Hospice Chaplain Planned Detroit Nursing Home Memorial Service

The need to honor the deceased in an atmosphere of healing and support from others has been a common manner for mourning the dead. But sometimes people die without family and friends available to handle funeral or memorial services that recognize, honor, and bring closure to death. Such was the case with my hospice patient named Lelia, whose memorial service was planned by the hospice chaplain:

Excerpt from Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes

A small group gathered in the recreation room at the nursing home. Most people present were other patients who knew Lelia. Essie, Lelia’s sister, came with a friend named Nola. The hospice chaplain opened the memorial ceremony with a prayer and a reading. Taking turns, we shared our memories of Lelia. Some comments were hilarious, while others revealed Lelia’s demons. We all discovered new layers of Lelia that came together in a mental mural of colorful qualities.

Essie spoke last, “I’m sitting here in shock listening to what you all said about my sister. I can’t believe we knew the same person. The Lelia I knew hardly ever said anything funny, and she sure wasn’t thoughtful, at least not to me. Even when I helped her get into this nursing home, she still acted like she hated me. She was grouchy and liked to criticize people all the time. Nobody was really close to her. To tell you the truth, nobody in our family was close to anybody else in the family. There was just too much drama going on all the time. That’s why I’m the only one here. I started not to come myself, but now I’m glad I did. I learned something new today. I feel better about Lelia after hearing your stories.”

Although the chaplain hadn’t known in advance how many would attend the ceremony, she had brought twelve helium balloons, the exact number needed for each person present to have a balloon to release later. Like colorful hula dancers swaying from strings tied to a chair, the balloons added a festive energy to Lelia’s homegoing. Riding down with the group on the elevator, Nola mentioned that she and Essie were both singers. We all agreed they should lead us in song when the balloons were released during our tribute to Lelia.

Our humble circle stood in the front yard of a Detroit nursing home to perform our final death ritual for Lelia. People riding by in cars on a busy street observed a lively group of ecstatic mourners looking upward, enthusiastically singing “Going to Shout All Over God’s Heaven.” Passionate voices resonated like rockets. We released our buoyant balls of bliss floating in a hurry to get somewhere. I imagined Lelia looking on, bobbing her head to the gospel beat. She grinned her toothless rainbow smile that colored our hearts with joy from the Other Side of Through when we all yelled, “Bye, Lelia! Have yourself a good time!”

Frances Shani Parker, Author

Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes is available in paperback and e-book editions in America and other countries at online and offline booksellers.

Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog

Holiday Help: Caregivers and Relatives with Dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease (Video 1:57 mins.)

The holidays are approaching fast. You’re a caregiver of a relative with dementia. You dread the upcoming love-hate festivities you have grown to expect during this busy time of year. You can really use some help.

According to University of South Carolina research involving caregivers of relatives with Alzheimer’s disease, the leading cause of dementia, there are three themes that may be prominent during your holiday season:

1) Becoming aware of your relative's symptoms

2) Trying to have one last normal holiday

3) Deciding how to handle holidays when your relative lives in an assisted living facility

Support is available from healthcare providers and others who can empower you during these joyous and sometimes stressful weeks of planning and celebration. In this video titled "Through the Holidays," Eve Moses, an educator with the Alzheimer’s Association, offers practical suggestions that can assist you in making happy holiday memories.

Frances Shani Parker, Author
"Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes”
“Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog”

Nursing Home, Long-Term Care Trends: Robotic Technology of the Future (Video 2:04 mins.)

                               

                                         Humanoid Service Robot REEM-B

Many people, particularly the graying pre-baby boomers, probably assume they won’t be around in the next 50 years. But with the speed of technological inventions nowadays, who really knows? Longevity continues to increase while fertility rates decrease. Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid struggle with ongoing adjustments as demographics evolve into a future we can only predict. Fortunately, research from the University of Louisville School of Nursing in Kentucky gives us a glimpse into the future with results reported in "Nursing Clinics of North America.” These are the predicted trends for long-term care:

1) Future years will see a more diverse population with increased aggressive treatment of chronic illness.

