a Christmas movie night at Kindred Care, and treated residents to peppermint ice cream and cookies. Residents enjoyed a showing of the holiday favorite Elf. There was laughter, fellowship, and fun. Blue Skies volunteers were happy to host the event.

Blue Skies Volunteers (left to right): Emma, Pat, Briann, John, Vinnay, Lou, Pearl, Jeff

Volunteer Vinnay Kakkera enjoys peppermint ice cream

Blue Skies Participates in Hammond Christmas Parade

On December 1, the Blue Skies staff participated in the Christmas parade of Hammond, Indiana. Blue Skies was happy to be part of the wonderful, communal event with various Hammond businesses, non-profits, and organizations. Blue Skies enjoys being part of the Hammond community, and will continue to do it all can to contribute to its growth and empowerment.

Blue Skies Director Lisa Guzman and Volunteer Coordinator Pearl Masciotra in the parade.

Hospice Care and Nursing Homes

Paula Span, a health advocate, writes for the New York Times' blog on health issues writes about a new study from the Archives of Internal Medicine that looks at how and why terminally ill and actively dying patients choose nursing home care or hospice care. It is often a choice they are forced to make rather than freed to make. As Span writes,

An older person, someone who will die within six months, leaves a hospital. Where does she go?

Almost a third of the time, according to a recent study from the University of California, San Francisco, records show she takes advantage of Medicare’s skilled-nursing facility benefit and enters a nursing home. But is that the best place for end-of-life care?

In terms of monitoring her vital signs and handling IVs — the round-the-clock nursing care that the skilled-nursing facility benefit is designed to provide — maybe so. But for treating end-of-life symptoms like pain and shortness of breath, for providing spiritual support for her and her family, for palliative care that helps her through the ultimate transition – hospice is the acknowledged expert.

She could receive hospice care, also covered by Medicare, while in the nursing home. But since Medicare only rarely reimburses for both hospice and the skilled-nursing facility benefit at the same time, this hypothetical patient and her family face a financial bind. If she opts for the hospice benefit, which does not include room and board at the nursing home, then she will be on the hook for hundreds of dollars a day to remain in the facility.

She could use the hospice benefit at home, of course. But, “we know these patients are medically complex,” said Katherine Aragon, lead author of the study in The Archives of Internal Medicine, and now a palliative care specialist at Lawrence General Hospital in Massachusetts.

“And we know that taking care of someone near the end of life can be very demanding, hard for families to manage at home.” And that assumes the patient has a family or a home.
For some patients, a nursing home, though possibly dreaded, is the only place that can provide 24/7 care.

But if she uses the skilled-nursing facility benefit to pay for room and board in a facility, she probably has to forgo hospice.

Blue Skies Hospice provides palliative care and visitation to many residents of nursing homes. It enjoys a relationship with nursing homes and long term care facilities in Northwest Indiana, and is able to fill in the gaps of people's treatment - people who are seeking the stability, care, and benefits of health care facilities, but also need, as Span identifies, the palliative treatment, emotional support, and spiritually edifying companionship that hospice provides. 

If you are in the Northwest Indiana area and are preparing to put a relative in a long term care facility, you might want to consider asking if that nursing home has a relationship with Blue Skies, and if hospice care is available.

Blue Skies is only one hospice doing the best it can. As the study's author makes clear, the United States needs to move in a better direction, nationally - "Palliative care should be part of nursing home care,” said Alexander K. Smith, the study’s senior author and a palliative care specialist at the University of California, San Francisco. “And that regulation that prevents concurrent use of the S.N.F. benefit and hospice isn’t in the interest of patients and families.”

New Study on Hospice Care Provides Answers and Reasons for Concern

The National Hospice and Palliative Care association reports in a new study that the number of patients receiving hospice care continues to increase. While this news is encouraging, it is troubling that a large number of those patients are in hospice care for less than a week.

It is difficult for families to confront the reality of a loved one's impending death, but hospice should enter the discussion sooner rather than later. It is capable of bringing comfort to patients and families, and through that comfort, eliminating some of the outlying concerns that so often accompany such a painful and difficult period.

Blue Skies Hospice is staffed by competent and compassionate nurses, doctors, clergy, social workers, and volunteers to ensure that palliative care for patients brings peace of mind and body. Additional time spent in hospice allows the staff to prepare the patient and family for the upcoming change, spiritually and emotionally, rather than just physically and medicinally.

Read the new study to learn about the growth of hospice care. The study does demonstrate that American culture is learning the value of hospice care, and that is a promising development.

Hammond Volunteer Award Ceremony

On October 25th, 2012 Blue Skies Hospice staff and volunteers attended the annual volunteer awards ceremony in Hammond, Indiana, hosted by Mayor Thomas M. McDermott Jr. The reception united volunteers and rewarded those who serve their community. Blue Skies Hospice is appreciative and grateful to the Mayor for taking the time to acknowledge the important work of volunteers in the city of Hammond.

(From left to right) Arlene Bakota R.N., Volunteer Coordinator Pearl Masciotra, Volunteer Pat DeGan, Volunteer Julie Hancin, Chaplain Buddie Fennie, Director Lisa Guzman (seated)

Blue Skies Hospice Hosts Ice Cream Social at Hammond-Whiting Care Center

On October 7, 2012, Blue Skies Hospice organized and hosted an ice cream social at Hammond-Whiting Care Center. Residents and their families attended the party, enjoyed ice cream, and had a great time. Blue Skies staff was happy to host the event, look forward to hosting more in the future.

Resident enjoys her ice cream sundae.

Residents having a good time

(From left to right) Volunteer coordinator Pearl Masciotra, R.N. Karen Lansdowne, Volunteer Pat DeGan, John DeGan, Volunteer Julie Hancin

Dance On a Dime: Blue Skies Hospice Organizing Prom Fundraiser

Blue Skies Hospice is organizing a prom fundraiser , Dance on a Dime, for 2013. Blue Skies is collecting dresses and accessories to sell at a discounted rate for this school year's prom season.

If you have any used, dry cleaned dresses, accessories, or gently worn shoes in your closet, please donate them to Blue Skies Hospice. Drop off any donations at one of the following locations:

Blues Skies Hospice House
2714 169th Street
Hammond, Indiana 46323

or

Pearl Masciotra
117 Cardinal Ct.
Dyer, Indiana 46311

We appreciate any help. Thank you.