Hospice Uncovered
All about hospice
Episodes
17 episodes
Combat Medic to Caregiver: Tony's Mission to Serve Veterans Through Hospice
Tony, a Vietnam combat medic, shares his profound journey from the battlefields of Southeast Asia to founding a military support program that has changed countless veteran lives. In this episode of Hospice Uncovered, Tony opens up about volunte...
Breaking the Silence: Suicide Prevention, Warning Signs, and How to Save a Life
Hospice Uncovered tackles one of the most critical conversations in healthcare with guests Dr. Ivan Edwards, a physician and flight surgeon, and Dan Blasini, a nurse and veteran who lost three friends to suicide within eight days during Suicide...
What If We Called Hospice Something Else? Reframing End-of-Life Care Through Language
Shanna and Rachel explore how the word "hospice" carries heavy emotional baggage and misconceptions that prevent families from embracing compassionate end-of-life care. Through honest conversation, they examine the negative imagery and fear ass...
Navigating Care Levels: When It's Time to Move Mom Out of the House
Rachel and Shanna welcome Kimmy, a healthcare veteran with years of experience in senior care, to break down the confusing world of care options for aging loved ones. When a patient's wife reaches out about moving her husband into assisted livi...
After They're Gone: Understanding Grief and Bereavement in Hospice Care
In this episode of Hospice Uncovered, host Shanna is joined by Douglas, director of clinical services and chaplain, and Rachel, community liaison, to explore the profound journey of bereavement and grief that follows a loved one's passing. Doug...
What Hospice Has Taught Me About Living: Intentionality Over Ambition
In this episode of Hospice Uncovered, the hosts explore one of hospice care's most profound lessons: how to truly live. Through candid conversations and patient stories, they discuss why intentionality matters more than productivity, why no one...
The Financial Burden of Dying: Planning Beyond the Grief
Shanna and Rachel explore one of life's most avoided conversations—the financial costs of death and end-of-life planning. Through a touching patient reunion story that culminated in coordinating cremation services, they discuss the practical re...
The Last Conversation: Love, Forgiveness, and Saying Goodbye in Hospice
The hosts reflect on hospice teamwork during tense end-of-life moments, including a recent patient death and a patient returning home from the hospital, emphasizing how their interdisciplinary team shows up with compassion and practical support...
Hospice Uncovered: When Mom Says She’s Ready to Go
In this episode of Hospice Uncovered, Shanna and Rachel discuss what it means when a loved one says they’re “ready to go,” aiming to reduce fear and help families respond with love, presence, and open-ended questions like “Tell me more.” They d...
What to Expect in the Final Hours: Understanding Active Dying and Creating Peace
In this emotionally significant episode, hosts Shanna and Rachel dive deep into one of hospice care's most important conversations—what families can expect during a loved one's final hours. They discuss the physical and consciousness changes th...
Faith, Grief, and Intentional Living with Douglas Jackson
In this episode of Hospice Uncovered, hosts Shanna and Rach welcome Douglas Jackson, the new Director of Spiritual Services, to discuss the intersection of faith and grief in hospice care. Douglas unpacks how grief extends far beyond death—it a...
DNR Conversations: Choosing Peace Over Trauma
In this deeply honest episode, the hosts explore do-not-resuscitate orders and why DNR conversations are essential in hospice care. They address the common misconception that signing a DNR means giving up, explaining that it's actually choosing...
Disease Progression & The Hard Conversations: When It's Time for Hospice
Rachel and Shanna dive deep into recognizing the subtle signs that a loved one may be ready for hospice care. They discuss concrete indicators of disease progression—altered mental status, increased hospitalizations, mobility decline, urinary t...
Just Because We Don’t Want to Face It: Hospice, Dementia, and the Courage to Have Hard Conversations
The hosts celebrate helping a longtime hospice patient whose wife and caregiver died suddenly, leaving him without ID, benefits access, or support and facing eviction, and discuss how earlier planning could have prevented the crisis. They intro...
Ask for Help: Reciprocity, Hospice Myths, and Courage at End of Life
Two hospice professionals open with a grounding breath exercise focused on purpose, then discuss why asking for help is difficult, highlighting embarrassment, ego, control, and fear, and emphasizing reciprocity so givers also learn to receive. ...
Hospice Myth-Busting: Dignity, Support, and Hope at End of Life (Episode 2)
In episode two, Shanna and Rachel begin with a grounding exercise and gratitude, then discuss why the word “hospice” feels scary and why it shouldn’t. Shawna shares early negative experiences with hospice-related providers targeting vulnerable ...
Hospice Myth-Busting: It’s Not Giving Up—It’s Support, Comfort, and Dignity
In this conversation, Shanna and Rachel myth-bust common fears about hospice, explaining that it isn’t “giving up” or stopping care, but adding support focused on comfort, dignity, and quality of life for both patients and families. They discus...
