We Honor Veterans Level 3 Partner

Medi Home Health & Hospice is proud to announce we have become a Level 3 partner of the We Honor Veterans program. Our staff has worked tirelessly over the last several years to recognize and honor veterans in our community with ongoing outreach and programming. Throughout this journey we have met and honored many veterans from all walks of life.

It is with a great deal of gratitude we thank those who helped make this happen, especially the veterans in the community who allowed us to recognize them.  In some cases you allowed us into your homes or your place of residence to share your stories and struggles with us. These are the kinds of moments we will never forget as hospice workers, so thank you.  We would also like to thank the healthcare organizations in the community who worked with us and made this achievement possible.

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We Honor Veterans is a program that seeks to honor those who previously served in the military. The program's mission is to recognize veterans for their service, promote a compassionate message of understanding towards the veteran community, and educate others on specific issues veterans may face at the end of life.

The program is a partnership between the Department of Veteran Affairs, the NHPCO, hospices, healthcare providers in the community, and various veteran-centric organizations.  The program requires that ongoing recognition and educational activities be completed in order to be a partner and progress through the 4 Levels of We Honor Veterans. The staff at Medi Home Health & Hospice eagerly continues the work for promoting this cause. Educating our community and caring for veterans is responsibility we take seriously. It is the kind of work that does not end with an achievement or recognition. It is our goal going forward that we continue to promote a message of positivity and provide the quality care that our veterans deserve.

For more information on the We Honor Veterans program, please visit WeHonorVeterans.org.  If you are a current military service member or a veteran who would like to help this cause, please contact the Medi Hospice Volunteer Coordinator at (804) 201-7335 to find out how you can volunteer to visit with veterans at the end of their life, providing support to them and their families.

Celebrating CNA's

The week of June 12th through 19th marks the yearly celebration of National Nursing Assistant week. Each year millions of certified Nursing Aides work hard to provide hands-on care for those who are not able to provide care for themselves. This can be a difficult job which requires much patience and  compassion.

Medi Hospice serving the Petersburg, Richmond, and Charlottesville areas provides CNA care to patients and families who are receptive to it. When an individual is admitted to hospice services, they have a choice to receive visits from a CNA up to three times per week.  Medi CNA's display the most caring, compassionate care that south and central Virginia has to offer.

Tasks that CNAs might perform for patients include bathing, changing clothes and sheets, shaving, brushing teeth, and various hygiene related routines.  Hospice CNA's may offer education to family or caregivers to the patients we treat. This offered guidance provides families the knowledge they need to safely care for their ill loved ones.  As a general overview of what CNA's might do on a daily basis when caring for patients, take a look at the video below created by the "CNA Practice Tests" YouTube channel.

CNA's carry out this back breaking work with a caring, compassionate attitude which embodies the hospice philosophy by promoting comfort and quality of life in all they do. Medi Hospice would like to take this time to thank all of our CNA's and aides across the country for their generous and kind hearted work.  Without the dedication of CNA's the healthcare world would be severely lacking in many areas. Thanks to your sacrifices we are able to maintain the proper dignity and respect for our patients up until they pass away.

For more information about CNA's please visit the National Network of Career Nursing Assistants at cna-network.org.

Hospice Volunteer Screening Process

Can you imagine letting someone you have never met before into your home to sit with your relative while you go out and run errands?

What if the relative your relative was terminally ill, diagnosed with 6 months or less to live, and you were incredibly stressed at the prospect of caring for them until they die?

This situation is essentially what most families on hospice care are asking hospice volunteers to do for them.  Volunteers are asked to visit patients and families about one time per week for one to four hours per visit.  During a time that a hospice volunteer is spending time with a patient, the patient's family member might go out to pick up groceries, get maintenance for their car, or go to a doctor's appointment they had been putting off for some. 

So much is asked of the individuals involved in this situation.  The patient and the family must trust that the hospice volunteer is a trustworthy trained individual who will be responsible and compassionate when caring for the patient.  The volunteer must trust the family will respect and value them as one who truly wants to help.  What a high stakes relationship this can be with both parties being so vulnerable!

Due to how delicate the relationship can be between the volunteer, the patient, and the patient's family, hospice volunteers are required to undergo extensive screening and training before they are allowed permitted to begin their volunteer assignments.  This certainly is not the type of volunteering you can just show up and start in one day! 

