Nightingale House Hospice’s Post

THE NEED FOR COMPASSIONATE CARE WITHIN HOSPICE . . . A GIVEN. The fact that the professionals who work in hospice feel the need to reiterate the obvious explains a lot. It demonstrates how the hijacking of hospice by the ignoble and the professional investors has slowly siphoned from what made hospice an always predictable staple of excellent end-of-life care. Once, the logo on every billboard for Hospice Advantage SCREAMED: CARE, COMFORT, and COMPASSION FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY. But it was a charade. A decoy. A lovely mirage until you got close . . . inside its true mission. Mendacious propaganda. Once the private-equity deal was inked, they operated like the Wizard of Emerald City—cloaked in duplicity and egocentrism. Their vision . . . laser-focused on the generation of wealth. They did not care about the concerns our staff had voiced in patient surveys. Hospice consumers need to be a assured that the hospice they select has their loved one’s dying experience as the primary goal. Yes, one of care, comfort, and COMPASSION. Hospice Advantage was the company I worked for starting in 2010. It was purchased by Sentinel Capital Partners in 2012 and then those investors sold Hospice Advantage in 2015 to Formation Equity Partners and The Audux Group who owned Compassus Hospice. THEN AGAIN, that equity group sold to Towerbrook Capital Partners and the non-profit Ascension Hospital System and its for-profit hospice in 2019. It’s confusing. But this is what is occurring behind the seductive for-profit hospice billboards. Compassion gets lost in the cross hairs. Millions exchanged hands for the investor-owners of those three hospice companies between 2012 and 2019. Incidentally, I can vouch first-hand that Hospice Advantage was NOT a “leading-edge company” of hospice care once PE took over. The clinical teams that I had initially worked with were stellar. None of us ever dreamed that we were working for a private-equity firm. It never occurred to us that we weren’t all pulling in the same direction—for the best resources and the comfort of our patients. If patients aren’t the eminent stakeholders, it’s not hospice care. It’s a financial enterprise. The largest private-equity buy-out of hospices in history was in 2023 by Pro Medica (advertised as “nonprofit”). I recommend not utilizing hospice services of investor-owned companies. Their trail of mergers and acquisitions exposes the true mission. My book explains how to differentiate. Investors look for unique opportunities and what a jackpot hospice care has become for them. Subsidized by Medicare, an endless supply of dying people, and families deliver most of the care. NONPROFIT PROVIDERS AND SMALL INDEPENDENT FOR-PROFIT HOSPICES ARE WHERE PATIENTS COME FIRST. I HOPE WE CAN KEEP THEM. #sentinelcapitalpartners #towerbrookcapitalpartners #auduxgroup #formationprivateequity #promedica #nonprofithospices www.hospicehelppro.com “Surviving Hospice: A Chaplain’s Journey Into the Business of Dying.”

Always believed in the power of conversation to break barriers and tackle even the most uncomfortable topics. Yet one subject we often avoid is death. The one certainty in life. Talking about death is not about fear or resignation. It’s about connection, dignity, and preparedness. Open dialogue helps us approach the inevitable with grace, giving loved ones the clarity and peace they need to support each other. It’s about ensuring no one feels alone in their final chapter. Hospice Malta does incredible work in creating these spaces for compassionate end-of-life care. Their efforts remind us of the profound importance of addressing death not as a taboo, but as a shared human experience. The recently inaugurated St Michael Hospice will certainly contribute hugely in this regard. Times of Malta excellent editorial on this topic helps us reflect on how we can use conversations to promote dignity and peace even in life’s most challenging moments. https://lnkd.in/dzhf4tWF

Thank you so much for this excellent article Dr. Bob Uslander Psychology Today on how End of Life Doula's and Doctors can significantly improve and transform end-of-life care by working collaboratively - so much can be achieved together.... 💚 🌿 "The partnership between doctors and doulas represents a significant shift in the paradigm of end-of-life care. By combining the strengths of medical expertise and holistic support, this model offers a new standard of comprehensive, compassionate care" https://lnkd.in/g-2JNX5P

Check out the latest from the CaringInfo blog, Insights, titled What is a Death Doula? 💡 The post provides an overview of the death doula role, who can benefit from a death doula, the services a death doula offers, and how to find a doula that fits your specific needs. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eSPqvnx8

