Helping the Hospice Helpers

This is Grandpa Bob - with Jack. (Jack in on the left...) Grandpa Bob died July 2020 and guiding us through that journey of his last days was the hospice team. I have been doing hospice care for more than 20 years. I know how important this specialized and customized care for patients and families is. But it isn't the same as being on the receiving end of their care for both Bob and Barb.  We are truly thankful.

And helping hospices all over Minnesota is a very small organization called the Minnesota Network of Hospice & Palliative Care. I have been honored to sit on the board for the last eight years. Our mission is striving "to ensure that everyone has the help they need to live and die according to their wishes. We do this through education and advocacy around serious illness and end-of-life care." 

Join me in helping the helpers and caring for those with serious illness. Help me get the word out to all families who need this type of care - because we all will someday. We won't escape death, but you can have a say in how you die.  Thank you, Julie

In the era of COVID-19, access to quality serious illness and end-of-life care is more important than ever. While we look forward to the promise of brighter days ahead, it's clear that we'll feel the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic for some time. SpringForwardMN will help MNHPC plan for what's next. Hospice and palliative care professionals are experts in the tough stuff. They are specially trained to deliver bad news with honesty and compassion. They help patients and families make difficult decisions. They manage the pain, discomfort, fear, and stress that comes with having a serious illness. They support families dealing with complex emotions and tense situations. And they honor the many layers of grief and loss that accompany illness and death. May 1st to 11th is the Minnesota Spring Forward campaign. It is a time to celebrate and support organizations that have been directly involved in the response to the Covid-19 pandemic and continue to keep us moving forward.

Over the last year, MNHPC has faced unprecedented need from our community. COVID-19 brought catastrophic impact to our families and communities, and in those first days following initial lockdowns, as we all just started to understand what we were dealing with, MNHPC immediately recognized and addressed urgent needs. Our organization was able to quickly assemble expert teams that were able to come together and provide critical guidance, support, care and communication through the challenges of the pandemic. As the numbers of seniors impacted by Covid increased MNHPC our teams were ready to step in and help support providers and families. We provided education on home care, end of life choices, and advocacy for our most vulnerable. And while the COVID-19 pandemic is not over, as we move out of the intensity of the past year we are putting increased focus on the after effects and dealing with prolonged grief. 

During SpringForwardMN (May 1-11), and as we continue to "help the helpers", please consider investing in the future of serious illness and end-of-life care by making a donation to Minnesota Network of Hospice & Palliative Care.