2) Consumers of health care and their family caregivers will take more active steps to manage and coordinate their own care.

3) Housing trends that produce more senior-friendly
communities will encourage independent living rather than
seniors having to move into institutions.

4) Increased incentives for use of home and community-based care
will allow people to stay longer in their own homes in the community.

5) Technological advances, such as the use of robots serving as companions and assistants around the house, will also decrease
the need for institutional living.

This video gives a visual glance into the potential of robotics in the future with a demonstration by a humanoid robot built by Pal Technology. Robots like this could provide service at home to those who are unable to perform these actions themselves.

Frances Shani Parker, Author
Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes
Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog

Hospice Volunteer Research: How? What? Why?

How do hospice volunteers learn about hospice volunteer opportunities?

What motivates them to start volunteering?

Why do they continue to volunteer?

These are open-ended questions that researchers at the University of Utah Department of Communication asked 351 hospice volunteers from 3 states. The following are the research findings:

1) Volunteers heard of opportunities through hospice and healthcare contacts, personal contacts, print and electronic sources, and other nonhospice organizations.

2) Volunteers were motivated mainly to be of service to others and because of a personal experience with the death of someone close.

3) The majority of volunteers continued to serve because they found it personally rewarding, wanted to help others, or both. Many continued because of the quality of their own hospice organization and staff members. Demographic influences were small.

These research results are particularly important to volunteer coordinators in recruiting and maintaining a productive volunteer staff. My video poem “Reflections of a Hospice Volunteer” expresses the win-win experiences of many volunteers:





Frances Shani Parker, Author
"Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes”
“Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog”

Dementia (Alzheimer’s) Caregiving with Understanding and Patience (Video 5:31 mins.)

Dementia refers to a group of conditions that gradually destroy brain cells and lead to mental decline. Many conditions can cause dementia, but Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, this disease, which advances at different rates, destroys memory and the ability to learn, reason, make judgments, communicate, and perform daily activities. Patients may also experience changes in behavior and personality such as anxiety and delusions.

Dementia is like a fluttering bee. As a hospice volunteer in nursing homes, I never knew when it would make honey or sting. There were times when residents with dementia were rude or violent. I have seen one slap a CNA’s (certified nursing assistant) face with such force I thought the CNA would fall over. To her credit, she took a deep breath and walked away while another CNA intervened.

Residents with dementia enjoyed talking about the past and embellishing their stories. Sometimes they remembered detailed incidents from childhood and minutes later couldn’t remember where they were. They needed encouragement when they became afraid. I tried to analyze what caused certain behaviors. Distractions helped them change their thoughts. Just like everyone else, they felt respected when their opinions mattered. I let them make some decisions, usually limiting the choices to two, so they wouldn’t feel overwhelmed.

Caregivers and other loved ones of those with dementia have to remind themselves often that patients’ repetitious questions and other unintentional behaviors are manifestations of the disease. This video titled “What is that?” reminds them (and all of us) to dig deeply into wells of themselves for understanding and patience.

Frances Shani Parker, Author

Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes is available in paperback and e-book editions in America and other countries at online and offline booksellers.

Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog

Barriers and Benefits of End-of-Life Discussions with Doctors (Video 1:56 mins.)

Unless we are sure we will never experience physical death, we should all take advantage of preparing for the inevitable long before illness even comes. Not having productive discussions about end-of-life options hinders opportunities to make informed choices, including the choice of hospice care. However, patients’ reluctance to discuss end-of-life options is not the only barrier to their receiving hospice care. As this research shows, doctors can play an important role in delaying hospice discussions that provide benefits to patients and their families:

In a two-year experiment involving interviews with 215 elderly, terminally ill patients, Yale University Medical School researchers determined that factors most strongly associated with hospice discussions were clinicians' estimate of and certainty about patient life expectancy. Unfortunately, clinicians were unable to anticipate the deaths of a considerable portion of patients (40%). Results concluded that, ultimately, “patients' use of hospice, relies largely on clinician estimates of patient life expectancy and the predictability of disease course.” This is another reason why patients should finalize their end-of-life care wishes in writing well in advance. You can read more here about this research on determining hospice discussion.

