Janny Adkins

So many people, when considering hospice, think of benefits for the patient (of which there are many). At the top of the list for our patients is comfort care.

However, when I do information visits to explain hospice services to families, I always discuss the tremendous amount of help and assistance hospice offers to the families of our patients, too.

A life-limiting illness can impact loved ones, family, and friends as well as the patient. Here is a list of advantages of hospice care for the family:

• Emotional and spiritual support
• Education and teaching regarding how to physically care for an severely ill loved one at home
• Assistance and support with financial issues and concerns
• Medicine management and teaching in order to achieve optimal comfort care, and assistance with prescription refills
• Grief support and education, including anticipatory grieving (occurs before the loss of a loved one) and bereavement after a loss
• Support and education with regard to the letting-go process
• Respite care to allow care givers a time-out and rest
• Support and assistance with crisis management through 24/7 access to nursing and physician consultation and support
• Support and advocacy for health care decision-making

These are just a few of the advantages for the family and care givers of our hospice patients. If you would like to know more about how Alive Hospice may help you in your care of a loved one, call me at 615-332-4003 or e-mail me.

Janny Adkins is an Alive Hospice account executive who informs health care professionals, patients, and families about hospice care.

Ruth Williams

Sometimes, in the quiet, safe cocoon of a grief counselor’s office, grieving individuals “confess” that their grief is beginning to ebb and flow – perhaps even subside. And that often makes them feel a little uncomfortable.

The deep love we have for those who have died brings with it pain and discomfort, but it also may bring relief in some circumstances. When our loved ones are obviously losing quality of life moment by moment, it’s hard to continue to see them suffer.

For many, after a loss, it may seem almost impossible to imagine NOT grieving. So, when moments of not being focused on loss sneak up on us, we’re caught off guard, feeling almost guilty we had a moment of freedom from distress.

So many of us are overly concerned about what others think. We may be timid about sharing our waning sorrow with others, worrying that we might be seen as callous, heartless, etc., that somehow we simply must not have loved “enough.” (If you are able to have someone in your life like a grief counselor or a support group of fellow grievers, that could be the perfect place to share such experiences.)

The spirit is resilient. We as individuals can be amazingly resilient. Part of that resiliency is to allow ourselves moments of freedom from grief. At a pace only your own, you will find your own moments will lengthen and a sense of calm may well return — eventually.

Your loved one would surely understand. And at some point, a gift of rest from distress will be well-received – and deservedly so.

Ruth Williams is a counselor with Alive Grief Support Services, the bereavement support program of Alive Hospice. To reach Alive Grief Support Services, call 615-963-4732 or click here.

Grammy-nominated songwriter Carole King and beloved tunesmiths Gary Burr, Georgia Middleman and Jim Photoglo kicked off the 19th annual Alive At The Bluebird concert series this week! The audience was treated to hit songs including ”On the Roof,” “Pleasant Valley Sunday,” “Dearly Beloved” and “Hillbilly Hollywood,” among many others.

Alive At The Bluebird runs through the end of the month, and more than 80 songwriters are taking part. Proceeds from each show will benefit Alive Hospice, helping us provide care to uninsured and underinsured Middle Tennesseans.

Who else is coming up at The Bluebird? Find out here! Look for shows marked “A Benefit For Alive Hospice.”