We’re getting back to the basics of hospice care with Hospice Social Worker Lisa Pahl to talk about who’s on the hospice team and what each person brings to the care of patients and caregivers. This episode focuses on the core members of the hospice interdisciplinary team (doctor, nurse, social worker, and chaplain) as well as hospice aides (Certified Nurse Assistants) and hospice volunteers. Each person on a hospice team brings very specific and essential skills to the care of patients, and the support of their families and caregivers. The best care of a hospice patient includes everyone on the hospice team. This enables the care of the patient to meet all the needs of body, mind, and spirit.

Connect with Lisa Pahl, owner/creator (thedeathdeck.com) The Death Deck and End of Life Deck

Interested in purchasing a GrandPad to stay connected with a senior loved one?

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Hospice Navigation Services understands that you need unbiased, expert support to have the best end of life experience possible. If you have questions about hospice care for yourself or someone you care about, Hospice Navigation Services can help. Whether you want to connect by phone or video, you can book a FREE 30-Minute Hospice Navigation Session, or a more in-depth 60-Minute Navigation Session for $95. If you need to troubleshoot the care you’re already receiving, we’re here to answer your questions. A 60-Minute Navigation Session by video call allows up to 3 family members to get the same expert information at the same time. We believe you deserve to have good hospice care. Book your session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com.

Connect with The Heart of Hospice Podcast and host Helen Bauer

Website: theheartofhospice.com

Social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn

Email: helen@theheartofhospice.com

Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice at The Heart of Hospice Podcast (theheartofhospice.com)

It’s National Healthcare Decisions Day 2025! This episode features clips from some of our favorite guests, highlighting wisdom and thoughts about advance care planning for the end of life. You’ll hear some of the brightest and best voices working in the end of life care industry talk about managing hard conversations about dying and death, funeral planning, and choosing a proxy or medical power of attorney who will speak for you. We hope it makes you laugh, cry, think, and make decisions about your own advance care plan! This episode features guests and resources from the following organizations:

• Peacefully Prepared - Rhonda Lopresti (peacefully-prepared.com)
• How to Train Your Doctor - Matthew Tyler (howtotrainyourdoctor.com)
• Death’s Apprentice - Christa Ovenell (deathsapprentice.ca)
• Buried In Work - Adam Zuckerman (buriedinwork.com)
• The Death Deck and End of Life Deck - Lisa Pahl, owner/creator (thedeathdeck.com)
• 5 Wishes (fivewishes.org)
• The Conversation Project.org

Hospice Navigation Services understands that you need unbiased, expert support to have the best end of life experience possible. If you have questions about hospice care for yourself or someone you care about, Hospice Navigation Services can help. Whether you want to connect by phone or video, you can book a FREE 30-Minute Hospice Navigation Session, or a more in-depth 60-Minute Navigation Session for $95. If you need to troubleshoot the care you’re already receiving, we’re here to answer your questions. A 60-Minute Navigation Session by video call allows up to 3 family members to get the same expert information at the same time. We believe you deserve to have good hospice care. Book a session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com.

Connect with The Heart of Hospice Podcast and host Helen Bauer Website: theheartofhospice.com Social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn Email: helen@theheartofhospice.com More podcast episodes: The Heart of Hospice Podcast

Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.co

We’re getting back to the basics of hospice - talking about starting hospice care, and what you can expect from a hospice admission. Hospice nurse Beth Cavenaugh helps to navigate this topic. There are a lot of moving parts that compose the admission to hospice care.

Here are some of the main things you should know about hospice admissions:

• The admission process includes assessment visits from the hospice nurse, social worker, and chaplain as well visits from other disciplines like a volunteer coordinator and an aide or CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant).
• Within the first 5 days of being admitted to hospice, a patient and their caregiver can expect visits from each of the core disciplines on the team (nurse, chaplain, social worker). This is due to hospice regulations and agency policies.
• Patients and caregivers have the right to refuse visits from certain disciplines on the team. A visit from the nurse at least every 2 weeks is required.
• It’s always better to allow the assessment visits from each discipline to happen. This is the best way to find out what support each person from the team has to offer.
• While the process is lengthy and involves a lot of documentation, the time spent on an admission to hospice helps the team take better care of the patient and learn what matters most to them.

Connect with guest host hospice nurse Beth Cavenaugh at bethcavenaugh.com Buy Beth’s book Some Light at the End: Your Bedside Guide for Peaceful Palliative and Hospice Care Buy The Power and Pain of Nursing: Self-Care Practices to Protect and Replenish Compassion.

Hospice Navigation Services understands that you need unbiased, expert support to have the best end of life experience possible. If you have questions about hospice care for yourself or someone you care about, Hospice Navigation Services can help. Whether you want to connect by phone or video, you can book a FREE 30-Minute Hospice Navigation Session, or a more in-depth 60-Minute Navigation Session for $95. If you need to troubleshoot the care you’re already receiving, we’re here to answer your questions. A 60-Minute Navigation Session by video call allows up to 3 family members to get the same expert information at the same time. We believe you deserve to have good hospice care. Book a session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com.

Connect with The Heart of Hospice Podcast and host Helen Bauer

Website: theheartofhospice.com

Social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn

Email: helen@theheartofhospice.com

More podcast episodes: The Heart of Hospice Podcast

Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.

