A Primer on Palliative Care

November is Hospice and Palliative Care month. And while palliative and hospice care share a kindred approach and certain commonalities, they are also distinct and independent practices. There are approximately 90 million people living with a serious illness in the U.S., and it is estimated that 6 million could benefit from palliative care. So what is palliative care? Continue reading

Happily Ever Onward

Pat Larson (center) celebrates being declared free of COVID-19 with her RVNAhealth ComfortWELL nurses Anne Felizardo, LPN, and Christine Palmer, RN, BSN.
Pat is one of the happier stories to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic. She was considered to be at high risk for severe illness from the virus, so our hospice services were recommended to care for her. Continue reading

Oh, What a Difference a Haircut Makes!

RVNAhealth hospice patients Felix and Giuseppe found themselves desperately in need of a trim during the COVID-19 pandemic. Enter the RVNAhealth wishes program, which works to grant hospice patients their special wishes, both small and big. Continue reading

Caring for the Front Line

A collage of four RVNAhealth front line employees wearing their personal protective masks
for the professionals who have spent their days and nights caring for COVID-19 patients, on top of their own loved ones, grief and stress can run strong. RVNAhealth Hospice Social Worker Jana Wu, LCSW, LADC, leads support groups to help front-line workers navigate their feelings and dedicate a little time to themselves. .Continue reading

There’s No Crying in Hospice

This essay was written by Keri Linardi, RN, BSN, PHN, CHPCA, chief clinical officer at RVNAhealth. In her role, Linardi oversees all of RVNAhealth’s clinical service lines – home health, hospice, rehabilitation, and community health — as well as the Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement teams. Continue reading