203 Facing Hospice Concerns: Stories and Solutions

207 Pet Hospice and Grief Support with Jenny Gott of Animal Intuition Host Marie Betcher, a registered nurse and former hospice nurse, introduces Hospice Explained as an educational resource and interviews Jenny Gott, CMTA, founder of Animal Intuition in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, and Emily's Path Pet Hospice. Jenny, an animal wellness practitioner, Reiki master, and certified animal massage therapist (not a veterinarian), explains how she supports people and pets facing terminal diagnosis or decline by providing a safe, judgment-free space, helping families create simple care plans, educating on signs of pain, and suggesting comfort-focused options that complement veterinary palliative care (e.g., home modifications, mobility aids, massage, acupuncture, chiropractic, red light therapy). She discusses navigating natural death versus euthanasia, building courage for decision-making, and offering ongoing grief support, validation, and referrals to grief groups or counselors. Jenny shares services are appointment-based and customizable, with an online course planned for early 2027, and provides her website: www.animal-intuition.com. 00:00 Welcome and Disclaimer 00:29 Meet Host and Guest 01:22 Jenny's Pet Hospice Mission 02:32 Website and Origin Story 03:52 Why Pet Planning Matters 06:10 Supporting Families in Crisis 09:46 Pain Signs and Palliative Care 11:15 A Personal Kitten Story 14:51 Euthanasia vs Natural Passing 17:57 Grief Support After Loss 22:41 Self Compassion in Grief 26:44 How Services Work and What's Next 28:44 Final Thanks and Sign Off https://animal-intuition.com/   If you want to help, you can donate to help support Hospice Explained at the Buy me a Coffee link   https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Hospice  Hospice Explained Affiliates & Contact Information Buying from these Affilite links will help support this Podcast.  Maire introduces a partnership with Suzanne Mayer RN inventor of the  cloud9caresystem.com,  When patients remain in the same position for extended periods, they are at high risk of developing pressure injuries, commonly known as bedsores. One of the biggest challenges caregivers face is the tendency for pillows and repositioning inserts to easily dislodge during care.(Suzanne is a former guest on Episode #119) When you order with Cloud 9 care system, please tell them you heard about them from Hospice Explained.(Thank You) Marie's Contact [email protected] www.HospiceExplained.com   Finding a Hospice Agency 1. You can use Medicare.gov to help find a hospice agency, 2. choose Find provider 3. Choose Hospice 4. then add your zip code This should be a list of Hospice Agencies local to you or your loved one.

206 Living Beside the Leaving: Caregiving, Hospice, and Moving With Grief with Caroline Shelby Host Marie Betcher, a registered nurse and former hospice nurse, interviews grief educator and Grief Clarity Labs founder Caroline Shelby, author of Living Beside the Leaving. Shelby shares how caring for her mother through years of Alzheimer's shaped her work, including processing a complicated mother-daughter relationship and the guilt that often follows caregiving decisions. She describes her family's team approach, moving her mother from an unsafe historic home into memory care, and the importance of maintaining identity outside the caregiver role. Shelby explains how hospice was initiated after repeated ER visits for seizures and decline, and how hospice support in the memory care facility helped during her mother's 10-month hospice stay. They discuss how people may time death around loved ones' presence, and Shelby emphasizes, "You did the best you could with the information you had at the time," and outlines her coaching, virtual support groups, and free 30-minute call offer. 00:00 Welcome and Disclaimer 00:41 Meet Caroline Shelby 03:24 Writing Through Grief 05:51 Caregiving Team Dynamics 08:31 Choosing Memory Care 11:54 Caregiver Identity and Balance 14:38 Hospice Decision and Experience 17:54 Final Visits and Letting Go 21:42 Timing of Death and Guilt 23:20 You Did Your Best 27:36 Grief Clarity Labs Resources 31:06 Closing Thoughts and Farewell  https://www.griefclaritylabs.com/ If you want to help, you can donate to help support Hospice Explained at the Buy me a Coffee link   https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Hospice  Hospice Explained Affiliates & Contact Information Buying from these Affilite links will help support this Podcast.  Maire introduces a partnership with Suzanne Mayer RN inventor of the  cloud9caresystem.com,  When patients remain in the same position for extended periods, they are at high risk of developing pressure injuries, commonly known as bedsores. One of the biggest challenges caregivers face is the tendency for pillows and repositioning inserts to easily dislodge during care.(Suzanne is a former guest on Episode #119) When you order with Cloud 9 care system, please tell them you heard about them from Hospice Explained.(Thank You) Marie's Contact [email protected] www.HospiceExplained.com   Finding a Hospice Agency 1. You can use Medicare.gov to help find a hospice agency, 2. choose Find provider 3. Choose Hospice 4. then add your zip code This should be a list of Hospice Agencies local to you or your loved one.

