Pet Visits Help Hospice Patients
During hospice care, the clinical staff works collaboratively to create the most comfortable environment possible for Niagara County residents and their families and caregivers. In addition to the physical, emotional and spiritual care, a supplemental therapy that is available to patients is weekly pet visits.
Dementia Sensory Engagement Can Improve Quality of Life
When patients with dementia and their caregivers struggle with trying to address constant agitation and stress, daily living activities can become very challenging. There are a variety of practical activities, routines and habits that can supplement treatments and medications as families seek to attain optimal comfort in the face of unpleasant symptoms, difficult situations and feelings of isolation.
Veteran Volunteer Finds Strong Bond With Veteran Patients
I have been a volunteer with Niagara Hospice for about six years. I am a Vietnam-era Army Veteran who has chosen to visit with other Niagara County Veterans who are under the care of Niagara Hospice. I have had some wonderful and personal experiences that have been very emotional and heart-warming.
Honoring the Veterans in Niagara County
Niagara Hospice is a partner in the We Honor Veterans program that was created by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) in collaboration with the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA). Many hospices across the United States are partners in this important initiative that recognizes Veteran patients and provides them with the specialized care and support they need.
Our Admission & Care Teams Respond Quickly With Telehealth
Niagara Hospice provides Niagara County patients, families and caregivers with free telehealth and videoconferencing services that enable faster consultations and admissions. These rapid response measures also enhance care management and medical monitoring while patients are in our program in homes and at facilities.
Apps & Resources to Support Caregiving
Being a caregiver can be quite a full-time job to undertake. There is a lot to keep track of and manage on a daily basis. Fortunately, there are many more useful tools, websites, and applications that exist now that were not available years ago that help people ease the stress of caregiving.
Volunteers Enhance the Memorial Gardens
The Niagara Hospice Memorial Gardens are a special way to honor and celebrate the lives of loved ones. The gardens consist of brick and stone pathways engraved as memorials with the names of the loved ones from hospice families.
Supplemental Therapies Provide Variety of Benefits to Hospice Patients
Hospice services can vary, but some of the most impactful and helpful services are the unique supplemental therapy options available to patients, including massage, music and pet therapy.
Playing Wordle Can Keep Your Mind Sharp!
Wordle, one of the newest activities to come out of life during the pandemic, has become increasingly popular with all generations. The basic premise is a game in which the user has six chances to guess a five-letter word. This once-a-day game is typically used as a brain teaser exercise by its users.
Lew-Port Fifth Grader Honors Grandfather With Fundraiser for Niagara Hospice
As a 10-year-old, Desi Toczek has demonstrated that no matter how old you are or at what stage of life you are in, the loss of a loved one affects us all. Whether we raise money via a fundraiser, plant a tree or simply visit their favorite place, we can always honor our loved ones by keeping their memories alive in our hearts.
You Can Grieve in Your Own Way
How often have we, who are parents, stated, “This child didn’t come with a training manual?” At times, grief can feel like that, too – “I wasn’t given a training manual for handling this.” And yet, society seeks to impose on us a training manual, of sorts, with comments such as: “You should do this,” “Have you thought about this?” “You should never do that,” and “You really should try this.”
Caregiver Fatigue and How Hospice Can Help
Providing care to an individual in the home can include assisting daily living activities, including grocery shopping, dressing, transferring, toileting, eating and medication administration. People who care for loved ones at home are at risk for developing significant amounts of emotional, financial and physical stress.
From Kitchen Table Conversation to Caring for 30,000 Families
The year is 1980. Patricia Evans just watched her neighbor and his family struggle with the aftermath of cancer. The family had little to no support, and they were left heartbroken. Patricia is finally getting a chance at working on the foundations for hospice in Niagara County.
Tracing the History of Hospice Care from the Middle Ages to Niagara County
[Photo courtesy of St. Christopher's Hospice]
When exploring the origins of hospice care, one might come up with several different answers. The earliest evidence of “hospice” dates back to the 11th century. This type of comfort care started during the Crusades when all along the routes to and from Jerusalem, there were places where injured, tired or dying men could spend time and be cared for.
What Makes Hospice so Beneficial to Families?
Hospice is a word that has a variety of meanings to different people. It can spark misconceptions of what it really is and how it helps patients and families. Discussing hospice can be a taboo for many families. There are wide-ranging notions of what hospice care is and what it entails, and people who have never experienced its benefits may be unfamiliar with it.
Family of Professionals Caring for Niagara County Families
Caring for a terminally ill loved one presents many challenges. When families seek comfort and symptom management during end-of-life care, they can always turn to Niagara Hospice. We don’t want to see families and caregivers struggling to manage the daily care of their loved one. We are ready to support your needs at any time to help keep patients comfortable at home.
Niagara Hospice is Only Hospice in WNY with ACHC Accreditation
The Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC) has granted Niagara Hospice accreditation for its operational efficiency and health care provider excellence to patients and families.
Niagara Hospice Achieves ACHC Accreditation
After completing a comprehensive review in the fall of 2020, the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC) granted Niagara Hospice accreditation for its operational efficiency and health care provider excellence to patients and families. The certification last for three year through 2023.
