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Recently, I got to see another side of Hospice.  I sat with a patient who has Alzheimer’s and can’t be left alone.  She is on respite care. She was here for five days and there were some open “sitting slots”.  I am administrative support staff at Hospice of Southern Maine and not medically trained in any…

There are numerous volunteer opportunities available in the community. The key is to find the volunteer experience that is right for you. Being a hospice volunteer who works directly with patients and families who are receiving hospice care may be a great fit for you! To begin the process of finding a volunteer role which is…

Medicare initiated three regulatory changes for hospice organizations this year. One that went into effect on May 1st mandated that all Medicare beneficiaries on hospice would automatically need prior approval by hospice and their physician in order to have Medicare Part D pay for any medication directly. While well meaning…

What drew you to this work in the first place? Priscilla: I was a student at CHIME (Chaplaincy Institute of Maine) and had to do volunteer work as part of the program. I kept thinking about hospice. I got an invitation from Mid Coast Hospice to attend the open house of their new library. Through that experience, I got involved…

Interview with Jason Libby, Hospice of Southern Maine Nurse Practitioner. What’s the general reaction from people when you tell them where you work? It’s 50/50.  Half respond with “Oh my gosh, how can you do that type of work,” and the other half with “Wow, thank goodness for people like you.” Universally, though,…

Most people have heard of “the little black book” or “the little black dress.”  In hospice, the families frequently comment on the “little blue book.” The book they are referring to is Gone From My Sight written by Barbara Karnes, RN. This “little blue book” is filled with valuable real-life information on what…

Two important anniversaries are being celebrated this year. It was forty years ago that President Richard Nixon declared the first National Volunteer Week and it was that same year, 1974, that the first hospice in America opened its doors in Connecticut. Even before the first hospice began to serve the community, volunteers were…

Traditionally a time of celebration and gathering of families, the holidays can be an especially difficult and challenging time for those who are grieving the death of a loved one. Though many say they would like to skip the holidays all together, we can neither escape them nor pretend that everything is perfectly normal. I…

The summer is coming to an end. The gardens harvest is in or is coming in. As I write this the brilliant full moon lights the night sky. The wood pile is stacked with precision for the winter’s warmth. Kids have returned to school. We are entering into the season of less light, of deep winter—a time to acknowledge a long…

As a Human Resources professional, I never really thought about someone’s needs at the end of life, the process of dying or what an amazing gift it is for someone to be there to guide them through this stage. Working at Hospice of Southern Maine has opened my eyes to the hospice philosophy. I’ve learned that that the end of…