Hope Hospice is committed to supporting patients and loved ones with exceptional care, compassion, and dignity.
Recordings are added here within two days of the live event.
July 8, 2021
“Handling Grief and Loss”
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Downloadable support materials:
Presentation slides
Resources
No matter how thoroughly one has prepared for the inevitability of death, when the time comes it still can be a shock to the system. In this webinar, a local marriage and family therapist discusses the complexities of grief and loss, including anticipatory grief and ambiguous loss. Participants will be provided with coping strategies to help them both during the final stages of life and after their loved one has passed.
June 10, 2021
“Self-Care for the Caregiver”
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Downloadable support materials:
Presentation slides
Resources
The stress that family caregivers experience as their loved one declines can be staggering. The constant fluctuation of changing roles, uncertainty about the future, and fatigue may ultimately result in compromised health and family dysfunction. This webinar focuses on understanding the causes of stress, strategies for coping, and the importance of seeking support and utilizing resources.
May 13, 2021
“End of Life Issues: Palliative Care and Hospice”
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Downloadable support materials:
Presentation slides
Resources
End-of-life care refers to both the medical care and the emotional support that patients and families receive when death is imminent. While the dying process can vary greatly from individual to individual, in this webinar Hope Hospice clinical staff will share general information about what to expect in the final days of life, transitioning to palliative (comfort) care, selecting hospice services, and making funeral arrangements.
April 8, 2021
“Understanding Advanced Illness”
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At times, it seems as if what may have begun as a single medical diagnosis morphs into many, especially with the elderly patient. Hope Hospice clinical staff will provide information about the most prevalent co-existing medical conditions among the elderly and the importance of medication management. Guidance will also be provided in determining when it is appropriate for comfort care to be considered in place of curative care and aggressive treatments. Dr. Kuljeet Multani, one of Hope’s Associate Medical Directors, presents.
“Living With Dementia – Managing Daily Care”
March 11, 2021
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Downloadable support materials:
Presentation slides
Resources
Activities
GEM States Model
Providing daily care for a loved one with dementia can present overwhelming demands on the family caregiver, often leading to frustration and exhaustion. With the goal of enhancing the overall well-being of all involved, Hope Hospice’s dementia specialists, Gia Barsell and Debbie Emerson, offer strategies for planning daily activities such as dressing, dining, personal hygiene and exercising, as well as social and leisure activities.
“Navigating the Healthcare Environment & Advocating for Your Loved One”
February 11, 2021
Downloadable support materials:
Presentation slides
Resources
Understanding your rights and learning to communicate effectively with healthcare professionals are key to advocating for your loved ones and yourself in a complex healthcare system. Webinar topics will include communicating effectively with healthcare professionals, handling hospitalizations, and understanding the discharge process and follow-up care.
“Making Decisions About Caregiving”
January 14, 2021
Downloadable support materials:
Presentation slides
Resources
Senior housing chart
Handling sensitive topics and making difficult decisions, especially when emotions are high, is never easy. This webinar will cover information about assessing needs, working together with family members, accessing community services and resources, relocating loved ones, and exploring various care settings including in-home and residential care.
“Protecting Your Home Equity”
December 14, 2020
Hope Hospice hosts experts from Alameda County’s Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) to present information about common financial issues and risks related to home ownership. The basic structure of reverse mortgages and other equity-based loans will be discussed and alternative options will be explored.
“Living With Dementia: Understanding Behaviors as Communication:
December 10, 2020
As the conditions that cause dementia progress, communication becomes challenged and persons living with dementia increasingly rely on their behaviors to express their needs. In this webinar, family caregivers will gain an understanding of how to assess, interpret, and respond to dementia-related behaviors in a manner that can improve communication and promote meaningful connections. Hope Hospice’s dementia specialists, Gia Barsell and Debbie Emerson, present this webinar.
“Medicare: An Overview and Update”
November 12, 2020
Downloadable Support Materials
Presentation slides
Resource list
MediCal with Medicare
Medicare savings programs
Supplementing Medicare
Overview of long-term care
Financing long-term care
FAQ about long-term care insurance
VA Medicare
Medicare, the federal health insurance program for people age 65+ and those with disabilities doesn’t have to be confusing. Our guest presenter will be Katy Brady, MPH, Community Education Coordinator from Alameda County’s Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP). Ms. Brady will share information about coverage, options for supplementing Medicare, and changes for 2021.
“GEM States Model: A Discussion on Stages of Dementia”
October 21, 2020
Dementia-care expert Teepa Snow (teepasnow.com) created a unique way of understanding and talking about stages of dementia. We commonly hear statements like “my mother has late-stage dementia,” but what does that mean? Most of the medical community uses this language about “stages” to describe the severity of a patient’s dementia symptoms, but perhaps there’s a better–more specific and more positive–way to discuss our loved ones living with dementia and the challenges they face as the disease progresses.
In this webinar, Gia Barsell, Manager of Dementia Services at Hope Hospice, will teach you about Teepa’s GEMS. Unlike other cognitive models, it acknowledges that everyone’s abilities can change in a moment. Modifying environments, situations, interactions, and expectations will create either supportive positive opportunities or result in distress and a sense of failure. Just as gemstones need different settings and care to show their best characteristics, so do people. Rather than focusing on a person’s loss when there is brain change, seeing individuals as precious, unique, and capable encourages a care partnership and is the core of this model. Providing supportive settings for everyone, including care providers, allows them to use what they have to be their best. The GEM States Model advocates that everyone living with brain change will shine when given the opportunity.
Speaker:
Gia Barsell, Hope Hospice Manager of Dementia Services
PAC Certified Dementia Trainer and Consultant
“Necessary Evils: Exploring Legal and Financial Issues”
October 15, 2020
Downloadable Support Materials:
Presentation summary
Online resources list
District Attorney’s brochure
When facing the incapacity of a loved one, reliance on professionals will ensure that families receive the most accurate information about options and protection. The presentation shares information about establishing powers of attorney, trusts and wills, paying for long-term care, and accessing government assistance programs.
Speaker:
Cindy Thorp, JD, is an elder-law specialist.
“Dementia Care in the COVID-19 Era”
September 16, 2020
Downloadable Support Materials:
Presentation slides
Resources list
Emergency info for care partners
Adjusting to and coping with the COVID-19 pandemic is challenging for all of us, but for the person living with dementia and their care partners, it can be debilitating. In this interactive webinar, Hope Hospice’s dementia specialists will discuss the nature of dementia and how it impacts thinking and behavior, examine how this condition coupled with the necessary virus-prevention measures can further complicate the caregiving experience, and provide strategies that can help care partners cope with these challenges and focus on the well-being of their loved ones and themselves.
Panelists:
Gia Barsell, Hope Hospice Manager of Dementia Services
PAC Certified Dementia Trainer and Consultant
Debbie Emerson, Hope Hospice Community Health Educator
CARES® Dementia Specialist
“Dementia Basics”
September 10, 2020
Downloadable support materials:
“Caregiving in the COVID-19 Era”
August 13, 2020
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As a result of the current global health crisis, those who are providing care to loved ones are now experiencing a dramatic shift in what it means to be a caregiver. This webinar acknowledges and explores the new challenges family members face in caring for aging and/or chronically ill loved ones in these uncertain times.
Downloadable support materials:
Debbie’s PowerPoint slides
Resources list
Emergency info for care partners
Self-care tips
