multigenerational family walking on beach

May 15th, 2020

Hope Produces Town Hall Webinars

For immediate release: May 11, 2020 Hope Hospice Media Contact: Kendra Strey, cell) 925-997-0873 Join us for our free series of town hall discussions, featuring a panel of Hope’s experts, on issues that matter to you right now. For all of us, this era of pandemic has created so many uncertainties and has elevated to greater heights our fears, anxieties, and concerns. In this special series, you’ll have the opportunity to ask questions, obtain some great information, and learn some valuable tips on how to navigate these unfamiliar waters. This free webinar series will be produced via Zoom (get a […]

Senior couple speaking with estate planner in living room

April 28th, 2020

Caregiving Best Practices: Get Healthcare, Financial, and Legal Affairs in Order

Do you and your loved ones have an advance healthcare directive as well as the other documents necessary for managing legal and financial issues (e.g., Power of Attorney) should sudden illness, disability, or even death occur? Highlighting the urgency of this need to be prepared was an email I recently received from a gentleman who has attended Hope’s Family Caregiver Education Series. He regularly cares for his elderly parents, but this time he sought guidance about relatives who live out of state—a couple in their 40s, both of whom were diagnosed with COVID-19. The husband was not expected to survive. […]

April 14th, 2020

Hope & the Hot-Air Balloon

Reflections of Hope: Remembering Our First 40 Years Hope’s official logo has evolved over time, and early versions are a far cry from today’s dove motif. Some digging revealed the story behind one with a hot-air balloon illustration that worked its way into our design in 1983. One of our patients at the time, a “bright, feisty widow,” according to our archives, had helped her husband manage two successful businesses. As a world traveler who believed in the benefits of risk taking, she had run river rapids at age 76 and had few unfulfilled wishes, except the desire to take […]

March 26th, 2020

The Role of Social Work in Hospice

When a family chooses the time for a loved one to go onto hospice care, they open the doors to a full circle of support that goes beyond nursing. One professional on the team is your medical social worker. What is the role of social work in hospice? Hope Hospice’s Veronica Martin, MSW, ASW, explains: A social worker is part of the hospice care team Each patient at Hope Hospice is assigned a social worker to be a part of the interdisciplinary team in developing a plan of care for the patient and family. The social worker is available to […]

January 30th, 2020

The Role of Spiritual Care in Hospice

At Hope Hospice, spiritual care is among the services we provide to patients, upon request. We serve patients and families from all walks of life and cultures. With that variety comes a spectrum of strong religious traditions, more fluid spiritual connections, and those who do not hold any transcendent beliefs. We asked one of our Spiritual Care Counselors, Reverend Melissa Tumaneng, to discuss some differences between the terms religion and spirituality, and to explain the role of spiritual care in hospice. What is religion versus spirituality, and are they connected? The nature of humans has been a subject of fascination […]

illustration shows reduced peripheral range

December 26th, 2019

Vision Decline in Dementia Patients

Caregivers commonly observe vision decline in dementia patients. People living with dementia commonly experience changes to their vision beyond what’s expected as part of the normal aging process. As dementia-related illnesses cause progressive brain deterioration, a person will experience certain sight deficits because the brain is no longer processing what the eyes see in the same way. Some common problem areas include: Depth perception The patient may exhibit difficulty in navigating steps, grabbing objects, and distinguishing between two- and three-dimensional scenes. With the latter, for instance, the person may try to pick up flowers from a floral-printed tablecloth. Reduced […]

How to communicate your Five Wishes for end of life

October 28th, 2019

Five Wishes: Taking Control of Your Final Days

So much in life is out of our control, and, at times, the uncertainty causes frustration and stress. However, this doesn’t have to be the case at the end of life. The Five Wishes document is a way for you to communicate your desires for how you want to be treated—medically, physically, and spiritually—if you get seriously ill and/or death is near. For your family, Five Wishes ends the bedside guessing game of what you want or do not want at the end of your life. In simple language, the booklet guides you through documenting choices regarding such topics as […]