Federal laws require all individuals who will be exposed to private patient information to complete background checks before volunteering.  Medi Hospice screens all volunteers by having them complete a state and national background check.  Face to face interviews with all potential volunteers are conducted by the hospice volunteer coordinator.  In addition to that, volunteers must provide the contact information of three references who can be called to verify this hospice volunteer program is a good fit for the applicant.

The screening process is quite extensive.  Volunteers might feel like they are applying to a job with all the listed requirements.  These measures are taken to protect the hospice organizing the volunteer program.  Hospices do not want to send in just anyone to care for these families dealing with such end of life issues.  Safety for patients and families is always at the forefront of these actions. 


Hospices want to ensure the be sure the best possible administered by the best, most compassionate people.  That way all involved can feel comfortable with the volunteer services being provided.  Any fears or worries a family will feel when inviting a stranger into their home to care for a loved one can be eased, at least a little, in knowing that a well screened, qualified, compassionate volunteer is being sent into their home.

2014 National Patient Safety Goals

Hospice in the United States is strictly regulated by the Joint Commission on Health Care.
Take a look at the 2014 Home Care National Patient Safety Goals as developed by the JCHC.


- Identify patients correctly
     Use at least two ways to identify patients.  For example, us the patient's name and date of birth.  This is done to make sure that each patient gets the correct medicine and treatment

- Use medicines safely
     Record and pass along correct information about a patient's medicines.  Find out what medicines the patient is taking.  Compare those medicines to new medicines givne to the patient.  Make sure the patient know which medicines to take when they are at home.  Tell the patient it is important to have their up-to-date list of medicines every time they see a doctor.

- Prevent infection
     Use the hand cleaning guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the World Health Organization.  Set goals for improving hand cleaning.  Use goals to improve hand cleaning.

- Prevent patients from falling
     Find out which patients are most likely to fall.  For example, is the patient taking medications that might make them weak, dizzy, or sleepy?  Take action to prevent falls for these patients.

- Identify patient safety risks
     Find out if there are any risks for patients who are getting oxygen.  For example, fires in the patient's home.

These are some of the basic standards which home health care organization must meet to qualify as an accredited institution caring for patients as designated by the JCHC.  More information can be found on their website.

The Joint Commission of Home Care

Medi Home Health & Hospice seeks to meet and exceed these standards in our care for patients and their families.  Every Medi staff member, including hospice volunteers, are educated on the basics of hospice.  We strive for excellence and personal attention in our care, to create a safe, comfortable environment for all.  

Each volunteer completes a comprehensive hospice training to become prepared to support and visit terminally ill patients.  Volunteers must be comfortable with the special task of caring for others who are at the end of their life.  If you are interested in learning more about volunteering for hospice, please contact our office at (804) 282 - 4301.

Caring for our Country's Military Veterans

"The We Honor Veterans program is an initiative by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs that invites hospices, state hospice organizations, Hospice-Veteran partnerships and VA facilities to join a pioneering effort that focuses on respectful inquiry, compassionate listening, and grateful acknowledgment."

Find out more in the About Us section of the We Honor Veterans website.

As a Level II partner of the We Honor Veterans program, both Medi Home Health & Hospice's offices in Richmond and Petersburg, Virginia seek to continually find ways to honor veterans in our community and partner with other healthcare organizations to educate staff on how to handle veteran specific issues as it relates to their end of life care.

 Our healthcare system is facing an uphill battle in terms of caring for veterans.  Yesterday CNN published an investigative report on hospital delays at times resulting in deaths for some war veterans.  I encourage you to check out the article below and help spread the word on the difficulties facing our healthcare system and our country's military veterans.

Hospital Delays are Killing America's War Veterans

If you or someone you know is an active duty military member or you are interested in helping out military veterans in our community, please contact Medi Home Health & Hospice in Petersburg, Virginia or Richmond, Virginia to find out how to get started.  We hope to hear from you soon!

Memory Bears Lift Hospice Families' Spirits

Terminally ill patients in our communities of Richmond and Petersburg, VA deserve the best, most compassionate care in their final days.  Patient families also deserve attention and care when going through the the lose of a loved one.  Medi Home Health & Hospice continues that attention and care for the family after their loved one has passed away.  Our volunteer led memory bear program provides a special way for families to process their loss and reflect on more positive times experienced with someone they loved.  Sewers take clothing of patients provided by family members and create unique stuffed bears.  These memory bears can be positive, lasting mementos in the lives of surviving friends and family.  Take a look below at some of the delightful craft work by one of Medi's talented volunteers.

Two bears for two sisters made from their mother's green and pink robes.

 Nine little bears for nine grandchildren to remember their grandmother.

