by Mara Alper We are all faced with the question of whether or not to forgive many times in our lives. Each time it is challenging. Yet there are ways of seeing it that simplify the question. Forgiveness is a choice that allows us to heal on our own, without the offender apologizing or even…
The Hospicare Blog
Learning to Live Inside of Loss
By Chantelle Daniel I love books. I not only escape into them, but I learn from them, about life, cultures, love, loss. I don’t always know why I’m reading a book until after I’m done with it and even then, it can be some time before I am able to gain a full understanding of…
Song Bath with the Threshold Choir
This program was offered by the Hospicare Threshold Choir of Ithaca on February 21, 2021. The choir members are volunteers at Hospicare. Our volunteers provide assistance to patients and their families in a variety of ways, and for Threshold Choir members that way is through music. Other Hospicare volunteers offer companionship, respite for caregivers, light housekeeping, and…
Faces of Cortland
By Barry Miller Team Member Profile: John Hughes, RN Job Title: Primary RN/Case Manager Residence: Cortland Family: Wife Liz, two children (a son who lives locally and a daughter in Norway) and three grandchildren, with one on the way. New Beginnings on the Horizon: “A current goal is to find a place with more land…
Wintering and Cold Water Swimming: An Exploration in Radical Self Care During the Pandemic
by Laura Ward, LMFT, CT “When it’s really cold, the snow makes a lovely noise underfoot, and it’s like the air is full of stars.” ? Katherine May The water is completely still under a brilliant sky, layers of light beneath a canopy of dark clouds. The moon shone brightly above us. Walking into the lake,…
Advance Care Planning Video
Please enjoy an excerpt from our webinar series. The webinar series was a partnership between Hospicare & Palliative Care Services, the Bem Endowment at Hospicare, and the Ithaca College Gerontology Institute. With additional support from the Community Foundation of Tompkins County, the Funeral Consumer Alliance of the Finger Lakes, the Cancer Resource Center, and the…
Hospicare Announces New Executive Director
The Board of Directors of Hospicare & Palliative Care Services is pleased to announce the successful hiring of its 8th Executive Director. Joe Sammons will join the Hospicare team in February. “We’re thrilled that Joe has agreed to join Hospicare as our new Executive Director,” said Betsy East, president of the Board of Directors. “Joe has valuable experience leading organizations in the health care arena, is…
A Report of our Work in Cortland and Tompkins Counties
As we turn the final pages of 2020, our thoughts go to all who have struggled with loss. Whether you mourn the death of a beloved friend or family member – or simply the loss of normalcy — this has been a hard year for so many of us. At Hospicare, we celebrate the nurses, aides,…
Winter Solace Community Memorial
Although we could not be together in person, our virtual memorial on December 6th was incredibly moving and we thank everyone who participated, either by attending or by sending in names of loved ones. For the first part of the memorial we took advantage of Zoom technology and broke out into small groups for intimate conversations in breakout room. We were…
In Gratitude…
This time of year we traditionally gather with friends and family. That may look a little different this year, but we can still cultivate gratitude in our hearts. November is also National Hospice and Palliative Care Month, a time to pay special recognition to the work done every day by these skilled individuals, whose dedication to…