October 1st, 2019

Caregiver Tips on Assisting With Personal Hygiene

As a caregiver, you will find that some of your time each day will be devoted to assisting the person in your care with personal hygiene. This includes bathing, shampooing, oral or mouth care, shaving, and foot care. Following are tips to help these tasks go smoothly. Bathing When it comes to personal hygiene, ensure the floors are not slippery; to help prevent falls on the bathroom floor, use non-skid mats or rugs and a rubber mat with good suction or adhesive traction strips in the shower basin or bathtub. A movable shower head with a hose is especially helpful […]

October 1st, 2019

Avoiding Pressure Ulcers

Caregivers need to keep a close eye on elderly patients to avoid pressure ulcers from occurring. Pressure ulcers (also called decubiti, or bedsores) are blisters or breaks in the skin caused when the body’s weight presses blood out of a specific area. Pressure ulcers are commonly found in bedridden patients or people with mobility challenges who do not get up to move frequently enough. According to the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel estimates that 2.5 million American develop pressure ulcers each year. The most common areas for sores are the bony areas—tail bone, hips, heels, and elbows. Damage can range […]

October 1st, 2019

Flu Prevention for Seniors

Flu prevention for seniors is more important than ever. According to the Centers for Disease Control, people 65 years and older account for between 50 and 70 percent of reported influenza-associated hospitalizations. Overall, flu hospitalization rates during the 2017–2018 flu season were the highest ever recorded. Vaccination is the single best way to help protect against the flu and is especially important for older adults. Flu vaccine saves lives and prevents the serious complications that sometimes result. Caregivers of all ages should get an annual flu shot and should take preventive measures, such as washing hands, staying away from people […]

October 1st, 2019

How Alzheimer’s Disease Affects Communication

Memory loss is one of the widely known symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, but many other skills and abilities become impaired as well. Persons living with dementia experience changes in the brain’s temporal lobe that affect their ability to process language. Even in the disease’s early stages, caregivers may notice a decline in formal language (vocabulary, comprehension, and speech production), which all humans rely upon to communicate verbally. Symptoms include word loss, confusion during the conversation, not being able to follow a storyline, and decreased speech. Word Loss and the Brain’s Temporal Lobe As a child is learning a language, nouns […]

August 27th, 2019

Seniors and Hot-Weather Safety

It is very important to be educated on the importance of seniors and hot-weather safety. Too much heat is unsafe for everyone. It is even riskier for those who are over age 65 or who have health problems, as these groups generally do not adjust to major temperature fluctuations as fast as younger people. According to the National Center for Environmental Health, more Americans die from over-exposure to hot weather than by any other natural disaster. Heat-Related Illness Being hot for too long can cause several illnesses, all grouped under the name hyperthermia. Hyperthermia occurs when there is an unusual […]

June 7th, 2019

2019 Hike for Hope Raises $90K

The Hope Hospice and Home Health community returned to Livermore’s Del Valle Regional Park on May 4 for the ninth annual Hike for Hope, which raised more than $90,000 for Hope’s patient care and community services. The misty morning gave way to blue skies as more than 600 hikers and walkers hit the trails to support Hope’s mission to provide exceptional, compassionate patient care in our local communities. Many participants were hiking in memory of departed loved ones and carried photos or mementos with them on the hike. Participants also could write names of loved ones on paper shoes and […]

May 24th, 2019

2019 Hope 100 Golf Marathon

Registration is now open for the fifth annual Hope 100 Golf Marathon, which will take place on September 30, 2019, at Castlewood Country Club in Pleasanton. Commencing with a shotgun start at 7:30 a.m., the day involves completing 100 holes at the beautiful Valley Course, with stops along the way for course refreshments and snacks. Participation is limited to 36 golfers. The Hope 100 Golf Marathon is a unique annual event for Hope Hospice in which each golfer commits to raising $2,500, with net proceeds benefiting Hope’s patient care and grief support programs in the East Bay/Tri-Valley areas. Participants may […]

