Some of our Hospice volunteers and staff:
Front row, seated: Volunteers Jeanette Bruno, Billie Morin, Bob Abbott, Ethel Abbott, Linda Misiaszek.
Back row, standing: Volunteers Dan Donahue, Jan Donahue (also a Homemaker Companion), and Betsy Lindlau with Hospice Program Manager Andrea Huertas, Hospice Chaplain Rev. John Davies, Hospice Volunteer Coordinator Julie Belfontaine, and volunteers Maurice "Mo" Fontaine and Dee Sparck.

Hospice is care, comfort, compassion…gifts of love. It is a special way of caring for people at the end of life. The Hospice team offers medical care and pain control as well as emotional and spiritual support.

Hospice focuses on the patient’s needs and wishes and on the needs of the grieving family. Hospice means comfort, not curing—helping patients live with dignity and be free from pain. Hospice patients usually stay at home, but Hospice care is also available in nursing homes, hospitals or other facilities.

It's very important to talk with your family, your doctors, and your friends about your end-of-life wishes. A referral to Hospice may be made by you, your doctor, a family member, a friend, or a member of the clergy or hospital staff. Someone from Community Health & Hospice is always available to come and talk with you and your family about what Hospice is and how we can help you.

• Your doctor will work with the Hospice team to care for you.
• Your family and friends will be able to be with you and help in your care.
• Nurses will come and visit you, as needed, to keep you comfortable.
• Nurses’ aides will help bathe you.
• A Social Worker will assist you and your family with any end-of-life planning you may need.
• Clergy and/or a Social Worker will work with you and your family to provide emotional and/or spiritual support.
• Physical, Occupational, and Speech therapy can be provided as needed.
• Trained volunteers are available for companionship, reading, recreation, or help with household activities.

• Your Doctor
• Your Caregiver
• Nurses
• Licensed Nursing Assistants
• Social Worker
• Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapists
• Volunteers
• Bereavement Coordinator
• Hospice Medical Director

Services are paid for by Medicare and most private insurers. Hospice Medicare is a special benefit that covers services, medications, and home medical equipment. Our Hospice team will thoroughly explain payment options to you.

In Hospice we believe that the end of life can be very meaningful. We emphasize the quality of a person’s life by trying to meet all their needs - physical, emotional, social, and spiritual - as well as the needs of their loved ones. In Hospice we help a patient live fully until the end of life.

Yes. Receiving Hospice care is your choice. Later, if you choose to return to Hospice care, Medicare and most insurance companies will allow re-activation of the Hospice Benefit.

Yes. Community Health & Hospice offers six-week Bereavement Support Groups throughout the year. The group meets at Community Health and Hospice, 780 North Main Street, in Laconia. We also offer an Annual Memorial Service and special programs like “Coping with the Holidays.”

When someone we love dies, we expect to grieve. Sometimes the pain we feel is much worse than we had anticipated, or our friends and family seem to have gone on with their lives and we feel alone and lost. Sharing our memories and grief with others can be helpful to us, for as we begin sharing, we receive support and begin healing.

The purpose of the Support Group is to give participants the opportunity to discuss how they are coping with their sadness, learn about the grief process, and gain the support of others. Although grief is a unique experience, there is typically a common thread the group will share. For more information on the next group all Community Health & Hospice at 524-8444 and talk with the Hospice chaplain or the bereavement coordinator.

Volunteer: Hospice volunteers provide companionship and support to those who are dealing with the challenges of a life-limiting illness. The services provided by our volunteers may include running an errand or assisting a patient or family member with many other basic activities of daily life. Occasionally a caregiver may have to leave the house for a short period of time. When that happens, most of them like to know that their loved one is not alone while they are away. Volunteers are trained to listen to the patient and provide support to the family. These services are provided in the patient's own home, assisted living facility, or a nursing home.

Since not everyone is comfortable with patient care, we offer other rewarding volunteer opportunities. Volunteers play an integral role in behind-the-scenes-support of Community Health & Hospice in diversified and interesting areas. Each volunteer is given on-the-job training to provide them with tools that they need to be successful. For more information please visit the Volunteer section of our website.

Donate: Financial contributions from individuals and organizations make Hospice care available to those who might otherwise be unable to afford it. Please visit the Support CH&H section of our website or contact the CH&H Development Office at (603) 524-8444 if you have questions.

Questions?

Call Community Health & Hospice at 603-524-8444 or 1-800-244-8549 or contact us through this website.

“In Hospice we see the end of life not as a failure, but as a transition. We can help make it a treasured time for families.” Andréa R. Huertas, RN, Hospice Program Manager