Hospice of the Red River Valley announces its 2017 grief support group offerings. Support groups are also a powerful way to find validation for your feelings and derive a sense of shared experience and commonality. Our groups provide support and practical suggestions for your grief journey.

We offer a variety of groups, including Grief Journeys for Adults, Grief Journeys for Widows, Grief Journeys for Men and Pregnancy and Infant Loss. Support groups will be held in Fargo and Valley City, N.D., and Detroit Lakes, Ada and East Grand Forks, Minn.

All support groups offered by Hospice of the Red River Valley are free and open to the public; no pre-registration required.

For more information, please contact a member of the bereavement department at (800) 237-4629 or bereavement@hrrv.org. To view a complete list of support groups offered by Hospice of the Red River Valley, visit our support group calendar.

Click to print and download at 2017 grief support group flyer.

Dakota Medical Foundation (DMF) and Impact Foundation have selected Hospice of the Red River Valley to participate in the 2017 Giving Hearts Day, a 24-hour online fundraising event that will be held on Feb. 9, 2017. When you make a donation of $10 or more on that day, your donation to Hospice of the Red River Valley will be multiplied by TEAM Industries. To participate and have the impact of your donation multiplied, simply visit givingheartsday.org on Feb. 9 and select Hospice of the Red River Valley.

For more information regarding Hospice of the Red River Valley or Giving Hearts Day, contact Bonnie Oelschlager, Marketing & Communications Manager with Hospice of the Red River Valley, at 701-356-1524 or bonnie.oelschlager@hrrv.org.

The 2nd Annual Eagles Tree Walk, held at the Eagles Club #2368 on Dec. 3, raised $3,915.75 for Hospice of the Red River Valley. The donation will be used to provide compassionate end-of-life care to those in Thief River Falls and the surrounding communities.

The event featured beautifully decorated trees that were for sale during a silent auction, a soup and breadstick feed, an appearance from Santa and Mrs. Claus, and more. A Hospice Memorial Tree adorned with paper angel ornaments honored the memories of loved ones. The Bjerken tree was voted the most popular tree by attendees. This tree was decorated by the Thief River Falls Challenger Preschool class. They took a field trip to decorate the tree, view other trees and sing Christmas songs.

“On behalf of our patients, their loved ones and our staff, we thank Laurie Hager, the Tree Walk committee, the Eagles Club, sponsors and the Thief River Falls community for hosting such a great event,” said Jane Bartholomay, development officer at Hospice of the Red River Valley. “Your support and involvement is greatly appreciated and helps us provide the high quality care that our patients and their families deserve.”

Hospice of the Red River Valley invites health care professionals to its November Lunch and Learn on Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2016, from noon-1 p.m.

Topic, Presenter & Date
The next Lunch and Learn will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2016, from noon-1 p.m.

Dr. Tricia Langlois, medical director with Hospice of the Red River Valley, will present on the topic of “A Conversation About Living and Dying.” In this session, participants will gain an understanding of the role of the physician and health care provider in advance care planning. Attendees will learn how to help their patients plan for a good life through the end of life and learn practical tips on how to have the end-of-life conversation with a patient.

Continuing Education
Hospice of the Red River Valley is an approved provider of continuing education for social workers in North Dakota. This program will be awarded 1 contact hour.

Locations
For your convenience, Lunch and Learns will be held in five Hospice of the Red River Valley Office locations:

• Fargo – 1701 38th Street SW, Fargo, N.D.
• Detroit Lakes* – 1111 Highway 10, Detroit Lakes, Minn.
• Grand Forks* – 2860 10th Avenue N., Ste. 400, Grand Forks, N.D.
• Lisbon* – 415 Main Street, Lisbon, N.D.
• Valley City* – 1240 W. Main Street, Valley City, N.D.

*The Detroit Lakes, Grand Forks, Lisbon and Valley City office locations will be connected via videoconference to the Fargo office, where the live presentation will take place.

