Caregiving and Advocacy Resources

• Aging with Dignity: Advocates for the needs of elders and their caregivers, with a particular emphasis on improving care for those at the end of life.
• Americans for Better Care of the Dying (ABCD): ABCD is a non-profit public charity dedicated to social, professional, and policy reform aimed to improve the care system for patients with serious illness, and their families.
• On Our Own Terms: Based on two years of research and production, "On Our Own Terms" takes Bill Moyers to the front lines of the movement to improve end-of-life care and reports on the best models for change.

Death, Dying, Grief, & Bereavement Support

• Beliefnet: A multi-faith independent site which features articles of the nation's most accomplished and respected journalists in the fields of religion, spirituality and morality.
• CareGiver: An information resource on long-term care.
• Death and Dying Grief Support: Find support, talk to others about the loss of a loved one, and find answers to questions.
• Dying Well: Resources for people facing life-limiting illness, their families, and their professional caregivers.
• The End of Life: A National Public Radio series featuring AHF in some of the reports.
• Professional Chaplaincy: Its Role and Importance in Healthcare
• Cultural Sensitivity
• Hard Choices— written by a hospice chaplain
• Caring Bridge: Free, secure personalized websites that support and connect families and friends during end-of-life care.

Specialized Hospice Programs & Information

• American College of Physicians Home Care Guide for Advanced Cancer: For family, friends, and Hospice workers caring for persons with advanced cancer at home, when quality of life is the primary goal.
• Beth Israel - Department of Pain Medicine and Palliative Care: The Department of Pain Medicine and Palliative Care is dedicated to providing comprehensive care of the highest quality in pain management and palliative care, and advancing the educational and research aims of these disciplines.
• Children's Hospice International: Provides a network of support and care for children with life-threatening conditions and their families.
• Compassionate Care Spanish-language HelpLine: 877-658-8896. Are you caring for a loved on who is seriously ill? Do you have questions about grief and where to find support? Do you have questions about hospice services and end-of-life care? Cuidando con Cariño is a toll-free HelpLine that offers information and resources for people living with or caring for someone with a serious illness. Our bilingual staff can answer questions on grief, caregiving, advance directives and other end-of-life issues. They can also help you find community hospice or palliative care programs and services. Call the Compassionate Care Spanish-language HelpLine today for a compassionate, listening ear and free information.

General Information about Hospice

• Florida Hospice and Palliative Care, Florida hospice organization References to hospice programs throughout Florida, all of which are Medicare and Medicaid certified and fully licensed.
• National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPO) the largest nonprofit membership organization representing hospice and palliative care programs and professionals in the United States.
• American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine: The only organization in the United States for physicians dedicated to the advancement of Hospice/palliative medicine, its practice, research and education.
• British Medical Journal Palliative Medicine Collection: Click on a specialty or topic to get details of all relevant articles published since Jan. 1998.
• Growth House, Inc.: Resources for life-threatening illness and end of life care.
• Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association: The mission of the HPNA is to promote excellence in Hospice and palliative nursing.
• Hospice Foundation of America: General information about Hospice.
• Hospice Net: Comprehensive website for both caregivers and patients, with many articles dealing with Death & Dying and Caregiving & Grief.
• Total Pain: The Work of Cicely Saunders and the Hospice Movement by David Clark PhD: There can be little doubt that when Cicely Saunders first used the term “total pain” in the early 1960s, she was in the process of bequeathing to medicine and health care a concept of enduring clinical and conceptual interest. In recent years we have gained a clear picture of the early evolution of the notion of total pain. Read the entire story.

Hospice Affiliated Companies

• Florida Palliative Home Care, LLC – non-profit agency providing quality home health care services throughout Lake, Marion and Sumter counties
• Florida Palliative Pharmacy and Equipment, LLC, dba Accent Medical – an authorized non-profit durable medical equipment supplier\, serving the tri-county area
• SummerField Suites, LLC – beautiful non-profit residential facility, tri-licensed as an assisted living facility, extended congregate care and limited nursing services facility.
• Center for Comprehensive Palliative Care – program to provide pain and symptom management for those in any stage of illness.

Volunteering: Doing Good is Good for You

Statistics prove it—doing good for others improves your health and wellbeing.

• www.arthritis.org/resources — The Healing Power of Doing Good
• www.volunteermatch.org
• www.1-800-volunteer.org
• www.canadian-health-network.ca — Volunteering Helps Others and Boosts Your Health

Comfort Care

• www.getpalliativecare.org — When you are facing a serious illness, you need relief. Relief from pain. Relief from other symptoms, such as fatigue, nausea, loss of appetite and shortness of breath. Relief from stress.

Books on End-of-Life Planning

• Hospice of Marion County has teamed up with Atlantic Publishing in an exciting new venture. This partnership offers invaluable information to patients and families to get their affairs settled and finances in order well in advance of end-of-life issues. Have these discussions and make these choices now so loved ones do not have to endure the burden of legal matters without guidance. These resources help everyone gain peace of mind now and relief during difficult transitions times. Atlantic Publishing is donating a portion of all book purchases to Hospice of Marion County to support of patient care programs. View the selections and order online.