April 23rd, 2019

2019 Hike for Hope

Join the 2019 Hike for Hope, a hike that benefits a good cause on May 4, 2019, at Del Valle Regional Park in Livermore! Hike for Hope is a unique celebration of family, friends and remembrance and raises funds for Hope’s patient care, grief support services, and caregiver education programs. Join some 500 hikers taking to the hills and dales of Del Valle Regional Park in Livermore. Choose from two routes: an easy, relatively flat out-and-back just over 2 miles total, or a moderate 4.5-mile route with a gentle climb to the ridge top. Whichever you choose, you’ll enjoy some […]

March 8th, 2019

Hope introduces grief support for children and teens

Young people experience physical, emotional and spiritual reactions to grief and grieve differently than adults. As a result, their unique needs may go unnoticed or their actions can be misunderstood by the adults in their lives who are also grieving. This can increase their feelings of isolation and despair. Hope Hospice now offers a Children and Teen Grief Support program to help address these issues. Being in a support group with others their own age who have lost someone important to them helps them know they are not alone. The groups are led by trained facilitators and grief support counselors […]

January 15th, 2019

Castlettes golf group raises funds for Hope

Members of the Castlettes, Castlewood Country Club’s women’s nine-hole golf group, presented a ceremonial donation check in the amount of $5,000 to Jennifer Hansen, Hope Hospice CEO. Each December, the Castlettes host a charity holiday luncheon benefiting several local organizations, and Hope Hospice is always at the top of the list. This year’s event, themed “Mistletoe and Mimosas,” was co-chaired by Kala Swaminathan and Michelle Hodges. They and other members of the Castlettes generously donated more than 65 items for the raffle and auction and also solicited businesses for donations. The group also provided 42 Secret Santa gifts to the […]

Group photo of Hope 100 Golf marathon participants

December 17th, 2018

Hope 100 Golf Marathon fundraiser a success

At the crack of dawn on October 8, twenty golfers arrived at Castlewood Country Club in Pleasanton ready to take on a unique challenge: to complete 100 holes of golf – in one day, and raise funds to benefit Hope Hospice. By the end of the day, the Hope 100 Golf Marathon raised nearly $70,000. Since the Hope 100 Golf Marathon was first held in 2015, the annual event has raised a total of nearly $365,000, making it one of Hope’s most successful fundraisers. “I am gratified that so many dedicated people have participated in this amazing event to benefit […]

October 16th, 2018

Hope welcomes new CEO

Jennifer Hansen has been named Chief Executive Officer (CEO) by the Hope Hospice Board of Directors. She succeeds Bob Boehm, who retired at the end of September, but will continue working in a consultative role with the organization during the transition. “Among the highly qualified candidates we considered, we found Jennifer to be the best suited person to lead our organization into the future,” says Craig Eicher, president of the Hope Hospice Board of Directors. “She has much knowledge and demonstrated successes in the hospice and home health fields, and we are confident that she will ensure that we maintain […]

The Toll Brothers holding a check for $102,188 for Hope Hospice at charity Golf Castlewood Country Club

July 9th, 2018

Toll Brothers Golf Benefit for Hope Hospice raises $102,188

The Toll Brothers Northern California Division recently raised $102,188 for Hope Hospice during their golf benefit at Castlewood Country Club in May. “Thank you to Toll Brothers for their generosity and hard work in putting on an event of this size,” says Bob Boehm, Hope Hospice CEO. “Your wonderful donation makes it possible for us to carry out our mission to provide quality care, comfort and compassion to patients and their families at life’s end.” More than 180 golfers participated in this year’s golf benefit. “Toll Brothers is thrilled and fortunate to have the opportunity to raise money for […]