Weekly Tips & Insights

Developed for caregivers, our library provides resources on hospice, private duty, palliative care, and wellness.

Mar 12, 2019
2 min

5 St. Louis Events this Spring that Promote Active Living With Loved Ones

With longer days due to Daylight Saving Time and spring just around the corner, there are many fun opportunities for aging individuals to start living more actively. For those in the St. Louis area, March is a great time to get out of the house with family, friends or loved ones to take advantage of the exciting cultural events happening this month. Here are just a few outing ideas to enjoy: Enjoy Family Time at the St. Louis Art Museum At this renowned institution, Sunday af

Dec 11, 2018
2 min

Understanding the Different Roles of Support When a Patient Enters Hospice Care

Entering hospice care can be quite the role reversal for families who may have previously taken a back seat in their loved one’s care to let the professionals lead. Once a patient has been discharged from the hospital to enter hospice, families will now be responsible for certain tasks that were previously handled by medical staff. In our previous article in this series, we walked through the various details that families will need to take care of once their loved one is rea

Dec 5, 2018
2 min

5 Exhibits at The Magic House to Enjoy with Young Relatives in St. Louis

The holidays usually provide a rare opportunity for older and younger family generations to spend time together, but with the hustle and bustle of the season it can be challenging to actually take in those special moments. In between juggling invites to festive gatherings, planning holiday dinners or hosting family from out of town, it can be all too easy to get swept up in the stress that comes along with the season and let this time fly by without making those lasting holid

Aug 31, 2018
3 min

Important steps to help a loved one that is grieving.

Watching a loved one experience grief can be difficult and often leaves us feeling helpless. Gaining some new information, perspective and strategies can help you feel more prepared to offer your support to a grieving loved one. Learning About Grief What does grief look like? Everyone grieves differently and for different reasons. It is common for a grieving individual to experience frequent mood swings. Some people may become withdrawn, tearful, irritable and visibly upset,

May 22, 2018
3 min

5 Insights Caregivers Wish They’d Known Before Caring for a Loved One

For over 30 years, VNA nurses and aides have supported caregivers of patients we serve. Through our support, we’ve listened to thousands of stories and reflections, and many have communicated things they wish they’d known before taking on a caregiving responsibility – things that could have improved their experience. Here are the five most common insights mentioned: 1. “The conversation” is best ahead of health decline. Don’t wait until a loved one is in an advanced stage of

Aug 30, 2017
3 min

5 Important Back to School Health Tips

At VNA, we are passionate about all aspects of a healthy lifestyle. Beyond hospice and palliative care, we are proud to offer wellness services, like flu vaccinations and wellness scans, to help keep our St. Louis community happy and healthy! Particularly as kids return back to school, we stress the importance of helping kids stay healthy. Studies have shown that healthy students are also better learners. Eating well and participating in regular physical activity not only hav

Jun 21, 2017
3 min

The Share and Prepare Series, part 3: Talking with Doctors about End-of-Life Care.

Once our patients have discussed their end of life care wishes with their loved ones, it is important for them to decide how and when to have the conversation with their healthcare team. Physicians are powerful advocates during the end-of-life process, so it is important they know a patient’s priorities and values. “Everyone should be thinking about what they want towards the end-of-life at any age in their adulthood,” says Dr. Mary Fox, Medical Director for Advanced Illness

Jun 7, 2017
2 min

The Share and Prepare Series, part 1: Talking to loved ones.

At VNA, we know that the end-of-life journey can be difficult to navigate, for yourself or for your loved one. That is why we believe it is important to not only care for our patients but to also be a resource for our community and for St. Louis. Over the next six weeks, as a part of our new “Share and Prepare” series, we will be posting some guidelines and tools helpful in preparation for end-of-life care. We will discuss how to have conversations with family and health care

May 17, 2017
3 min

Caring for families, not just patients.

It is no surprise that nurses play an important role in the health service experience. Whether in a hospital, a primary care facility, or a nursing home, nurses are often key caregivers and can significantly influence the quality of care given. Their behaviors, demeanors, and actions have been shown to greatly affect patients, families, and outcomes. As it relates to hospice and palliative care, however, the nurse’s role takes on a different form of significance. Caring for p

Feb 22, 2017
2 min

Caring for the caregiver

Caregiving can be a rewarding, but challenging job for family members with a terminally ill loved one. Through programs like hospice and palliative care, care at home is becoming more common for elderly adults and/or adults with a chronic and terminal conditions. With care for these adults comes the need for support and self-care for caregivers. Chundra Williams, a licensed social worker at VNA, says that caregiving can be emotionally draining for children or younger family m

Feb 3, 2017
2 min

How faith affects hospice patients at the end of life

Faith often plays a role in how people deal with death, and for hospice patients it’s no different. Kathleen Stock, VNA’s Hospice Chaplain, shares that faith can be a comfort at the end of life, but the experience of faith is different for each patient. “I think [death] is such an individual thing for each person,” said Stock. “I often say that people die the way they live their lives.” Some people want to explore death before they die, but some are hesitant to talk about dyi

Nov 23, 2016
2 min

Dealing with grief over the holidays

The holidays can be one of the most difficult times of the year to manage grief with the festive season often making the loss of a family member more painful. VNA’s chaplain Kathleen Stock has been working at VNA for over 17 years, and she explains that a family member's death changes the expectations of the holidays. “Holidays are filled with expectations of how things should be,” said Stock. “When there’s a death of a loved one those expectations are changed, because that p

Nov 17, 2016
2 min

Best practices on supporting a family member in hospice

Q & A with VNA’s Nurses How can families be supportive of a relative in hospice care? “I think listening is a big thing. We really need to listen to what it is the patient wants, what it is that they’re afraid of, and what they need help with. And not what it is we want. Really listening is the key.” Carol Emmerich, Director, Hospice Care Services “Families need to help support the caregiver and the patient and they can do that through multiple ways. They can visit the patien

Jul 22, 2016
1 min

VNA volunteer crochets prayer blankets to bring comfort to hospice patients

Since 2013, Pam Zeman has been hand crocheting blankets and prayer shawls for hospice patients and family members. As a VNA volunteer for 14 years, Pam has found that this small act of service is a powerful way to tangibly provide the warmth and care to patients in need. Pam carefully works on each blanket with love and prayer. She hopes the gift not only provide comfort but also serves as a symbol of remembrance long after their time of use. Because many patients receiving t

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