In this fourth and final episode of our special series in partnership with Stanford Healthcare, our guest Susan Evans shares the ins and outs of caregiving, and talks about her work to support other caregivers dealing with the challenges of Alzheimer’s Disease. As a caregiver, Susan worked to ensure her dad was safe and well cared for. She and her brother incorporated humor into their caregiving journey, and now she works to ensure other caregivers have the resources they need.

Here are a few highlights from our conversation:

• Susan knows the power of story sharing, and how caregivers can learn from each other.
• When her dad began experiencing symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease, he took himself to his doctor at Stanford Healthcare.
• Susan recommends taking advantage of the present time caregivers have, to be in the moment instead of trying to remind your person of things they can’t recall.
• Challenges from Alzheimer’s Disease vary from person to person, and caregiver to caregiver.
• Despite the hard times, Susan has found fulfillment and meaning in her caregiving roles.

You can find more resources and information about palliative care at caringinfo.org and getpalliativecare.org

Connect with our special series sponsor Kensington Senior Living:

Website: https://kensingtonseniorliving.com/

Social media: Instagram LinkedIn Facebook

Information for Jennifer O’Brien

Website: jenniferaobrien.com

Read more about Jennifer O’Brien here.

Purchase your copy of Care Boss by Jennifer O’Brien here.

Buy your copy of The Hospice Doctor’s Widow: An Art Journal of Caregiving and Grief here.

Hospice Navigation Services is here for you. If you have questions about hospice care or need to troubleshoot the care you’re already receiving, book a session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com.

Connect with The Heart of Hospice Podcast and host Helen Bauer

Website: theheartofhospice.com

Email: helen@theheartofhospice.com

More podcast episodes: The Heart of Hospice Podcast

Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Dr. Jocelyn Jiao and Social Worker Mike Polisso of the Stanford Healthcare Palliative Team know the value of getting to know patients and families from the start of the care relationship.

As part of an interdisciplinary team providing neuropalliative care for people and families living with serious neurological illnesses, they’re supporting patients and caregivers and training other healthcare workers in palliative care.

Here are some topics discussed in this interview:

• Jocelyn discussed the importance of finding out communication preferences when it comes to early conversations about advance care planning and disease progression.
• Mike highlighted exploring preference questions with patients and caregivers, and staying curious to create opportunities for personalized care.
• Asking what kind of medical information is important to someone to know can create communication styles that are comfortable for the patient and caregivers.
• Mike finds many people don’t know that palliative care social workers have a variety of roles, including helping with complex medical decision making and dealing with family dynamics that are impacting care.
• Both Mike and Dr. Jiao recognize the need for ongoing self care to support the work they do.

You can find more resources and information about palliative care at caringinfo.org and getpalliativecare.org

Connect with our special series sponsor Kensington Senior Living:

Website: https://kensingtonseniorliving.com/

Social media: Instagram LinkedIn Facebook

Information for Jennifer O’Brien

Website: jenniferaobrien.com

Read more about Jennifer O’Brien here.

Purchase your copy of Care Boss by Jennifer O’Brien here.

Buy your copy of The Hospice Doctor’s Widow: An Art Journal of Caregiving and Grief here.

Hospice Navigation Services is here for you. If you have questions about hospice care or need to troubleshoot the care you’re already receiving, book a session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com.

Connect with The Heart of Hospice Podcast and host Helen Bauer

Website: theheartofhospice.com

Email: helen@theheartofhospice.com

More podcast episodes: The Heart of Hospice Podcast

Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.

With courage and vulnerability, Sheralin Samuels shares her experience as a caregiver for her mom, and their journey through Early Onset Alzheimer’s disease.

Here are a few highlights from this episode, created in partnership with Stanford Health Care:

• Sheralin’s mom Carlys began showing symptoms in 2012, and a definitive diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease wasn’t found until about 10 years later.
• Carlys spent a year in hospice care before she was discharged.
• As a sandwich caregiver, Sheralin cares for her two kids while working a full time job and ensuring her mom’s needs are being met.
• Being a caregiver has impacted Sheralin’s family in numerous ways, affecting family dynamics, relationships, and finances.
• Sheralin knows there's strength in self care. Her self care includes getting outside, enjoying nature, and hiking.
• By creating YouTube videos to help other caregivers, Sheralin is creating meaning from her experience.

Watch Sheralin Taylor’s YouTube videos: @A_Daughters_Journey

You can find more resources and information about palliative care at caringinfo.org and getpalliativecare.org

Connect with our special series sponsor Kensington Senior Living:

Website: https://kensingtonseniorliving.com/

Social media: Instagram LinkedIn Facebook

Information for Jennifer O’Brien

Website: jenniferaobrien.com

Read more about Jennifer O’Brien here.

Purchase your copy of Care Boss by Jennifer O’Brien here.

Buy your copy of The Hospice Doctor’s Widow: An Art Journal of Caregiving and Grief here.

Hospice Navigation Services is here for you. If you have questions about hospice care or need to troubleshoot the care you’re already receiving, book a session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com.

Connect with The Heart of Hospice Podcast and host Helen Bauer

Website: theheartofhospice.com

Email: helen@theheartofhospice.com

More podcast episodes: The Heart of Hospice Podcast

Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.