What are benefits of having end-of life discussions with doctors? This video, which refers to a study at Boston’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, shows how these conversations with doctors promote dignified death journeys that help patients and their families.

Frances Shani Parker, Author
"Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes”
“Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog”

Cane-Fu: Martial Arts for the Elderly (Video 1:59 mins.)

Although the U.S. Justice Department states that the elderly are the least likely to be targeted by violent crimes, it doesn’t hurt for them to be prepared and in better physical shape if they are attacked. And a cane is one weapon that can be carried anywhere. Sure, everybody jokes about using the everyday walking cane as a weapon, but at a retirement home in Maryland and at about 100 locations around the country, they aren’t joking. Cane-fu classes have been going on about ten years.

The goal, of course, is confidence building, a trait that can help anyone feel stronger and more in control. Seniors learn specific skills to help defend themselves and incorporate physical exercise during the learning process. Just knowing that the cane can do more than help them walk is empowering. Many of the class participants say they don’t walk the streets alone anyway.

Hopefully, most seniors will never have to defend themselves with canes, and it’s certainly not encouraged for the weak. I have observed how many seniors enjoy exercises using the Wii games and doing Zumba dance aerobics to Latin rhythms. Cane-fu fighting is another sign of the times, particularly in terms of senior exercise.

In this video, seniors participate in a Cane-fu class.

Frances Shani Parker, Author
"Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes”
“Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog”

Caregiver Abuse: Does Everyone Have a Breaking Point?

I often wonder if people realize the full impact of what they are saying when they make statements about what they would never do, particularly when they are judging others. Many things people said they would never do, regrettably, they have done. This brings up the topic of elder abuse by caregiving family members. More and more cases of abuse toward elderly patients are being reported. This abuse can be physical, psychological, and exploitative. Many times the abuse occurs in shared living situations with caregivers.

Many people believe everyone has a breaking point, a moral boundary that must not be crossed. Caregivers overwhelmed with depression, guilt, anger, and other stressors may have difficulty not crossing over this boundary, even though they know they shouldn’t. This is one reason why caregivers must always be mindful of taking care of and monitoring themselves. Often assistance from others is, not only helpful, but also mandatory, to prevent abuses from happening. Hospice team members and others can help with these needs and refer caregivers to those who can help them.

Caregivers need respite time away from patients, so they can share their experiences, gain
information from others, and relieve stress. They need programs that save them time and make them feel that they are cared about. They need others to be their caregivers by temporarily relieving their burdens, sharing an uplifting activity, being good listeners, and providing encouragement.

You can view a video about a caregiver confessing how she abused her mother here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/caregiver-confesses-abuse-mother-research-video-251-parker?trk=mp-author-card

Frances Shani Parker, Author

Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes is available in paperback at many booksellers in America and other countries and in e-book form at Amazon and Barnes and Noble booksellers.

Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog

My Nursing Home Patient Leaves Hospice Care

Whenever I speak to groups and mention that one of my patients was released from hospice care, audience members seem surprised. This usually happens when I tell Raynell’s story. Raynell, my diabetic hospice patient with dementia, shared a room with four other patients at the nursing home. Her roommates included an imaginary admirer named Robert, whom she loved like the devil loves holy water. Conversing with Raynell required that I drop to the floor periodically and search for Robert under her bed. This was preceded by her screaming, “Get him! He’s going under the bed!” after he (affectionately?) pinched her tingling diabetic legs. But one day, she surprised me with talk about leaving hospice care and the nursing home:

Excerpt from "Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes”

Raynell requested my help by saying, “I was wondering if you could help me find another apartment. I’ve been thinking about looking for a new place to stay, maybe a place closer to where I used to live. This apartment building is too noisy. Just close your eyes and listen to all the talking, buzzers, and everything. People come into my place without even knocking. They just walk right in and go through my closet and drawers. It’s not right. Three ladies even moved in with me when I wasn’t looking. Now, I can’t get them out.”

“Whoa! That’s a surprise! I didn’t know you wanted to leave here. Are you sure moving is the best thing to do while you’re not feeling well?”

