By Deb Kluck If you’ve ever visited a friend or loved one who is terminally ill, and not very responsive, you may wonder whether your visits are making a difference. Some of the questions we hear include: “I don’t feel like I am doing anything” … ”The person is asleep, or falls asleep, during my visit. [...]

By Lisa Dahlen Making the initial phone call is often the most difficult part of hospice care. As a patient or family member, you’ll get the most comprehensive care by contacting a hospice organization when you learn the illness is incurable. You don’t need your doctor’s permission to contact us; we’ll arrange for the physician’s order [...]

By Susan Fuglie, executive director The New York Times  reports, “The Obama administration, reversing course, will revise a Medicare regulation to delete references to end-of-life planning as part of the annual physical examinations covered under the new health care law.” According to the Times, “The move is an abrupt shift; coming just days after the [...]

By Lisa Dahlen Below is a short video of Maria Shriver sharing a recent hospice experience. I found her message to be very powerful, and believe it reinforces the value of sharing our stories with others. Special thanks to the Hospice Foundation of America for making Ms. Shriver’s video available. Have you had a hospice experience you’d like to [...]