205 Hospice Explained: Chaplain J.S. Park on Grief Myths, Family Dynamics, and Self-Care Host Marie Betcher, a registered nurse and former hospice nurse, interviews hospital chaplain J.S. Park about his work in a 1,000-plus bed level-one trauma hospital providing a non-anxious, non-judgmental presence, grief support, end-of-life planning, and family advocacy. Park describes guiding families from first contact through bedside crises and how the emotional toll follows him home. He discusses his book As Long As You Need, which addresses multiple forms of loss and challenges the myth that people should "move on," emphasizing that grief is non-linear and something people "move with." He previews We Are Made of Us (out October 20, 2026), focused on family-of-origin dynamics, inherited trauma, boundaries, and ancestry, and explains facilitating tense family situations by honoring each person's role. They also discuss therapy, self-care as "life itself," meaning beyond productivity, and multigenerational caregiving. 00:00 Welcome and Disclaimer 00:29 Meet Host and Guest 01:33 Chaplain Life in Trauma Care 05:26 The Emotional Toll and Self Care 06:59 Book As Long As You Need 10:00 Grief Myths and Reality 13:24 New Book We Are Made of Us 17:22 Family Conflict at the Bedside 24:46 Intergenerational Trauma and Treasure 28:07 Self Care Beyond Work 31:23 Worth Beyond Productivity 33:33 Caring for Elders Full Circle 37:19 Closing and Where to Buy   If you want to help, you can donate to help support Hospice Explained at the Buy me a Coffee link   https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Hospice  Hospice Explained Affiliates & Contact Information Buying from these Affilite links will help support this Podcast.  Maire introduces a partnership with Suzanne Mayer RN inventor of the  cloud9caresystem.com,  When patients remain in the same position for extended periods, they are at high risk of developing pressure injuries, commonly known as bedsores. One of the biggest challenges caregivers face is the tendency for pillows and repositioning inserts to easily dislodge during care.(Suzanne is a former guest on Episode #119) When you order with Cloud 9 care system, please tell them you heard about them from Hospice Explained.(Thank You) Marie's Contact [email protected] www.HospiceExplained.com   Finding a Hospice Agency 1. You can use Medicare.gov to help find a hospice agency, 2. choose Find provider 3. Choose Hospice 4. then add your zip code This should be a list of Hospice Agencies local to you or your loved one.

