by Jerry Fenter, Spiritual Counselor
Many of the products and services we use today were created to meet a need. The creators saw the need and created a product or service to fill the need. When we started The Heart of Hospice we saw some basic unmet needs in the hospice industry.
First, there were too many people who didn’t have a basic knowledge of what hospice did and didn’t do, including misunderstandings and myths about hospice that kept many people from receiving the compassionate care they needed. The lament we heard too often from patients and families was, “I wish we had known about hospice sooner.”
We also witnessed many professionals from every discipline who were entering the hospice workforce with little to no understanding of hospice history or hospice philosophy. Hospice is unique and different from any other field of healthcare, so it’s important for those who work in hospice to have a clear understanding of the hospice philosophy.
When I began my hospice career over 9 years ago, I was clueless about hospice. Thankfully, I had some incredible mentors through the years who have helped me grow. Despite their help, I was still hungry for more and began searching for any information I could find about hospice. At that time, there was very little information available.
Photo by Helen Bauer, The Heart of Hospice
Fast forward a few years to a time when Helen and I were in the discussion stage of creating what is now The Heart of Hospice. As we began formulating our plans, everything revolved around our primary mission of providing education and information to help consumers and professionals alike increase their understanding of hospice and end of life care.
Over the past 3 years we’ve not wavered from our mission. We’ve tried to dig deep and look at all of the many facets of hospice. We’ve covered topics ranging from DNR to self care, from advance care planning to the 4 levels of care, and everything in between. And we’re not done yet.
Through our short weekly podcast episodes we call, “Heartbeat”, our bi-monthly full-length episodes, the blog, and our social media pages, our goal is to provide you with information that will encourage you and educate you about hospice and end of life care.
Today there is more information being shared about hospice than even a decade ago, and end of life care is being discussed in wider circles and in greater frequency; however, the need for education about hospice is still just as great. Will you help us reach more people with information about hospice? Please share our podcast, blog and website with your friends and co-workers. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
The need for hospice is growing every year. Let’s make sure that those who need end of life care are getting the care they deserve. Let’s also increase the knowledge and skills of those who provide that care. Let’s do this together.
And remember, no matter who you are or where you are in your hospice journey, you are the Heart of Hospice.