Some people mistakenly think hospice care is just about dying…that hospice is the place you call when there’s nothing more that can be done. Nothing could be further from the truth. Hospice helps patients and families focus on living. Hospice care brings comfort, dignity, and peace to help people with a life-limiting illness live every moment of life to the fullest. It also reaches out to provide support for the family and friends who love and care for them. Last year, 1.56 million dying Americans were served by the nation’s hospice providers. Yet, there are some important facts about hospice that people don’t know. And this may be keeping people from getting the best care possible, when they need it most.

1. Hospice is not a place; it’s high-quality medical care that helps the patient and family caregivers focus on comfort and quality of life.
2. Hospice is paid for by Medicare, Medicaid, most insurance plans, HMOs, and managed care plans. Fear of costs should never prevent a person from accessing hospice care.
3. Hospice serves anyone with a life-limiting illness, regardless of age or type of illness.
4. Hospice serves people of all backgrounds and traditions; the core values of hospice—allowing the patient to be with family, including spiritual and emotional support, treating pain—cut across all cultures.
5. Research has shown that the majority of Americans would prefer to be at home at the end of life’s journey—hospice makes this possible for most people.
6. Hospice serves people living in nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
7. Hospice patients and families can receive care for six months or longer.
8. A person may keep his or her referring physician involved while receiving hospice care.
9. Hospice offers grief and bereavement services to family members and the community.
10. To get the most out of what hospice offers, it’s better to have care for more than just a few days.

If this information about hospice surprises you, take the time to find out more. The best time to learn about hospice is BEFORE someone in your family is facing a healthcare crisis. For more information, contact Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice at 800-882-1117. This information is provided by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice. Karen Ann Quinlan Memorial Foundation is passionately dedicated to providing Hospice care for the terminally ill and Bereavement for those who have lost loved ones. Serving North and Northwest NJ and the Pike County area PA; please call 800 882 1117 to reach any of our services. 

Anthony Giordano of Hamburg, NJ was named Finance Manager at Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice in early May.  Anthony, or Tony as he likes to be called, has twenty-five years of accounting experience.  Five of those years was spent working for non-profit organizations, most recently Daytop New Jersey, a substance abuse treatment center for adolescents.

“I have a passion for working for non-profit organizations. It’s a plus to work for an organization that helps so many people.

“We are pleased to have Tony join our team. He brings years of accounting experience and his background in working with non-profit organizations is invaluable,” said Cecelia Clayton, Executive Director.

Tony has worked for various industries and has owned his own tax preparation and software businesses. He received his degree in accouting after realizing his love for reconciling numbers.

Tony grew up in Sparta and currently resides in Crystal Springs in Hamburg with his wife of 18 years Linda. Tony and Linda have three children, Melissa, Paul and Anthony. His hobbies include reading, bicycling, walking and traveling. The last book he read was “Tuesday’s with Morrie.”

“I am excited to work here, and look forward to meeting everyone,” said Tony.

The Karen Ann Quinlan Memorial Foundation provides Hospice care for the terminally ill and Bereavement for those who have lost loved ones. Please call 800 882 1117 to reach any of their services or visit their web site https://karenannquinlanhospice.org/. Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice is fully accredited by the New Jersey Department of Health as a certified Medicare and Medicaid Hospice, accredited by the Community Health Accreditation Program (CHAP), and a member of the NJ Hospice Organization and the National Hospice Organization.

When facing the many challenges at the end of life, families should be able to focus on ensuring comfort and quality of life for their loved one. But studies show that concerns about paying for end-of-life care often take priority. As baby boomers age, and provide care for their aging parents, these concerns are justified. In addition to providing quality medical care and emotional support, hospice care can also ease these financial concerns. For more than 30 years, the Medicare Hospice Benefit has provided a comprehensive and cost-effective model of end-of-life care. This benefit covers virtually all aspects of hospice care with little out-of-pocket expense to the patient or family. The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization reports that more than 10 million Medicare beneficiaries have received this high quality care at the end of life. About 80 percent of hospice care is paid for through the Medicare Hospice Benefit. In addition, most private health plans HMOs, and Medicaid in 47 States and the District of Columbia cover hospice services. Medicare covers these hospice services and pays nearly all of their costs:

• Professional services (like nursing care and physician services)
• Nursing care
• Medical equipment (like wheelchairs or hospital beds in the home)
• Medical supplies (like bandages and catheters)
• Drugs for symptom control and pain relief
• Short-term care in the hospital, including respite and inpatient for pain and symptom management
• Social work services
• Dietary counseling
• Grief support

If your loved one does not have coverage through Medicare, Medicaid or a private insurance company, Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice will work you and your family to ensure needed services are provided. Hospice and palliative care involves a team-oriented approach to expert medical care, pain management, and emotional and spiritual support expressly tailored to the patient’s needs and wishes. By helping to alleviate financial concerns, The Medicare Hospice Benefit can ease some of the burdens often associated with caring for a seriously ill loved one, allowing families to focus on the quality and loving care that everyone deserves. Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice can provide you with all the information needed. Please call us at 800-882-1117 and ask to speak to one of our social workers. This information is provided by the Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.

Many grieving people wonder if they would benefit from joining a support group. Support groups are a time-tested method of help for people struggling with all sorts of difficulties. But groups are not magic; there are no words that can be uttered within a group setting that can make grief disappear. 

Groups are places to work together to support one another; they are places where everyone gives and takes. Not everyone will find a support group suitable; each individual grieves in his or her own way.  For many, however, support groups have much to offer, such as:

Validation: Grief is experienced in so many ways — physical, emotional, and spiritual. One needs a place to recognize that these reactions are part of the journey of grief. Being with other grieving people can reaffirm that one is not going crazy. While every loss is unique, through support groups one can bask in the support of others who have experienced loss and understand.

Time away: For many people, a support group can be a break from the loneliness and the boredom that often come with grief.

Suggestions for coping: There is no single solution to dealing with loss but members of a support group can offer a range of alternatives. By listening to stories of how others cope with a particular problem, one can find the solution that might work best.

Support groups offer two other gifts: they provide hope by providing models that reaffirm that one can survive loss; and participating in a support group can also help the griever find new empathy, new understandings, and renewed strengths.

The Joseph T. Quinlan Bereavement Center, located on 5 Plains Road in Augusta, holds group support meetings the first and third Wednesday of each month from 12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. and from 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. on the second Monday of each month. Group support groups are also held at our satellite locations on 214 Washington Street, in Hackettstown monthly on the third Tuesday from 10:00 a.m. – 11:3 a.m. and at the United Methodist Church on Ann Street in Milford PA on the fourth Tuesday from 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

All support groups are open to not only those who have used hospice services, but also to anyone in the community whom is suffering the loss of a loved one. For more information on all the programs that are offered at the Joseph T. Quinlan Bereavement Center please call 973-948-2283 or visit KarenAnnQuinlanHospice.org.

Why Shred?

Why shred your documents and paperwork that are unneeded, out of date, or no longer relevant? Why not just throw them out?

Everyone knows that we should protect ourselves from cyber identity theft, but it’s easy to forget that the threat of “paper” identity theft is still very real. Don’t take chances—shred! On-site shredding is the primary way to safeguard personal information. Once you’ve gathered all of your documents designated for destruction bring them to our offices located on 99 Sparta Avenue in Newton this Saturday, July 8, and watch them get shredded while you wait! Cost is only $6 for a grocery sized brown bag.

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), discarded paper is one of the principal sources of information for identity thieves. Secure destruction of sensitive material helps you and your company avoid risks like:

• Loss of trade secrets
• Fraud
• Embarrassing publicity
• Litigation, fines, and penalties
• Identity theft

As far as personal documents are concerned, to be as safe as possible, we recommend that you destroy any paper that contains even a minimum of personal information. Identity thieves are clever and can gain a great deal of usable information from documents like:

• Medical/Dental Records
• Discarded mail
• Resumes
• Used Airline Tickets