204 Supporting Teens and Families Through Hospice: Jean Anne Menna on Education, Pets, and Legacy Messages Host Marie Betcher, a registered nurse and former hospice nurse, interviews returning guest Jean Anne Menna, a certified hospice and palliative nurse in New York, board member for End of Life Choices New York, and author of Go With Grace and A Pawsitive Journey. Menna shares updates on her website consulting/support services and new writing projects, including an upcoming teen guide, While You're Still Here, focused on normalizing teen emotions, reducing guilt, and encouraging healthy breaks while a loved one is dying at home, potentially on hospice. She discusses a children's book series featuring Duke and Houdini, inspired by a hospice patient's neglected cat, emphasizing the need for a pet care plan in hospice. They also highlight legacy practices like letters and voice recordings, and clarify common hospice misconceptions, stressing education, 24/7 availability, and the need for a primary caregiver in home hospice. 00:00 Welcome and Disclaimer 00:29 Meet Marie and Jean Anne 01:38 New Teen Guide Preview 02:57 Why Teens Need Support 05:30 Filling the Education Gap 06:40 Where to Find the Books 07:16 Duke and Houdini Series 08:49 Houdini Hospice Story 12:27 Planning for Pets 13:25 Website and Legacy Letters 14:28 Recording Voices for Later 17:21 What Hospice Really Provides 21:19 Anticipatory Grief and Resources 22:19 Closing Thanks and Next Time 24:04 Final Sign Off https://gowithgracebook.com/ If you want to help, you can donate to help support Hospice Explained at the Buy me a Coffee link   https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Hospice  Hospice Explained Affiliates & Contact Information Buying from these Affilite links will help support this Podcast.  Maire introduces a partnership with Suzanne Mayer RN inventor of the  cloud9caresystem.com,  When patients remain in the same position for extended periods, they are at high risk of developing pressure injuries, commonly known as bedsores. One of the biggest challenges caregivers face is the tendency for pillows and repositioning inserts to easily dislodge during care.(Suzanne is a former guest on Episode #119) When you order with Cloud 9 care system, please tell them you heard about them from Hospice Explained.(Thank You) Marie's Contact [email protected] www.HospiceExplained.com   Finding a Hospice Agency 1. You can use Medicare.gov to help find a hospice agency, 2. choose Find provider 3. Choose Hospice 4. then add your zip code This should be a list of Hospice Agencies local to you or your loved one.

203 Facing Hospice Concerns: Stories and Solutions Host Marie Betcher, a registered nurse and former hospice nurse, shares two recent conversations highlighting common hospice challenges. In one case, a grandparent was admitted to hospice only 10 hours before death, leaving little time for family education; a caller described being told to "just give them more" medication without clear dosing guidance, underscoring the need for better instruction and repeated follow-up calls for clarification. In the second case, an only child caregiver needed a medical procedure and worried about being unable to physically care for a parent; Marie discusses contacting the hospice team for help, including respite care options such as short-term nursing home placement through Medicare, as well as self-pay adult family homes, nursing homes, or CNAs, noting costs and limited resources. She reminds listeners hospice is not typically a full-time caregiver, suggests using Medicare.gov to find and compare agencies, and encourages reaching out or switching providers if needs aren't met. 00:00 Welcome and Disclaimer 00:28 Meet Your Host Marie 00:42 Story One Late Hospice Referral 01:32 Medication Guidance Needs 02:51 Story Two Caregiver Crisis 03:47 Respite and Care Options 05:05 Keep Calling Hospice Team 05:26 Hospice Is Not the Caregiver 05:54 Finding and Switching Agencies 07:00 Closing Thoughts and Contact   If you want to help, you can donate to help support Hospice Explained at the Buy me a Coffee link   https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Hospice  Hospice Explained Affiliates & Contact Information Buying from these Affilite links will help support this Podcast.  Maire introduces a partnership with Suzanne Mayer RN inventor of the  cloud9caresystem.com,  When patients remain in the same position for extended periods, they are at high risk of developing pressure injuries, commonly known as bedsores. One of the biggest challenges caregivers face is the tendency for pillows and repositioning inserts to easily dislodge during care.(Suzanne is a former guest on Episode #119) When you order with Cloud 9 care system, please tell them you heard about them from Hospice Explained.(Thank You) Marie's Contact [email protected] www.HospiceExplained.com   Finding a Hospice Agency 1. You can use Medicare.gov to help find a hospice agency, 2. choose Find provider 3. Choose Hospice 4. then add your zip code This should be a list of Hospice Agencies local to you or your loved one.

