Hospice Patients Get Tucked In at Night with a Comfort Call
Remember the sense of comfort and security you felt when your mom or dad pulled the covers up to your chin and tucked them snugly around you? The Nurses at Regional Hospice and Home Care of Western Connecticut do, and that’s the feeling they want to share with all of their hospice home care patients and families. That’s why Regional Hospice and Home Care’s two on-call nurses do just that, make calls during the evening hours after the hospice nurse has visited the patient to check in and make sure everything is alright. “There is a lot of information explained … * read more
Newtown Middle School Student Raises $24,000 for Sandy Hook Student Grief Counseling by Selling Wrist Bands
Danbury, CT: Ryan Patrick, a 12- year-old Newtown resident, woke up early the morning of December 15th , the day after the tragic Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, and told his mother, Barb Patrick, “Mom I really need to do something for these families.” Ryan and his mom decided to sell wrist bands to raise money to help the families who lost children. Within the first 24 hours after the bracelets arrived, they sold nearly 5,000. The original order was paid for by a local business owner who chooses to remain anonymous. Selling for $3, the wristbands were promoted through … * read more
Kids Stick Together – Students Sell Duct Tape Trinkets for Sandy Hook Students
http://www.todaysthv.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=245001 Third-grade students at Gibbs Magnet School of International Studies and Foreign Languages in Little Rock Arkansas have been working hard to raise money for the Healing Hearts Center for Grieving Children and Families to help support the grieve and bereavement programs for families in the area who suffered tragic losses during the Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting. Their story aired on THV in Arkansas, a CBS and Gannett affiliate. Third Graders in Little Rock Arkansas “Stick Together” to Raise Money for Sandy Hook Students. Danbury: People of all ages in all parts of the world have been touched by … * read more
An Open Letter to Grieving Friends – Guest Blog Post
12 years ago, we lost a child and were immeasurably helped by Healing Hearts. We were at the beginning of our grief journey then, and all we can do is say thank you. In fact, if it still exists, my daughter was one of the first bricks placed in the healing garden behind the building on the West side. Bless you all. Dear Friends, You don’t know me personally, but I wanted to share my experience with you. I do this with the wish that my story may offer a small ray of hope as you go on your grief … * read more
New Hospice Regulations Adopted
One of my favorite quotes is by Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” We live by that motto at Regional Hospice and Home Care, and have just completed a goal that we have been working on for years—the new hospice regulations have passed! This has truly been a team effort to transform the hospice regulations in our state to meet modern standards. Our planned hospice residence will be the first of its kind in Connecticut and will fulfill many promises made that … * read more
Hospice Facility Bill Passed by Connecticut House
Our dream of building a hospice residence in Western Connecticut has taken a big step forward! Due to the teamwork and support of our State Representatives David Scribner, Bob Godfrey, Chris Lyddy, Joe Taborsak, Michael McLachlan, Dan Carter and Janice Giegler, the Connecticut House of Representatives passed the hospice facility bill HB 5499 by 149-0 on April 19. Rep. Scribner was instrumental in moving this forward, co-sponsoring the legislation, handling the concerns of critics and convening Department of Public Health meetings to address any last minute issues. Here is a video of Rep. Scribner’s remarks in the House: Rep. David … * read more
Our Hope for a Hospice Residence in Western CT
With the land purchased and plans drawn, Regional Hospice and Home Care of Western CT, Inc. will soon break ground on a state-of-the-art hospice residence in Danbury, which promises to dramatically alter end-of-life care in the region. For our plan to become a reality, we have an immediate need for contemporary, evidence-based, quality hospice facility regulations here in Connecticut. The proposed regulations allow hospices to use either the original 1977 rules or new 2012 regulations based on modern capabilities, quality outcomes and contemporary preferences for hospice care, such as private rooms. The new regulations are specifically aimed at matching the … * read more
The Miracle of Living with Palliative Care from Birth
Ricardo Dossantos has never known a life without hospitals, surgeries, tests, and medical equipment. This engaging nine-year-old boy with a winning smile and fighting spirit first came to Regional Hospice as a patient when he was eight months old. Born with the congenital digestive disorder Hirschsprung’s disease, Ricardo endured numerous surgeries to keep him alive. “The doctors said he would not live because he had undergone so many surgeries,” explains his mother Eudiscelia. Regional Hospice nurses and social workers quickly got to know Ricardo, his mother and his grandmother as he waited for a transplant to save his life. The … * read more