One paisley printed bear with nine little bears.

 If you enjoy sewing or begin visiting patients as a volunteer for Medi Hospice, please contact our office for more information as to how you can get started making a special difference in others' lives today!

"I Am Holding Half An Acre"

Heading home can be a revitalizing, humbling experience for those who do not often visit the place in which they grew up.  For me, home is in Virginia.  I look out my window and am thankful for the bright colors of the leaves changing.  Hues of yellows, oranges, greens, browns signify the coming of the Fall season in my home state.  The air outside has a nip of cold that you can feel coming as sure as winter, but the temperature outside is a comfortable 65.  Home to me at this time of year reminds me of the Harvest as many celebrate holidays like Halloween or All Saints' Day.

For others going home or being home is not such a pleasant experience.  Memories of pain, loss or suffering can burden some minds who find it difficult to be at home.

In honor of the idea of returning home now or in the coming months with the holidays, I share with you a song that Medi Hospice Chaplain Erin shared with the hospice staff in efforts to provide a moment of reflection and peace.  The song is entitled "Half Acre" by Hem.  It also happens to be one of my favorites.  Enjoy.

Half Acre

  I am holding half an acre
Torn from the map of Michigan
And folded in this scrap of paper
Is a land I grew in

Think of every town you've lived in
Every room, you lay your head
And what is it that you remember?

Do you carry every sadness with you
Every hour your heart was broken
Every night the fear and darkness
Lay down with you

A man is walking on the highway
A woman stares out at the sea
And light is only now just breaking

So we carry every sadness with us
Every hour our heart were broken
Every night the fear and darkness
Lay down with us

But I am holding half an acre
Torn from the map of Michigan
I am carrying this scrap of paper

That can crack the darkest sky wide open
Every burden taken from me
Every night my heart unfolding
My home

We Honor Veterans - Pinning Ceremony

Petersburg, VA  - 

To publicly acknowledge the military service and sacrifices made by the Veterans of Golden Living – Battlefield Park, Medi Home Health & Hospice in Petersburg, VA along with Active Duty members of Fort Lee held a pinning ceremony at the skilled nursing facility.  Medi Home Health and Hospice is a Level II partner of the We Honor Veterans program and these pinning ceremonies are a small portion of what is being done to give back to the Veteran community.  SSgt Sam Gibbs, SSG Keith Fay, and SSgt Mark Wilson presented the Veterans with certificates and American flag lapel pins as a small token of appreciation for what these Veterans have done for our country.

Take a look at some more pictures from the ceremony below.  The staff of Medi Home Health & Hospice hopes this is the first of many opportunities to recognize and honor Veterans in our community through pinning ceremonies and other events.

If you are interested in getting involved with honoring military veterans in central and southern Virginia, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Travis Kennedy via e-mail at tkennedy@msa-corp.com or call the office at 804-732-0108.  We are always looking for volunteers to join our team.  Whether you are a veteran, you come from a military family, or are interested in simply visiting our hospice patients, but have no military background, we have place for you to make a difference in the lives of those with terminal illness.  We hope to hear from you soon!

Breakdown

In hospice every other week we hold meetings where the entire team comes together to discuss all patient care plans.  These are called IDG, or Interdisciplinary Group, meetings.  During this time the nurses, aides, chaplains, clinical manager, medical director, social workers, chaplains, and volunteers are provided the opportunity to discuss any developments of patients physical, spiritual, psychological, or emotional needs over the previous two weeks.

Before we begin our IDGs at Medi, one of our chaplains usually takes time to reflect on a local or national event which may have impacted us and offer a prayer, song, or reading.  These spiritual moments can help center the team and can give everyone a renewed or unique perspective to take with them through the coming days.

Last week Chaplain Erin was kind enough to share some thoughts about "breaking down" which I would like to share with all of you.  Often times in life we feel special moments passing us by.  There are sights, sounds, smells, conversations, and much more we experience on a daily basis.  We may wish that we could stop time, break down, and hold on to these experiences longer.

It could be a gold, summer sunset.

A long talk with your parent.

The homemade taste of a dinner freshly cooked.

A hug from someone you love.

I was reminded of a scene from one of my favorite shows "Mad Men".  In this scene ad man Donald Draper is pitching his idea for advertising a new product Kodak developed to some of the execs of Kodak.  Draper wants these execs to buy into his advertising approach.  The background information on this scene is less important than the feelings it evokes.  Don's words as he flips through pictures of his family can be both haunting and touching, regardless if we know his story or not, because we can relate to his ideas.  Captured in the soft music, smokey room, and Don's voice is a yearning for the past.  The wish to stop time.  To go back and experience things we once had.