202 Prescription-Grade THC-Free CBD for Pain, Anxiety, and Sleep: Pulak Sharma on Cope Now Host Marie Betcher, RN and former hospice nurse, interviews Pulak Sharma, founder of Kazmira and creator of Cope Now, a vertically integrated telemedicine, compounding pharmacy, and manufacturing platform providing prescription, pharmaceutical-grade THC-free CBD. Sharma explains their CGMP-validated hemp extraction and purification process, compounding into an oral tincture in three strengths, delivery to patients, and development of a shelf-stable nano-emulsion. He says patients most commonly seek help for anxiety and pain, and notes many consumer CBD products are underdosed, citing therapeutic ranges of roughly 200–400 mg/day and typical prescribing around 300 mg/day, with protocols for titration and liver enzyme concerns. They discuss CBD's non-scheduled status, lower side-effect profile compared with opioids/benzodiazepines, clinician and pharmacist oversight for dosing and interactions, and batch testing showing non-detect THC to avoid psychoactive effects and THC-positive urine tests. 00:00 Welcome and Disclaimer 00:29 Meet the Guest and Episode Focus 02:07 How Cope Now Works 03:06 Product Formats and Strengths 03:53 Top Uses and Proper Dosing 05:25 Hospice Needs and Opioid Alternatives 08:52 Titration and Daily Timing 12:04 Telemedicine Intake and Prescribing 13:32 Founder Story and Older Patients 16:14 Closing the Guidance Gap 17:59 Addiction and THC Free Assurance 20:47 Standardizing CBD as Medicine 23:42 Final Thanks and Subscribe https://copenow.com/ If you want to help, you can donate to help support Hospice Explained at the Buy me a Coffee link   https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Hospice  Hospice Explained Affiliates & Contact Information Buying from these Affilite links will help support this Podcast.  Maire introduces a partnership with Suzanne Mayer RN inventor of the  cloud9caresystem.com,  When patients remain in the same position for extended periods, they are at high risk of developing pressure injuries, commonly known as bedsores. One of the biggest challenges caregivers face is the tendency for pillows and repositioning inserts to easily dislodge during care.(Suzanne is a former guest on Episode #119) When you order with Cloud 9 care system, please tell them you heard about them from Hospice Explained.(Thank You) Marie's Contact [email protected] www.HospiceExplained.com   Finding a Hospice Agency 1. You can use Medicare.gov to help find a hospice agency, 2. choose Find provider 3. Choose Hospice 4. then add your zip code This should be a list of Hospice Agencies local to you or your loved one.  

201 Hospice Explained: Margaret Montes RN, BSN, PHN on Early Hospice Nursing, Comfort Care, and Family Education Host Marie Betcher, RN, interviews retired hospice nurse Margaret Montes RN, BSN, PHN with facilitator Cindy Cisneros. Margaret, raised in Puerto Rico and licensed in 1976, joined the new Hospice of East San Gabriel Valley in 1987 and worked 33 years, starting when the census was eight patients and she was the only nurse; her bilingual skills helped serve Spanish-speaking families. They discuss early obstacles such as recruiting nurses suited for hospice, later team disagreements resolved through weekly interdisciplinary meetings, and common family fears that hospice or medications (including morphine) hasten death, emphasizing comfort as the goal. Margaret shares end-of-life visioning stories and a case where a family called 911 despite DNR wishes. They stress educating families on the dying process (including Barbara Karnes' "blue book"), bereavement follow-up, and analogies like the body as an aging car and end of life mirroring infancy. 00:00 Welcome and Disclaimer 00:29 Meet Marie and Guests 01:49 Margaret Finds Hospice 05:26 Early Hospice Challenges 07:28 Team Meetings Behind Scenes 10:43 Hospice Does Not Hasten Death 12:14 Comfort Beyond Medication 14:25 End of Life Visions Stories 18:07 When Families Call 911 20:46 What Everyone Should Know 24:01 Family Dynamics and Aftercare 27:39 Faith Fear and Support 29:46 Analogies for Dying Process 32:08 Final Thanks and Subscribe   If you want to help, you can donate to help support Hospice Explained at the Buy me a Coffee link   https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Hospice  Hospice Explained Affiliates & Contact Information Buying from these Affilite links will help support this Podcast.  Maire introduces a partnership with Suzanne Mayer RN inventor of the  cloud9caresystem.com,  When patients remain in the same position for extended periods, they are at high risk of developing pressure injuries, commonly known as bedsores. One of the biggest challenges caregivers face is the tendency for pillows and repositioning inserts to easily dislodge during care.(Suzanne is a former guest on Episode #119) When you order with Cloud 9 care system, please tell them you heard about them from Hospice Explained.(Thank You) Marie's Contact [email protected] www.HospiceExplained.com   Finding a Hospice Agency 1. You can use Medicare.gov to help find a hospice agency, 2. choose Find provider 3. Choose Hospice 4. then add your zip code This should be a list of Hospice Agencies local to you or your loved one.

