Many have lost loved ones in the hospital and others, like my late husband, had in-home hospice care. Rather often, when I talk about my upcoming book, I am asked whether I would again engage hospice. This answer is yes. Hospice is a difficult decision for anyone, but it allowed me to bring my late husband home, somewhere he desperately wanted to be.The staff at Blue Skies is committed to bringing the same peace of mind, comfort, and reassurance to our patients and their families during their trauma and trial through terminal disease. Please call us if you have any questions.
October 13, 2013
Hospice Voices at the Huffington Post
The Huffington Post has published a helpful overview of the benefits of hospice care. The author, Kristin Meekhof, has written a book on hospice, and in it, she attempts to delineate the value of the service that over 1.65 million Americans use every year:
September 7, 2013
When Should You Enter a Palliative Care Unit or Opt for Hospice Care?
The New York Times takes a look at some of the most important questions a patient will face:
3. How should I decide when to enroll in hospice care?
That’s a decision that also should be made after talking to your doctor, as well as your palliative care team and family. Once a patient enrolls in hospice, which is covered as a special Medicare benefit, he or she generally pays nothing, although there may be some co-payments required, like those for medications. Patients in hospice, however, agree to forgo treatment aimed at curing their illness. They can always choose to stop hospice care, though, if their condition improves or if they simply change their mind, Mr. Schumacher said.
The short article in the NY Times also addresses insurance coverage of hospice, and other pressing issues for patients and families.
At Blue Skies Hospice, our committed staff will do its best to advise and guide patients through the process, and in doing so, formulate a plan that works for the patient's preferences and priorities.
3. How should I decide when to enroll in hospice care?
That’s a decision that also should be made after talking to your doctor, as well as your palliative care team and family. Once a patient enrolls in hospice, which is covered as a special Medicare benefit, he or she generally pays nothing, although there may be some co-payments required, like those for medications. Patients in hospice, however, agree to forgo treatment aimed at curing their illness. They can always choose to stop hospice care, though, if their condition improves or if they simply change their mind, Mr. Schumacher said.
The short article in the NY Times also addresses insurance coverage of hospice, and other pressing issues for patients and families.
At Blue Skies Hospice, our committed staff will do its best to advise and guide patients through the process, and in doing so, formulate a plan that works for the patient's preferences and priorities.
June 24, 2013
Blue Skies Hospice Grief Support Group
Please
Join Us
Who: Blue Skies Hospice
What: Grief Support Group
Where: 2714 169th Street, Hammond,
IN 46323
When: Third Firday of every month
Time: 5-7 p.m.
We
believe this meeting will be beneficial for both those who have experienced the
loss of a loved one and for those who are currently a patient or friends and
family of patients still within hospice.
We
hope that you will make plans to join Blue Skies Hospice as we seek to provide
overall care for our patients and their friends and families.
Please RSVP to 219/554-0688.
June 19, 2013
Blue Skies Offers Services to Help Those in Their Most Difficult Stages
Kimberly A. Condon, a nurse who worked in the ER and in hospice, writes about her experiences in a moving and thought provoking new essay for Slate. Her essay is deeply personal and it demonstrates the difficulty everyone faces in dealing with death - whether the death is of a loved one or a patient.
Blue Skies Hospice, with its caring and competent staff of nurses, doctors, clergy, social workers, and volunteers, is dedicated to providing care, comfort, and companionship during the final days of a patient life, and it also offers a bereavement group to help the families of patients make the transition into a new world that suddenly feels empty without the presence of their loved one.
Please contact us and inquire about our services. We can answer your questions, and we hope, ease your worries.
Blue Skies Hospice, with its caring and competent staff of nurses, doctors, clergy, social workers, and volunteers, is dedicated to providing care, comfort, and companionship during the final days of a patient life, and it also offers a bereavement group to help the families of patients make the transition into a new world that suddenly feels empty without the presence of their loved one.
Please contact us and inquire about our services. We can answer your questions, and we hope, ease your worries.
May 15, 2013
Blue Skies Hospice Hosts Spring Tea
On May 10th, Blue Skies Hospice held a "Spring Tea" at Hammond Whiting Care Center. The residents enjoyed homemade cookies and sipped tea from china tea cops. Each resident that attended was given a ceramic bird; a reminder that spring is here.
Not all residents pictured are Blue Skies Hospice patients
May 5, 2013
Blue Skies Sponsors "John Wayne Day"
On April 16th, Blue Skies Hospice sponsored "John Wayne Day" at Kindred
Care in Dyer. The residents had a great afternoon watching the movie,
"Mclintock", enjoying refreshments, and having their picture taken in
our western picture booth.
 | |||
| Blue Skies staff and volunteers in the Western Picture Booth |
 |
| A Kindred resident in the picture booth |
April 30, 2013
New Essay in The Atlantic - How Not to Die
Jonathan Rauch writes an excellent and deeply personal essay about end-of-life care in America. He uses his own research, interviews with medical professionals, and the experience of watching his father die in a hospital to present a moving and thought-provoking call for better and more human end of life care that prioritizes "the conversation" between patients, doctors, and families, and considers the pain, comfort, and dignity of terminal patients; rather than coldly putting people through unnecessary and unhelpful batteries of tests and procedures.