Nostalgia.

These moments can be beautiful, meaningful, and insightful.  And we may wish to hang on to them a little longer than time allows us.  On the other side of these moments is a pain in knowing that they do not last forever.  As if we are passengers on a train chugging down a track, our lives keep moving forward despite the passing of these experiences into memory.  All we are able to do is lock away those memories in our minds and reflect while making the best of the present.  Pictures, songs, thoughts and other things serve as nostalgic tools to bring us back to days gone by.

At the end of her spiritual reflection, Erin shared with us a song.  I share the same song with you here...  And if you are in need of a "breakdown", a little time to stop and take in the moment around you, I hope it comes your way soon.   

New Study Finds Volunteering Increases Likelihood of Finding A Job

A new and ground breaking study conducted by the Corporation for National & Community Service shows that volunteering can increase an individuals chances of finding a job by as much as 27% more than those who do not volunteer.  Check on the video below along with the link here to the article, "Volunteering as a Pathway to Employment".

The benefits of volunteering have long been trumpeted as a way to entice the populace to sacrifice their time for a person or cause.  Having a positive impact on your community and building your experience through volunteering to increase your chances of landing that dream job are two great reasons to volunteer.  However, until now there has not been significant measurable data to back up the idea that volunteering can be a pathway to a paid position in the working world.

Volunteering for hospice helps prepare those who want to work in the medical field become more equipped and knowledgeable in their desired area of work.  Unquestionably, the compassionate and sometimes difficult work of a hospice volunteer helps individuals prepare for all kinds of workplace obstacles.  Aspiring medical social workers can help learn to navigate fragile family situations and relationships, perhaps even improving the way families get along in certain fortunate circumstances.  Those who wish to become nurses or case managers will interact with medical staff during their volunteer experience, seeing the ins and outs of what a day on the job for a traveling hospice nurse might be like.  Individuals who wish to work in an office or familiarize themselves with medical records can gain valuable experience as an office hospice volunteer.

One of the beautiful things about hospice is that the volunteer is not restricted to any particular type of service area.  There are volunteer positions for musicians, landscapers, gardeners, beauticians, cosmetologists, singers, clergy, seamstresses, pet therapists, military veterans and more. You could use your talents to benefit others in need of a helping hand all the while learning new and challenging ideas about life and death.  You could take care of a terminally ill patients lawn or help them paint their nails while watching Oprah or enjoy the big game on TV on Sunday.  

The possibilities are many and varied when volunteering with hospice.  And do not forget you would be boosting your chances at landing a job!  All the more reason to begin today in the compassionate work as a hospice volunteer!

If you are interested in volunteering for Medi Hospice to help our patients at the end of their lives, please contact me via e-mail at tkennedy@msa-corp.com.    

National Volunteer Month

 

We thank all of our volunteers for the dedication and service they show to our patients and their families.  Everyday, all throughout the country, hospice volunteers assist families enduring some of the most difficult of circumstances.  The support and compassion each volunteer displays in helping our patients enjoy the last days of life and patient family members enjoy time to rest and recuperate is truly something special.  Please take the opportunity to thank hospice volunteers and all volunteers for their selfless acts each day.  These individuals make a difference in our world. 

Thank you!

Hospice & Black History Month

Hospice, Death, and Dying in the African American Community

"Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die. It’s not so much the act of dying itself, but the things that are surrounding death: injustice, poverty, mistreatment and evil...” There’s a sense that we won’t be stopped by those things—our ‘somehow theology.’ Some how, some way, we will get through this.” —Rev. Frank Jackson
Faith Presbyterian Church

 A Brief Overview

According to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization website, an estimated 1.65 million people received hospice services in 2011.  Of those patients only 8.5% were African American.  With such a small percentage of the African American population receiving hospice services at the end of life, it begs the question, "Why are African American families not receiving the same health care as other races in the United States?"

Some point towards attitudes regarding death and dying in the African American community as a reason why there is a limited number of families opting for hospice care.  An enlightening article titled African American Perspectives on Pain and Palliative Care from Duke Divinity School's Institute on Care at the End of Life offers insightful research into the subject.  The author relates (through a quote by Reverend Frank Jackson of Faith Presbyterian Church as seen above) that the African American experience in the United States is characterized by struggle and triumph.  It is suggested that this attitude of resistance and triumph carries over to present day thoughts about death and dying in African American culture.  This line of thought may lean towards a preference for curative treatments over the comfort care provided by hospices nationwide.

