As a hospice spiritual caregiver, it’s hard to bring comfort to a family when they are fighting. I was recently in one of those ugly scenes where a mother lay dying while her children and grandchildren argued around her bed. They quarreled about the family estate and what would be the best care for their […]
Care for the Dying & Bereaved Henri Nouwen (1932-1996) was a Dutch Catholic priest who taught theology at several prestigious institutions including Notre Dame, Yale and Harvard. Following his mother’s death in 1978, he became increasingly dissatisfied in his academic career and in 1985 he resigned. He joined a community that welcomed and ministered to […]
Won’t You Please Take Me Home? As I made my way through the kitchen at our Wings Home, an end of life home that provides compassionate comfort for a patient’s final days, a volunteer whispered, “Richard Roundhouse is having a really tough time today. You might want to see him.” As I raised my hand […]
Caring for the Human Spirit in the Hospice Setting When it comes to the care of the terminally ill, there can be any number of spiritual needs. When those needs are not met, a dying person and family can suffer. When those needs are met, there can be a relative sense of well-being and joy […]
Volunteering with Wings of Hope Many ways to serve You might be surprised about the many interesting ways to volunteer with Wings of Hope. We use two categories of volunteers, direct and indirect. Some direct care opportunities include delivering supplies, running errands, giving haircuts, light housekeeping, or as a companion to our patients by listening, […]
House of Love Can you imagine what life and death were like before there was hospice? Hospice came from England to America in the 1970s. In 1983, Wings of Hope Hospice was formed in Allegan County. Ever since, Wings has been in the non-profit business of recruiting, training and organizing people to serve the dying […]
Our Volunteer Spotlight is shining on Sue Cade, a true “Girl Friday,” who we rely on to help at our office, and who is dedicated to making a difference for the good in the lives of our patients and their loved ones. Sue Cade started volunteering with Wings of Hope in 1999. She used her […]
A Torch of Honor I recently read Gallup research published in the Washington Post indicating that only 13 percent of people worldwide actually like going to work. I consider myself among that fortunate 13 percent. In some measure, my job satisfaction is due to what I do and who I work with. A large part […]
The Wonder of Music in Wings of Hope Hospice Care Hospice patients, their loved ones and the staff that work with them often recognize a need for paths of communication and comfort care that go beyond the spoken word, the pharmaceutical and even the intellectual. Music may address some issues that become evident for hospice […]
Some of our conversations in life seem relatively trivial; some more noteworthy. Hear the story of a profound discussion I had with a Wings of Hope patient and his wife just two weeks before he died. I met Bill and his wife Doris in their niece’s living room. They had left their home in Byron […]