The committed and compassionate staff at Blue Skies Hospice believes in treating pain, providing spiritual comfort to families, and preserving dignity as terminally ill patients go through the final stage.
One of the points that Rauch makes in his terrific piece is that patients and doctors should have more conversations about end of life treatment options, and that they should spend more time - as painful as it might be - preparing for the inevitable.
Blue Skies Hospice can help facilitate this process, and the staff will do so with the most urgent and profound concern for the patients and their families.
The committed and compassionate staff at Blue Skies Hospice believes in treating pain, providing spiritual comfort to families, and preserving dignity as terminally ill patients go through the final stage.
One of the points that Rauch makes in his terrific piece is that patients and doctors should have more conversations about end of life treatment options, and that they should spend more time - as painful as it might be - preparing for the inevitable.
Blue Skies Hospice can help facilitate this process, and the staff will do so with the most urgent and profound concern for the patients and their families.
April 5, 2013
Free Community Progran on Health Care Decisions
On Tuesday, April 16th, Blue Skies Hospice will sponsor and host a free community program on health care decisions and creating your power of attorney for health care.
Why is it important that you attend?
Ask yourself:
If you became seriously ill, what kind of care would you want?
Who would follow your instructions and ensure you get the care you need?
If you are caring for someone with declining health, do you know what kind of care they will need in the future? Do you know what their wishes are?
Do you know where to seek additional support services for your loved one and for yourself?
Speakers include local attorney James R. Oates and health care consultant, Susan Schwartz, R.N..
The event takes place on April 16th, from 2-4pm, at the Hammond Public Library on 564 State Street.
Why is it important that you attend?
Ask yourself:
If you became seriously ill, what kind of care would you want?
Who would follow your instructions and ensure you get the care you need?
If you are caring for someone with declining health, do you know what kind of care they will need in the future? Do you know what their wishes are?
Do you know where to seek additional support services for your loved one and for yourself?
Speakers include local attorney James R. Oates and health care consultant, Susan Schwartz, R.N..
The event takes place on April 16th, from 2-4pm, at the Hammond Public Library on 564 State Street.
March 19, 2013
Report on Benefits of Hospice
A news broadcast in Colorado Springs, CO consulted local experts to give viewers a report recommending hospice. The report is short, but raised many important points about why hospice is a helpful service for patients and their families.
February 25, 2013
St. Catherine Hospital's Heart Health Fair
Blue Skies Hospice participated at the Heart Health Fair on February 23rd at St. Catherine's Hospital in East Chicago, Indiana.
 |
| Volunteer Director Pearl Masciotra and Rose Montemayor, LPN at the Heart Health Fair |
Share The Love Luncheon
Blue Skies Director Lisa Guzman and Volunteer Coordinator Pearl Masciotra attended the Friends of the Cancer Resource Center's sixth annual Share The Love Luncheon on February 13th. This year's speaker was ABC Chicago affiliate anchor Roz Varon. Proceeds from the luncheon benefited the Cancer Resource Center in Munster, Indiana.
 |
| Blue Skies Hospice Director Lisa Guzman and Volunteer Coordinator Pearl Masciotra at the Share The Love Luncheon |
Valentines For Veterans
Blue Skies Hospice hosted Valentines for Veterans on Feb. 11th at the Blue Skies Hospice house in Hammond. Speakers from the Disabled Veterans Organization spoke about veterans benefits. This event was open to the community.
 | ||||
| Blue Skies Hospice Director Lisa Guzma with Speakers |
 |
| Speakers fielding questions from the audience |
February 18, 2013
Blues Skies Hospice and The St. Catherine Hospital Heart Health Fair
On February 23rd, St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago, Indiana is holding the St. Catherine Hospital Heart Health Fair. The event is a great opportunity for health practitioners, patients, and community members to interact and learn about options for care and treatment.
Cardiologist, Dr. Samer Abbas is the keynote speaker. There will also be classes sponsored by the Cardiac Rehab Department, and Reiki healing demonstrations.
The Blue Skies Hospice staff will have a booth at the event. We are happy to participate in the health fair.
Cardiologist, Dr. Samer Abbas is the keynote speaker. There will also be classes sponsored by the Cardiac Rehab Department, and Reiki healing demonstrations.
The Blue Skies Hospice staff will have a booth at the event. We are happy to participate in the health fair.
February 12, 2013
Doctors and Experts Recommend Longer Stay in Hospice
According to a new report in the Daily Herald, "Hospice care among the elderly doubled to about 40 percent in the past
decade, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical
Association."
Even though it has doubled, many patients do not receive the full battery of benefits that hospice offers in the form of pain reduction, emotional companionship, and spiritual counseling, because they enter hospice care a mere three or four days before death.