Registration

This event is free and open to all health care professionals, but pre-registration is required because space is limited. Participants may bring their own lunches; coffee and water will be provided. RSVP to Laurie Asmus: laurie.asmus@hrrv.org or (701) 356-1563 by Nov. 11, and indicate which location you will be attending.

Lunch and Learns in 2016 will be held every other month starting in January on the third Tuesday of the month from noon to 1 p.m. Specific topics and descriptions will be shared closer to each date.

November is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month and hospices across the country are reaching out to raise awareness about the highest quality care for all people coping with life-limiting illnesses.

Every year, according to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, nearly 1.6 million people living with a life-limiting illness receive care from hospice and palliative care providers in this country. These highly trained professionals ensure that patients and families find dignity, respect and love during a most difficult journey.

This type of care does not happen by accident—at Hospice of the Red River Valley, our professionals, including registered nurses, certified nursing assistants, chaplains, licensed social workers, bereavement specialists, nurse practitioners and medical director, are true experts.

At Hospice of the Red River Valley, hospice and palliative care is our specialty—it’s all we do (as opposed to also providing home care or another service). Our staff members are truly experts in end-of-life care. Most of us want the best when we have a serious ailment (the best oncologist, the best eye surgeon, etc.). We are the region’s leading expert in end-of-life care and education.

Our staff provides the highest level of quality medical care with the emotional and spiritual support that families need most when facing the end of life. Through this specialized quality care, we see many patients and their families experience more meaningful moments together. Hospice helps them focus on living despite a terminal diagnoses.

As hospice providers, we receive many gifts from those we care for too—we are able to witness the love of families and friends as they come together to care for one of their own in need. We are taught valuable lessons in faith, dignity, compassion, care and love. As care providers, our lives are changed and touched by those families we serve in hospice care.

I am proud of the way we care for others. I am proud of the compassion we demonstrate, and comfort and peace we offer. I am proud to be a part of Hospice of the Red River Valley.

Tracee Capron, executive director
Hospice of the Red River Valley

The community is invited to attend a free screening of the documentary “Being Mortal” on Nov. 15, 2016, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Dakota Medical Foundation located at 4141 28th Ave. S. in Fargo. This event is free, but pre-registration is required by Nov. 8 because seating is limited. Register at http://bit.ly/beingmortalfargo or call (701) 356-1521 to reserve your seat.

After the screening, you can participate in a guided conversation on how to take concrete steps to identify and communicate wishes about end-of-life goals and preferences. The discussion features Dr. Tricia Langlois with Hospice of the Red River Valley, Dr. Steven Briggs with Sanford Health and Dr. Walter Johnson with Essentia Health.

The Emmy-nominated documentary, “Being Mortal,” delves into the hopes of patients and families facing terminal illness. The film investigates the practice of caring for the dying and explores the relationships between patients and their doctors. It follows a surgeon, Dr. Atul Gawande, as he shares stories from the people and families he encounters.

When Dr. Gawande’s own father gets cancer, his search for answers about how best to care for the dying becomes a personal quest. The film sheds light on how a medical system focused on a cure often leaves out the sensitive conversations that need to happen so a patient’s true wishes can be known and honored at the end.

“Being Mortal” underscores the importance of people planning ahead and talking with family members about end-of-life decisions. Seventy percent of Americans say they would prefer to die at home, but nearly 70 percent die in hospitals and institutions. Ninety percent of Americans know they should have conversations about end-of-life care, yet only 30 percent have done so.

In February 2015, “Being Mortal” aired nationally on the PBS program “Frontline.” For more information about the film, visit http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/being-mortal/. The film is adapted from Dr. Gawande’s 2014 nationally best-selling book of the same name. More information about the book is at http://atulgawande.com/book/being-mortal/.

The free screening is made possible by a grant from The John and Wauna Harman Foundation in partnership with the Hospice Foundation of America.