Kaitlyn Henderson of Passages Hospice documents in her blog post on February 21, 2013 that there is a lack of access to quality health care in the African American community.  Inequality has long been a problem in the United States.  Present day statistics regarding mortality rates of African Americans support the idea that inequality still exists in our culture.  A clear, strong disparity in health of African Americans as compared to other U.S. populations can be seen here in numbers from the Center for Disease Control.

Another key hurdle in providing fair and equal health care to all populations is awareness.  All populations show a lack of knowledge about hospice services in polls.  Few of those who understand the concept of hospice know that hospice appropriate patients are completed covered under Medicare if they choose a palliative approach to treating illness.  Hospice may not be the right choice for everyone based off of personal preferences, but it still the duty of all who are familiar with hospice to spread the positive word.  Helping others understand that hospice is not giving up or accepting defeat in the face of adversity is essential for the future of hospice and helping others understand their health care options. 

For further reading, take a look at this Washington Post Article written by Rob Stein in 2007 titled At the End of Life, a Racial Divide.

About Medi Hospice

It is the goal of Medi Hospice to help ALL of our patients diagnosed with life limiting illness live as fully as possible until the end.  Ensuring patients experiencing the highest quality of life without pain is a priority of our staff.  Through the compassionate care of nurses and aides, volunteers, social workers assessing psychological needs, and chaplains who look to spiritually nurture our patients and their families, our hospice team seeks to implement a system of total and complete care that eases the transition from life to death.  The mantra of hospice can often be articulated as "death with dignity" and "living until the end."  None of us can avoid death.  Death is most surely a part of life as is birth.  Understanding that, we can all do our best to enjoy the time and life we have together.  If you are interested in learning more about hospice or becoming a hospice volunteer, please contact Travis Kennedy,Volunteer Coordinator, at 804-282-4301.

The Power of Music

     Music has a powerful ability to inspire, energize, and move people.  Your favorite melody or lyrics can affect your mood so that the tone of your day totally shifts.  We are not able to comprehend the full and far reaching scope that music has on our psyche, memory, and development.  On going studies have been tried to decode music's impact on people over the years.  There is little doubt that the power of music can influence and possibly even "activate" individuals suffering from dementia and Alzheimer's .  Watch the video below for a cool look at the power of music on a nursing home patient who appears to be often unresponsive due to dementia.

    This video is a clip from the documentary "Alive Inside".  Read more about the project by clicking here.

Make A Commitment to Life

Volunteer for Hospice

The philosophy of hospice is a simple one based upon comfort and care.  Rather than curing a disease at all costs, the hospice team seeks to make a patient as comfortable as possible by relieving the pain associated with life-limiting illness.  The hospice team typically consists of personal care physicians, registered nurses, home health aides, social workers, chaplains, speech and physical therapists, and trained volunteers, all of whom play integral roles in helping make the patient's life more enjoyable.  Treating the patient in the comfort of their residence is also a defining characteristic of hospice treatment.

A trained volunteer pays visit to their patient on a regular basis.  These visits can include simple activities such as reading, walking, and talking.  Often times, a patient experiencing an end of life illness only needs someone to sit with them perhaps even in silence.  At times just the warm feeling of someone's presence, of someone who cares, can make all the difference in a patient's life.

Volunteers often describe their experience visiting Hospice patient's as life altering.  Serving as a companion to someone who suffers from terminal illness can not only help the patient's comfort, but it can also frame a volunteer's life in a new, more humbling perspective.  Do not simply take my word for it.  Check out a first hand testimonial from Johanna, one our long time volunteers:

Johanna visiting a patient.

 "Sometimes people (including my husband) have asked me if being a hospice volunteer isn’t a little too depressing. I must say it is truly a blessing to have the opportunity to serve families and patients during hard times. Being a hospice volunteer is one of the most rewarding things I've ever done. As a hospice volunteer, I not only help patients and families by making their lives a little easier a few of times a month, but I also feel I’m making a difference in people’s lives by giving back to a community that has offered me so much."

- Johanna, Hospice Volunteer

“No joy can equal the joy of serving others.” 

-Sai Baba

Medi Home Hospice welcomes all compassionate, caring individuals to become volunteers!

If you would like to find out more about becoming a hospice volunteer please contact the Hospice Volunteer Coordinator, Travis Kennedy at 804-732-0108 or via e-mail at tkennedy@msa-corp.com.