Blog

Many individuals on hospice for heart disease will require new medications to treat symptoms associated with end stage disease. Symptoms and possible treatment options can include a wide variety of medications ranging from the use of diuretics to opioids.   Symptom Management Swelling (edema) – Swelling is common in end stage heart disease especially whenRead more

There are certain principles that guide the management of acute and chronic pain.  Following these principles helps to improve the quality of care patients receive.  Assessing and evaluating pain is the first key principle for effective management. The PQRST pneumonic can be used to help remember components of an assessment. Provokes: What makes it worse?Read more

Pain is an unwelcome experience we all live with from time-to-time. Pain varies anywhere from infrequent to chronic and ranges from mild to excruciating. One of the number one goals of the Hospice of Siouxland team is to manage pain. This article will look at pain types, the benefits of adjuvant medication and non-drug therapies,Read more

Holidays are days that are ordinarily spent with the people we love. Therefore, it is only natural that on these special days, we think of these people, and miss them if they are no longer with us. Grief around the holidays, when practicing family traditions, listening to favorite songs, or eating certain foods, is bothRead more

It is a common misconception that hospice care can only begin once a patient is reaching his or her last days, or even hours. However, to be considered appropriate for hospice care, a patient does not need to be imminently dying. In fact, hospice care providers prefer to see patients on hospice services sooner, soRead more

                Palliative care and hospice care are programs that are frequently confused. While all hospice patients technically qualify for palliative care, not every palliative care patient qualifies for hospice (kind of like every square is a rectangle, but not every rectangle is a square). The distinct difference between the two care programs is that patientsRead more

I have now been in the hospice field for three years as a volunteer, intern, and finally, a social worker. At age 22, I spend my days working with patients who have been given a prognosis of six months or less to live, their loved ones, and the incredible staff who care for these patientsRead more

  (Alexandria, Va) – It has been widely reported in a statement from the Bush family that former First Lady Barbara Bush has decided to forgo further hospitalizations and curative-focused medical treatments and has chosen to receive comfort care. Questions have come in to NHPCO asking for further details about what makes up comfort care.Read more

  Of all the traits she inherited from her father, Mattie Carstens is most grateful for his love of travel. Her favorite memories involve conversations and summer scenery and reading aloud as her dad drove his long-distance trucking route to Washington state. At every stop, Ken Carstens never failed to make a friend. “He wasRead more

New Hospice Director Leads With Experience and Compassion As newly named director for Hospice of Siouxland, Ann Myers knows the value of hospice and palliative care, inside and out. From her first job out of nursing school in a small-town hospice, to working as a home health nurse, then as part owner of 11 nursingRead more