In the article, Mary Tinetti, a professor of medicine at Yale University, said, "The idea was that people would be getting into hospice for long enough to really benefit from the focus on comfort and spirituality and getting ready for the end of life. Although more people are going to hospice, which is a good thing, it is pegged on the last few days of life, probably not long enough to benefit."
Blue Skies Hospice welcomes patients at any point in their illness if that illness has been diagnosed as terminal. We have had patients for less than a week, and our volunteers, nurses, social workers, and clergy have served patients for over a year. Entering hospice is a personal decision best made between the patient, his or her family, and the family doctor. If you feel it is the right time for you or a loved to consider hospice care, the Blue Skies staff will dedicate itself to your care and comfort.
Even though it has doubled, many patients do not receive the full battery of benefits that hospice offers in the form of pain reduction, emotional companionship, and spiritual counseling, because they enter hospice care a mere three or four days before death.
In the article, Mary Tinetti, a professor of medicine at Yale University, said, "The idea was that people would be getting into hospice for long enough to really benefit from the focus on comfort and spirituality and getting ready for the end of life. Although more people are going to hospice, which is a good thing, it is pegged on the last few days of life, probably not long enough to benefit."
Blue Skies Hospice welcomes patients at any point in their illness if that illness has been diagnosed as terminal. We have had patients for less than a week, and our volunteers, nurses, social workers, and clergy have served patients for over a year. Entering hospice is a personal decision best made between the patient, his or her family, and the family doctor. If you feel it is the right time for you or a loved to consider hospice care, the Blue Skies staff will dedicate itself to your care and comfort.
January 27, 2013
Blue Skies Hospice Will Offer Care and Treatment
A recent report from National Public Radio reveals that 12 percent of hospices reject patients who do not already have a caretaker at home. Blue Skies Hospice will offer care and provide treatment to all patients, regardless of whether or not they have a caretaker at home. If they do have a caretaker, Blue Skies will effectively cooperate with that caretaker to provide the best care and treatment possible. Lack of a caretaker will not prevent Blue Skies from working with any patient.
The staff of doctors, nurses, clergy, social workers, and volunteers is dedicated to reducing suffering and giving peace and comfort to patients and their families.
The staff of doctors, nurses, clergy, social workers, and volunteers is dedicated to reducing suffering and giving peace and comfort to patients and their families.
January 23, 2013
Valentines For Veterans
Blue Skies Hospice has become a national partner of We Honor Veterans, a pioneering campaign developed by National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
As a We Honor Veterans Partner Blue Skies Hospice will focus on recognizing the needs of our nations veterans who are facing a life-limiting illness.
To get our partnership under way, Blue Skies Hospice is hosting "Valentines for Veterans" -
Valentines for Veterans
February 11, 2013
Speaker: Disabled Veterans Organization Chicago Office Representative
Topics: How to Apply for Veterans Benefits - Getting Through the Red Tape
Learn About Benefits You Never Knew You Were Eligible For
Time: 12pm - 3pm
Place: Blue Skies Hospice
2714 169th Street
Hammond, IN 4623
For reservations call (219) 554-0688
As a We Honor Veterans Partner Blue Skies Hospice will focus on recognizing the needs of our nations veterans who are facing a life-limiting illness.
To get our partnership under way, Blue Skies Hospice is hosting "Valentines for Veterans" -
Valentines for Veterans
February 11, 2013
Speaker: Disabled Veterans Organization Chicago Office Representative
Topics: How to Apply for Veterans Benefits - Getting Through the Red Tape
Learn About Benefits You Never Knew You Were Eligible For
Time: 12pm - 3pm
Place: Blue Skies Hospice
2714 169th Street
Hammond, IN 4623
For reservations call (219) 554-0688
January 6, 2013
Call Hospice Early and Often, says NY Times Journalist
Paula Span, writing for the New York Times, strongly recommends that families call hospice early for the care and treatment of their terminal loved ones. She writes,
Span elaborates on the issues preventing families from taking full advantage of the care hospice offers by identifying harmful regulations and Medicare policies that actually discourage entry into hospice. She writes about the changes in medicine that render many of the old regulations, which were once sensible, antiquated. The entire article is worth reading, especially for her full endorsement of the benefits patients and families receive from hospice.
I’ve often wondered why more families don’t call hospice when a loved one has a terminal disease — and why people who do call wait so long, often until death is just days away.
Even though more than 40 percent of American deaths now involve hospice care, many families still are trying to shoulder the burden on their own rather than turning to a proven source of help and knowledge. I’ve surmised that the reason is families’ or patients’ unwillingness to acknowledge the prospect of death, or physicians’ inability to say the h-word and refer dying patients to hospice care.
Span elaborates on the issues preventing families from taking full advantage of the care hospice offers by identifying harmful regulations and Medicare policies that actually discourage entry into hospice. She writes about the changes in medicine that render many of the old regulations, which were once sensible, antiquated. The entire article is worth reading, especially for her full endorsement of the benefits patients and families receive from hospice.
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