200 Shari Brase-Smith RN, MS on Hospice Education, Facility Care, and Having Hard Conversations  Host Marie Betcher, a registered nurse and former hospice nurse, marks episode 200 of Hospice Explained with guest Shari Brase-Smith RN, MS, a hospice nurse, educator, and author. Shari recounts her nursing background since 1978 and how the rapid deaths of her husband and mother shaped her understanding of end-of-life needs, emphasizing that even experienced clinicians are often unprepared because healthcare and society focus on curing and avoid dying discussions. She describes why families and facility staff lack clear, practical guidance on what dying looks like, symptom management, and when to involve hospice, especially in nursing homes and assisted living. Shari explains her books are organized for quick, crisis-time answers, highlights the importance of conversations about wishes and forgiveness, and shares her Christian-focused poetry book on grief and hope. 00:00 Welcome and Disclaimer 00:29 Episode 200 Guest Intro 02:27 Shari's Nursing Journey 03:31 Personal Loss and Whirlwind 07:24 Why End-of-Life Education Matters 11:24 Books Filling the Resource Gap 17:02 Eating and Drinking at End of Life 19:17 Starting Hard Conversations 23:27 Forgiveness and Peace 27:28 Helping Facility Staff Work With Hospice 32:09 Poetry Faith and Grief 37:21 Closing Thanks and Subscribe https://sharibrase-smith.com/ If you want to help, you can donate to help support Hospice Explained at the Buy me a Coffee link   https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Hospice  Hospice Explained Affiliates & Contact Information Buying from these Affilite links will help support this Podcast.  Maire introduces a partnership with Suzanne Mayer RN inventor of the  cloud9caresystem.com,  When patients remain in the same position for extended periods, they are at high risk of developing pressure injuries, commonly known as bedsores. One of the biggest challenges caregivers face is the tendency for pillows and repositioning inserts to easily dislodge during care.(Suzanne is a former guest on Episode #119) When you order with Cloud 9 care system, please tell them you heard about them from Hospice Explained.(Thank You) Marie's Contact [email protected] www.HospiceExplained.com   Finding a Hospice Agency 1. You can use Medicare.gov to help find a hospice agency, 2. choose Find provider 3. Choose Hospice 4. then add your zip code This should be a list of Hospice Agencies local to you or your loved one.