“Lately, I’m feeling much better. I need a change. Even Robert had to leave, so you know it’s bad. But I’m very glad about that. He’s gone to live in California. I don’t think he’ll be coming back again.”

“A lot sure has happened since I visited you last week. You never said you wanted to move before or that the other people who live here bothered you so much. All this really shocks me.”

I thought about this interesting conversation a while. It was the first time Raynell ever mentioned moving to an apartment and, even more astonishing, the first time she ever said Robert wasn’t hiding under her bed. Two weeks later, she was released from hospice care because her health really had improved. She moved to another nursing home near her son’s house. I guess Robert knew his time was almost up and decided to leave before he got left.

© Frances Shani Parker

Yes, it’s rare, but patients are released from hospice care. Some die within months of leaving, and some live at home or remain in nursing homes. Consider that with various diseases causing the need for hospice care, it is difficult to predict someone’s death with accuracy. Also, receiving quality healthcare and support from others can improve a patient's health. And when an imaginary admirer named Robert knows it’s time to leave, the patient may be moving in that direction, too.

Frances Shani Parker, Author
"Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes”
“Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog”

Where Are All the Men (Hospice-Palliative Volunteers)?

When hospice-palliative volunteers look around the room during a typical meeting, it becomes obvious that women volunteer at a higher rate. This is not to say there aren’t great male volunteers, but more diversity in this area would be beneficial. Volunteers are motivated for various reasons such as serving and socializing with patients, pursuing career goals, and feeling good about themselves. But, if the rewards are so wonderful, why aren't more men joining? Fortunately, research reported in the “American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine®” sheds light on this phenomenon with an emphasis on middle-aged and older men:

1) After 68 men read a brief description of the kinds of activities that hospice-palliative care volunteers do, 20% expressed an interest in this type of volunteerism. Those who were not interested stated such reasons as "being too busy" and "not being able to handle it emotionally." One third of the men who said they were not interested in becoming volunteers did express an interest in 10 of 13 other common volunteer activities such as driving.

2) After 59 men were presented with a list of 25 volunteer tasks from which they could choose, the men were least willing to serve on the board of directors (28%), provide hands-on patient care (38%), and work in the volunteer program's office (42%).

Men were most willing to talk to patients (97%), share hobbies and interests with patients (92%), listen to patients’ memories and life stories (90%), and provide friendship and companionship (88%).

These are the facts straight from men themselves. Hopefully, this information makes preferences of many potential male volunteers clearer. Volunteer coordinators can consider these male motivations as part of their recruitment strategies leading to more diversity.

Frances Shani Parker, Author
"Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes”
“Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog”

Hospice Volunteer-Patient Wheelchair Rides

In my book “Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes,” I discuss wheelchair rides with my hospice patients. These rides provided great bonding moments. They brought patients in contact with the outside world and provided priceless occasions for me to learn interesting facts about their pasts and their personalities. They gave patients opportunities to extend boundaries beyond their rooms to include other patients, staff, visitors, activities, stimulating sights, and sounds.

A patient named Nat had a wheelchair-riding contest with himself every time we returned to his room from outdoors. He briefly pushed his wheelchair fast to beat the door buzzer that went off when we entered from the porch. This was a race he always won. He never tired of playing this game or bragging about how fast he was every time he won, as if he had hit a home run. People sitting in the lobby began to expect that when we entered, there would be a lot of hoopla over Nat’s beating the buzzer. Laughing with triumph, he enjoyed celebrating his victory and telling everybody I was his wife. This came from a white man who initially expressed reluctance about being assigned a black volunteer.

One day outside in the parking lot, I was taken aback when a patient named Gail explained, “I lived here in this nursing home on the fifth floor for years. Look up there. That open window on the corner is where my room was. I used to look out that window and see my car. I’d walk around on all the other floors and talk to people. Everybody here knows me, except the new people.” It never occurred to me that she had been in the nursing home so many years. I thought she had come after she was diagnosed as a hospice patient. I had wondered why she was so well known on every floor. A nurse confirmed her story later. Even as her memory faded, Gail still had a living history there that tapped her on the shoulder, whispered in her ears to remind her of who she had been and what she had done as a more independent woman.