Can we build the ‘beloved community’ as the ultimate expression of the systemic transformations we seek in the world today? We explored this question with three practitioners and researchers whose work lies at the intersection of care and justice and demanded compassionate action. They were - @AfsanBhadelia PhD, Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, USA (As of August 2022: Department of Public Health, College of Health and Human Science, Purdue University, USA); - Leah Odle-Benson, The Stephen Lewis Foundation, Canada; and - Stephen Connor PhD, Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance (WHPCA), USA. The discussions took place in 2021, in the throes of COVID and focused on learning from each other about difficult issues including dying, trauma, bereavement, and healing. These topics touch us all, but we find few spaces to talk about them. As we deal with the intersecting problems of the legacy of COVID, growing polarization, and ever more war, we need a paradigm shift in how we provide help. This includes the way that a community responds to its members, and how can we foster the idea of compassion in development work. The presentations and the discussion that followed are now captured in a paper called Towards the 'Beloved Community'. The research and work of the three provocateurs and the dialogue process with the participants provide an understanding of the inequities of wealth, race, geography, and gender (among others) that underpin suffering, and of the ways of addressing avoidable suffering. It examines the values (through the palliative care framework) that foster compassionate communities and begins to shine the light on some of the elements of compassionate action in development and philanthropy through the work of the Stephen Lewis Foundation and other participants in the virtual sessions. Though some time has elapsed since these conversations took place, we believe that their content is as pertinent as ever. Given the polycrisis that we face today, the need for compassion has seldom been greater or more urgent. Our hope is that this paper will evoke more thoughtful reflection and sharing of practices that foster the idea of compassion in our work. https://lnkd.in/gSVjz2vP Barry Knight Chandrika Sahai

A Commission on palliative and end of life care to end the postcode lottery is a great idea, with two caveats: 1. there is an urgent need for change and an injection of funding into hospices and community providers now otherwise inequities and gaps in provision will get worse. The Commission can't be used by the Government to kick the issue into the long grass as it appears to be doing with social care. The business case for investment to address the '100,000' is already clear with one third of hospital beds occupied by people in last year of life, and nearly 1 in 2 people dying in hospital when we know most people want to die at home (or care home if that's where they live) with appropriate support. This is a perfect example of where the shift from hospital to community that the Government and Lord Darzi say they want is absolutely achievable - we can achieve better outcomes for people within existing resources if we disinvest in hospitals and reinvest in communities - this can be done via growth monies to avoid actually shutting beds - the end result being that not only will this improve palliative and end of life care but also release capacity for the Government to achieve its goal of reducing waiting lists. 2. given the House of Commons support for the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill we need to ensure that we're taking an holistic view of palliative and end of life care including the likely new option on the continuum of care choices of an assisted death for terminally ill adults. That means we can't have a Commission solely led by people that actively opposed and tried to block the Bill. If we want to bring everyone together we need an inclusive approach.

Understanding the importance of spiritual care and its emotional support can make a world of difference in hospice care. ❤️ Read our blog to learn the benefits of a Spiritual Care Coordinator on your loved ones hospice team. https://bit.ly/3WwKC0q

By focusing on holistic support that integrates physical, emotional, and spiritual care, hospice services prioritize enhancing quality of life for individuals in their final stages. Providing comprehensive care allows for a more meaningful and dignified end-of-life experience. Suzi Johnson well done! #chapca #hospice

What's the difference between Palliative Care and Hospice Care ❔ You've probably wondered this, too. We delve into the nuances of hospice and palliative care with our executive director Shelby Moore, MPA, CFRE in this interview: https://bit.ly/3z9fV9z #hospicecare #palliativecare #hospice #palliative

November is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month This month, let's shine a light on the life-changing impact of Pediatric Palliative Care (PPC). For children with serious illnesses, PPC is about so much more than medical treatment—it’s about providing comfort, support, and dignity from the very start of their journey. It helps children and families cope not only with the physical aspects of illness but also with the emotional, social, and spiritual challenges that come with it. 💡 What makes PPC so essential? PPC focuses on improving quality of life, easing suffering, and supporting families in making important decisions. It’s holistic care that wraps around the entire family, from diagnosis through treatment—and, when necessary, during end-of-life care. Despite these profound benefits, only 75% of U.S. children’s hospitals offer PPC services. We need to do better. Research shows that early involvement in palliative care leads to better outcomes, offering families critical emotional support and helping them make informed, confident decisions. We must raise awareness and advocate for broader access to pediatric palliative and hospice care, ensuring that every child and family can get the compassionate care they deserve. Together, we can push for early, ongoing support that meets the real needs of kids and families facing serious health challenges. ❤️