The Heart of Hospice Podcast Podcast By Hosted by Helen Bauer BSN RN CHPN cover art

The Heart of Hospice Podcast

The Heart of Hospice Podcast

By: Hosted by Helen Bauer BSN RN CHPN
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The Heart of Hospice podcast is dedicated to helping personal and professional caregivers who are caring for someone with serious illness. We're here to provide information and education so people can make informed choices about end of life care.

Copyrighted Hygiene & Healthy Living Physical Illness & Disease Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Back to Basics: What You Need to Know About Complaints

    Back to Basics: What You Need to Know About Complaints
    Jul 4 2025
    We’re getting back to the basics of hospice care, sharing information about complaints, when to make them, and what should happen when you do. Hospice Social Worker Lisa Pahl (creator of The Death Deck and End of Life Deck) helps drive this discussion. Here are a few highlights from our discussion: •Patients and/or caregivers have a right to make a complaint. •There are numerous reasons a complaint might be needed: visits aren’t being made, symptoms aren’t being managed, response time is slow, or the care is out of alignment with the beliefs or needs of the patient. •Care of a hospice patient should never be rough or insensitive - this is always a reason to make a complaint. •If delivery of medications or medical equipment (DME) is very late or doesn’t happen, a complaint should be made. •A complaint can be given directly to the case manager or director/administrator of the agency. •The hospice agency should immediately investigate, talk to everyone involved, and work to resolve the issue to the satisfaction of the patient or caregiver. •If the hospice agency doesn’t resolve the complaint in a timely manner or to the point the patient/caregiver is satisfied, the complaint can be elevated to the state organization that provides licensure to hospice agencies. It might be the Health and Human Services Department for the state. •The hospice agency is required to furnish the patient/caregiver with contact information about making complaints, including the information for their accrediting organization. (This could be Joint Commission, CHAP, or ACHC). Connect with Lisa Pahl, owner/creator (thedeathdeck.com) The Death Deck and End of Life Deck Find The Death Deck on social media: Facebook IG LinkedIn You can find the Approaching Death Support Kit at bkbooks.com. Find all of Barbara Karnes’ products and resources at bkbooks.com. Read Barbara’s blog at bkbooks.com. Connect with Barbara Karnes on Facebook IG LinkedIn Twitter (X) YouTube Hospice Navigation Services understands that you need unbiased, expert support to have the best end of life experience possible. If you have questions about hospice care for yourself or someone you care about, Hospice Navigation Services can help. Whether you want to connect by phone or video, you can book a FREE 30-Minute Hospice Navigation Session, or a more in-depth 60-Minute Navigation Session for $95. If you need to troubleshoot the care you’re already receiving, we’re here to answer your questions. A 60-Minute Navigation Session by video call allows up to 3 family members to get the same expert information at the same time. We believe you deserve to have good hospice care. Book your session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com. Connect with The Heart of Hospice Podcast and host Helen Bauer Website: theheartofhospice.com Socialmedia: Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn
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    29 mins
  • How to Be the Best Caregiver You Can Be Without Being Perfect

    How to Be the Best Caregiver You Can Be Without Being Perfect
    Jun 27 2025
    Drs. Barry Jacobs and Julia Mayer join the podcast for a great conversation about bringing your best to caregiving, reminding us that caregivers don’t have to be perfect. As authors and clinical psychologists, Barry and Julia support family caregivers, guiding them through the messiness of caring for a loved one. As a married couple, they’ve had lived experience with caring for their parents and in-laws with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Dealing with caregiving issues in their personal lives taught them invaluable lessons, which they now share with clients and readers of their books. Barry and Julia’s newest book is the “AARP Caregiver Answer Book” - Purchase your copy at caregiveranswerbook.com Find the AARP Caregiver Answer Book on the AARP website. Connect with Dr. Barry Jacobs and Dr. Julia Mayer on their website: loveandmeaning.com Read Barry’s latest blog post “My Care Receiver’s Doctors Don’t Respect My Boundaries” here. Find Dr. Barry Jacobs on social media: Facebook Twitter (X) LinkedIn Find Dr. Julia Mayer on social media: Instagram Facebook Twitter (X) LinkedIn Bluesky You can find the Approaching Death Support Kit by End of Life Educator Barbara Karnes at bkbooks.com. Find all of Barbara Karnes’ products and resources at bkbooks.com. Read Barbara’s blog at bkbooks.com. Connect with Barbara Karnes on Facebook IG LinkedIn Twitter (X) YouTube Hospice Navigation Services understands that you need unbiased, expert support to have the best end of life experience possible. If you have questions about hospice care for yourself or someone you care about, Hospice Navigation Services can help. Whether you want to connect by phone or video, you can book a FREE 30-Minute Hospice Navigation Session, or a more in-depth 60-Minute Navigation Session for $95. If you need to troubleshoot the care you’re already receiving, we’re here to answer your questions. A 60-Minute Navigation Session by video call allows up to 3 family members to get the same expert information at the same time. We believe you deserve to have good hospice care. Book your session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com. Connect with The Heart of Hospice Podcast and host Helen Bauer Website: theheartofhospice.com Social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn
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    57 mins
  • Back to Basics: What You Need to Know About Transfers

    Back to Basics: What You Need to Know About Transfers
    Jun 20 2025

    We’re getting back to the basics of hospice with Hospice Social Worker Lisa Pahl, sharing information about transfers from one hospice agency to another. It’s really important for patients and their decision makers to know they can transfer to another hospice agency if the care isn’t a good fit. Hospice team members should be knowledgeable about how transfers work and what needs to be done.

    Here are some things you need to know about transfers: • The patient or decision maker has the right to request a transfer to another hospice agency. • There are several reasons a transfer might happen, including being dissatisfied with the care, personality clashes with the hospice interdisciplinary team, or wanting to be cared for by a friend working for another company. • When the patient or decision maker requests a transfer, the current agency is required to coordinate the transfer with the new agency. • The current agency should provide a report of the care being provided, including the plan of care, list of medications, and a discharge summary. • Transfers are allowed only once during a benefit (certification) period. The current agency should make that information available to the patient and caregiver.

    Connect with Lisa Pahl, owner/creator (thedeathdeck.com) The Death Deck and End of Life Deck

    You can find the Approaching Death Support Kit at bkbooks.com.

    Find all of Barbara Karnes’ products and resources at bkbooks.com.

    Read Barbara’s blog at bkbooks.com.

    Connect with Barbara Karnes on Facebook IG LinkedIn Twitter (X) YouTube

    Hospice Navigation Services understands that you need unbiased, expert support to have the best end of life experience possible. If you have questions about hospice care for yourself or someone you care about, Hospice Navigation Services can help. Whether you want to connect by phone or video, you can book a FREE 30-Minute Hospice Navigation Session, or a more in-depth 60-Minute Navigation Session for $95. If you need to troubleshoot the care you’re already receiving, we’re here to answer your questions. A 60-Minute Navigation Session by video call allows up to 3 family members to get the same expert information at the same time. We believe you deserve to have good hospice care. Book your session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com.

    Connect with The Heart of Hospice Podcast and host Helen Bauer Website: theheartofhospice.com Social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn
    Show more Show less
    30 mins
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