Sharing time with patients on wheelchair rides, I sometimes felt like I was watching them perform a dance of seven veils as they gradually revealed new layers of interest about themselves. And because volunteering is such a win-win experience, I also learned a lot about myself. In every way, we were dance partners.

Frances Shani Parker, Author
"Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes”
“Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog”

Sperm Retrieval From Terminally Ill or Recently Deceased Patients

Requests for sperm retrieval from terminally ill or recently deceased patients continue to increase along with controversy. Major reasons for this increase are the success and acceptance of techniques that assist reproduction such as in vitro fertilization. These requests are accompanied by several concerns regarding legal, ethical, and financial issues. Two areas of controversy involve consent for the retrieval of sperm and the validity of family consent. Obviously, family members and healthcare providers need some form of medical protocol to resolve the ongoing controversy that is not going away.

Some feel that men themselves, particularly those about to get married or enter into a similar relationship, can resolve problems related to consent by addressing retrieval of their sperm in advance in the same way a living will is handled. By documenting their wishes before a need occurs, sperm retrieval can take place during the terminal illness or recently after death. This research by the University of Maryland Medical Center examines sperm retrieval from terminally ill or recently deceased patients.

What do you think about this ongoing debate?

Frances Shani Parker, Author
"Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes”
“Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog”

Nursing Home Compare Report Card Research and Nursing Home Tribute Video-1:53 mins.

The Nursing Home Compare report card, published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, reports results of nursing home inspections that measure whether Medicare or Medicaid certified nursing homes meet minimum standards for a particular set of requirements. Do these report cards really impact improvements in nursing homes? A study by the University of California examined this by conducting a survey of over a thousand randomly selected nursing home administrators.

Survey results indicate that the report card does serve as an incentive to improve facilities. Most nursing homes reviewed their quality report card scores regularly and have made efforts to improve. Homes that were performing poorly were more likely to improve after the scores were published. The Nursing Home Compare report card seems to be serving a good purpose by encouraging nursing homes to improve.

Keep in mind that deficiencies that are not reported by the nursing homes are not reflected on the report card. Some feel that the reports should be more detailed. Results of inspections must be available onsite for public review. When looking for a nursing home, the report card should be used only as one part of the search. Several visitations to nursing homes and asking questions of concern are important before making decisions.

You can read more here about this study on the Nursing Home Compare report card.

This video titled “Nursing Home Heroes - a Tribute” celebrates the often unsung staff heroes in our nation’s nursing homes.

Frances Shani Parker, Author
"Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes”
“Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog”

Preparing for the End of Life: Doing What We Say

An eldercare consultant, I often witness the contradictions many people make regarding end-of-life preparation. Therefore, it was no surprise when I read the results of the “South Dakota’s Dying to Know” statewide survey about end-of-life concerns. South Dakota surveyors wanted to gain understanding of attitudes, advance planning, knowledge, and preferences residents had about end-of-life issues. Surveys were sent to 10,204 randomly selected households. These are the results:

1) Most respondents said preparation for the end of life was very important, yet far fewer had actually taken steps to ensure their end-of-life wishes would be known or honored.

2) Most people did not want artificial hydration/nutrition at the end of their lives, preferred to die at home, and harbored misconceptions about pain; yet, most had not engaged in conversations with their physician, minister, or lawyer about these issues.

3) While some adults were unfamiliar with hospice care, when provided with a definition, a majority indicated that they would want hospice care if they were dying and preferably in their own homes.

Doing what we say we want is an ongoing problem when it comes to end-of-life preparation. Like most people, many South Dakotans have end-of-life preferences that they have taken no actions to implement. These results reinforce the continued urgency for patient conversations initiated by doctors and other healthcare workers, not only with the elderly who are near the end of their lives, but with all patients. More discussions by family and community members are also needed to bridge that long-standing gap between what we say and what we do.

You can read more here about"South Dakota's Dying to Know" statewide survey.

