Our social workers focus on the individual needs of each patient and his or her family. The work they do varies in each setting, with each patient and within each family. They also have great knowledge and expertise in caregiving.
A Hospice of the Red River Valley social worker shares, “When the unthinkable happens and people are thrust into caregiving...
Hospice care is a set of specialty services designed specifically for individuals with late-stage illnesses and their loved ones, and includes medical, emotional, spiritual and grief support. Despite its many advantages, for both patients and their families, hospice is widely misunderstood. More often than not, hospice is synonymous with death, when in reality, its purpose is to enhance life.
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By Michelle
When someone you love is dying, it can be a very scary time. Along with the sadness of facing the loss, you may feel everything is out of your control, especially if you don’t understand the dying process. I believe by educating families and caregivers, it enables them to “take back” some control. If you know what to...
By Roxanne Smedsrud, RN
When I was in junior high, my great-grandma Ree went to live in the nursing home in Devils Lake, N.D. She had dementia and could no longer care for herself. At the time, I knew that dementia meant she couldn’t remember things, and I thought it was just a normal part of “getting old.” She lived...
A recent article published by the New York Times (in collaboration with Kaiser Health News), “Concerns about Costs Rise with Hospices’ Use,” painted a troubling picture of hospice care in the United States. The article pointed to isolated instances of abusive practices by several for-profit hospices—presumably, for the financial benefit of the hospice over providing the best care to...
How are hospice services paid for? This question seems like it should have a very concise answer; but in reality, it is so complex. Like many hospices, Hospice of the Red River Valley is Medicare-certified. We are also licensed in both Minnesota and North Dakota, which means we are regulated by federal and two state laws.
For patients who have...
“I’m not afraid of dying, it’s getting there that worries me.”
One of the biggest fears people have is that they will die alone. While Hospice of the Red River Valley cannot guarantee patients will not die alone, we have developed a volunteer program to address this need.
The Pathway Volunteer Program was created to offer additional emotional support to patients...
By Lisa
Making the initial phone call is often the most difficult part of hospice care. As a patient or family member, you’ll get the most comprehensive care by contacting a hospice organization when you learn the illness is incurable. You don’t need your doctor's permission to contact us; we’ll arrange for the physician’s order approving hospice care so we can...
[caption id="attachment_193" align="alignleft" width="473"] Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower visits paratroopers, including Bill Hayes, at center behind Ike's right hand, in England on June 5, 1944, moments before the troops boarded transport planes bound for Normandy and the June 6 D-Day invasion. Bill Hayes is one of many veterans Hospice of the Red River Valley has been privileged to serve.[/caption]
In...
By Amy
[caption id="attachment_162" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Susie and Midget[/caption]
Believe it or not, this is an actual photo from a hospice social worker visit. Let me explain.
Susie*, a young patient of ours, has Huntington’s disease. It’s an awful disease which causes the wasting of nerve cells in the brain, leaving a person with very little control of his or her own...