199 At What Point Do We Say Stop? A Brother's Death, CPR Trauma, and Why End-of-Life Wishes Must Be Discussed Early with Gabrielle Elise (Gabby) Jimenez Host Marie Betcher welcomes back hospice and palliative care nurse, end-of-life doula, and The Hospice Heart founder Gabrielle Elise (Gabby) Jimenez to share the story of her brother Ben's death and why earlier end-of-life conversations matter. After years of estrangement, Gabby spent 18 days at Ben's bedside as he was mostly nonresponsive on a ventilator and tube feeds, then briefly woke and repeatedly said "yes" to escalating life-sustaining measures, creating conflict between what Gabby believed he'd want and what he voiced. When Ben suddenly deteriorated, Gabby arrived to find a chaotic CPR code and ultimately told the team to stop, allowing Ben's final minutes to be quieter with his daughter. They discuss how traumatic and violent CPR can be for medically fragile patients, how staff must follow expressed wishes without prior directives, and the importance of advance directives, POLST/MOST forms, and clearly communicated plans so loved ones can confidently honor a person's choices. 00:00 Welcome and Disclaimer 00:29 Meet Host and Guest 02:31 Ben Hospitalized Reunion 04:16 Wakes Up and Choices 07:51 Code Blue Saying Stop 10:38 Aftermath and Regrets 12:22 CPR Trauma Explained 20:08 Advance Planning Tools 26:58 Marie's Brothers Story 32:08 When CPR Helps or Hurts 34:47 Have the Conversation 36:12 Final Takeaways and Goodbye https://www.thehospiceheart.net/ If you want to help, you can donate to help support Hospice Explained at the Buy me a Coffee link   https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Hospice  Hospice Explained Affiliates & Contact Information Buying from these Affilite links will help support this Podcast.  Maire introduces a partnership with Suzanne Mayer RN inventor of the  cloud9caresystem.com,  When patients remain in the same position for extended periods, they are at high risk of developing pressure injuries, commonly known as bedsores. One of the biggest challenges caregivers face is the tendency for pillows and repositioning inserts to easily dislodge during care.(Suzanne is a former guest on Episode #119) When you order with Cloud 9 care system, please tell them you heard about them from Hospice Explained.(Thank You) Marie's Contact [email protected] www.HospiceExplained.com   Finding a Hospice Agency 1. You can use Medicare.gov to help find a hospice agency, 2. choose Find provider 3. Choose Hospice 4. then add your zip code This should be a list of Hospice Agencies local to you or your loved one.

198 Hospice Explained: Eric Horwith on End-of-Life Planning and Navigating Grief Host Marie Betcher, a registered nurse and former hospice nurse, interviews Eric Horwith, a social worker and UPMC regional director of business development who focuses on improving timely access to hospice, palliative care, and home health services and teaches at the University of Pittsburgh. Eric shares how his father's unexpected death forced urgent end-of-life decisions without advance planning, reinforcing the need for earlier conversations and legal documents. He describes his mother's peaceful death at 83 and his subsequent intense grief, which led him to write the Amazon-available guide, "Grief Exists Because Love Persists: Navigating Life After Loss," emphasizing grief as individualized and something to move through while honoring a loved one's legacy. Eric outlines his university course covering hospice, palliative care, organ donation, autopsy, cultural considerations, and advance care planning. He advises researching hospice providers, noting hospice is a benefit regardless of ability to pay and highlighting publicly reported quality metrics. 00:00 Welcome and Disclaimer 00:41 Meet Eric Horwith 02:33 Eric's Story and Calling 04:56 Sudden Loss and Planning Ahead 07:41 Mom's Peaceful Passing 09:23 Why He Wrote the Grief Guide 10:06 Grief Exists Because Love Persists 12:28 Grief Nuggets and Marathon Metaphor 15:37 Honoring Barbara's Legacy 16:42 Teaching Death and Dying 24:07 Hospice Access for Underserved 28:13 Final Takeaways and Goodbye If you want to help, you can donate to help support Hospice Explained at the Buy me a Coffee link   https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Hospice  Hospice Explained Affiliates & Contact Information Buying from these Affilite links will help support this Podcast.  Maire introduces a partnership with Suzanne Mayer RN inventor of the  cloud9caresystem.com,  When patients remain in the same position for extended periods, they are at high risk of developing pressure injuries, commonly known as bedsores. One of the biggest challenges caregivers face is the tendency for pillows and repositioning inserts to easily dislodge during care.(Suzanne is a former guest on Episode #119) When you order with Cloud 9 care system, please tell them you heard about them from Hospice Explained.(Thank You) Marie's Contact [email protected] www.HospiceExplained.com   Finding a Hospice Agency 1. You can use Medicare.gov to help find a hospice agency, 2. choose Find provider 3. Choose Hospice 4. then add your zip code This should be a list of Hospice Agencies local to you or your loved one.