Frances Shani Parker, Author

Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes is available in paperback and e-book editions in America and other countries at online and offline booksellers.

Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog

Video Poem: “Living Colors” (Nursing Home, Staff Shortage, Poor Vision, Alzheimer’s Disease, Hospice) 2:56 mins.

“Living Colors” is one of sixteen original poems included at the end of each chapter of "Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes.” With poems, stories, and general information, "Becoming Dead Right" explores urban nursing homes, hospice care, caregiving, dementia, death preparations, and bereavement. Strategies for improving eldercare and nursing homes are examined.

This poem was inspired by one of my hospice patients who had Alzheimer’s disease and poor eyesight. More sight problems could be corrected in nursing homes if residents received vision care regularly. My patient needed assistance to eat, but there was a staff shortage that day. Staff shortages in nursing homes negatively impact patients across the country. Using her fingers, she started feeding herself. I arrived to find her with food smeared around her mouth. After wondering what that experience might have been like for her, I wrote this poem:

Living Colors



Frances Shani Parker, Author
"Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes”
“Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog”

What Do Young Adults Think About Hospice and Home Death?

We spend so much time discussing hospice and seniors, we may not be aware of young adults’ opinions about hospice or home death. Why are their opinions important? Hospice care impacts families, not just terminally ill patients. Young adults need education on death-related options that are available for their loved ones and for themselves.

The Department of Psychology at the University of Alabama did research exploring preferences of young adults. This study examined what influenced 1,035 psychology students’ opinions about hospice and home care. The sample was 66% female and 60% Caucasian, with females having more knowledge of hospice, more positive opinions about hospice, and a higher likelihood of recommending hospice.

Regarding home death, Caucasians had a more positive opinion of home death than African Americans. Individuals describing their prior experience with the death of a loved one as negative had a more positive opinion of home death than those with no prior experience or a non-negative experience.

What this study made clearer is the wide range of opinions young adults had about hospice and home care, particularly in terms of gender and race. In addition, a large amount of neutral responses indicated the significant potential for influencing more young adults’ opinions in support of hospice if they receive more hospice education.

You can read more about this research on young adults’ opinions on hospice and home death.

Frances Shani Parker, Author
"Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes”
“Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog”

Culture Change: Nursing Home Dining (Video 2:13 mins.)

Broadwater Health Center (above) in Montana has cooked-to-order breakfasts and multiple-entree noon and evening meals.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) guidelines for state surveyors give detailed information on accessing nursing home compliance with regulations. Recently, the CMS added that nursing homes must support residents' preferences and other efforts to transform nursing homes into homelike environments. Changes mentioned are both environmental and resident-centered. They include activities such as dining, scheduling, bathing, sleeping, and many more beneficial changes that will advance reform in nursing homes.

A hospice volunteer in Detroit nursing homes, I am aware of the great need for reform. Across America, best practices in many nursing homes are far ahead of those in too many others. But improving nursing homes requires much more than environmental enhancements and enrichment activities. Changing the culture of nursing homes successfully requires major shifts in thinking with input from all levels of staff, residents, and community. Incentives encouraging achievement of new and shared goals are also effective. A helpful resource is the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care. This organization was formerly the National Citizens' Coalition for Nursing Home Reform (NCCNHR).

In this video titled "Culture Change Dining - Restaurant Style,” we see how residents and staff of Ballard Healthcare have implemented improvements in the dining program.

Frances Shani Parker, Author
Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes
Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog

Video Poem: “Reflections of a Hospice Volunteer” (Hospice, Nursing Homes, Eldercare) 3:25 mins.

“Reflections of a Hospice Volunteer” is one of sixteen original poems included at the end of each chapter of "Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes.” With poems, stories, and general information, "Becoming Dead Right" explores hospice care, urban nursing homes, caregiving, dementia, death preparations, and bereavement. Strategies for improving eldercare and nursing homes are examined.

Dedicated hospice volunteers everywhere enhance quality of life during patients’ final days. This poem expresses the win-win experience of many volunteers.



Frances Shani Parker, Author
"Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes”
“Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog”