Hospice Explained

Marie Betcher RN
  • 5.0 (57)
  • How To
  • Updated Biweekly

This is a podcast to Explain what is hospice. The goal of this show is to decrease fear and increase education for patients and their families during the end of life season. The show will also share some experiences and stories to help the listener understand what does Hospice mean, and how a person can help care for their loved one.

  1. 3d ago

    188 The Intersection of Hospice and Palliative Care: A Conversation with Dr. Jill Schwartz-Chevlin, MD, MBA, FACP

    188 The Intersection of Hospice and Palliative Care: A Conversation with Dr. Jill Schwartz-Chevlin,  MD, MBA, FACP Host Marie Betcher, RN and former hospice nurse, interviews Dr. Jill  Schwartz-Chevlin, an internist and palliative physician with experience in home-based primary care, hospice leadership, and value-based care. Dr. Jill explains value-based medicine as aligning incentives with patient outcomes, especially for people with complex chronic illness, by anticipating needs, supporting symptom recognition, and preventing crisis-driven ER and hospital use that can lead to debility and loss of independence. She describes Vynca's home-based, tech-enabled, interdisciplinary palliative care model across California, Oregon, Washington, Utah, and Idaho, plus enhanced care management and a digital advance care planning platform used in 28 states. She discusses reimbursement challenges, noting Medicaid palliative care programs in California, Hawaii, and New Jersey and Medicare Advantage as current pathways, and explains transferring eligible patients to hospice when available while providing virtual hospice-like support in areas without access. Dr. Jill outlines practical ways to normalize advance care planning conversations and encourages patients and families to advocate for palliative services and proactive planning. 00:00 Welcome and Disclaimer 00:29 Meet Host and Guest 02:13 Dr Jill's Background 05:40 Value Based Care Explained 11:01 Patient Empowerment and Team Care 13:51 Vynca Locations and Services 15:07 Proactive Home Based Model 20:16 Access and Reimbursement Challenges 23:32 Hospice Transition and Rural Gaps 25:11 Advance Care Planning Tips 30:37 Final Takeaways and Closing    https://www.vyncacare.com/   If you want to help, you can donate to help support Hospice Explained at the Buy me a Coffee link   https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Hospice  Hospice Explained Affiliates & Contact Information Buying from these Affilite links will help support this Podcast.  Maire introduces a partnership with Suzanne Mayer RN inventor of the  cloud9caresystem.com,  When patients remain in the same position for extended periods, they are at high risk of developing pressure injuries, commonly known as bedsores. One of the biggest challenges caregivers face is the tendency for pillows and repositioning inserts to easily dislodge during care.(Suzanne is a former guest on Episode #119) When you order with Cloud 9 care system, please tell them you heard about them from Hospice Explained.(Thank You) Marie's Contact Marie@HospiceExplained.com www.HospiceExplained.com   Finding a Hospice Agency 1. You can use Medicare.gov to help find a hospice agency, 2. choose Find provider 3. Choose Hospice 4. then add your zip code This should be a list of Hospice Agencies local to you or your loved one.

    33 min

  2. May 24

    187 Surviving with Laughter: Angela Nissel Talks Hospice and Healing

    187 Surviving with Laughter: Angela Nissel Talks Hospice and Healing Host Marie Betcher, a former hospice nurse, interviews writer and memoirist Angela Nissel about her book "Good Grief: Pass the Bread, Mom is Dead" and her mother's end-of-life journey. Angela describes a complicated, achievement-focused relationship with her RN mother, who hid advanced breast cancer and feared judgment for "giving up." Angela brought her to Los Angeles, expecting more treatment, but a doctor recommended hospice; her mother felt relief and was on hospice about six weeks. Angela shares what caregiving taught her, including learning to "just be her daughter," navigating pain medication fears, misconceptions that hospice hastens death, a brief end-of-life rally, and the value of dignity, trust-building, and services like 24/7 care and music therapy. She says hospice became their best, most connected time together and writing later helped her talk about death and grief. 00:00 Welcome and Disclaimer 00:35 Meet Angela Nissel 03:08 A Complicated Mother Daughter Bond 04:54 Caregiving Lessons in Hospice 07:53 Cancer Progression and Hospice Decision 10:26 Nurse Identity and Letting Go 11:55 Her Nursing Career and NICU Work 14:33 Grief Writing and Dark Humor 16:21 Siblings and Hiding Illness 19:24 Changing the Fight Cancer Narrative 22:12 Comfort Meds and Hospice Myths 25:21 Terminal Rally and 24 7 Care 29:44 Inside the Book and Hospice Journals 32:09 Final Reflections and Goodbye     If you want to help, you can donate to help support Hospice Explained at the Buy me a Coffee link   https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Hospice  Hospice Explained Affiliates & Contact Information Buying from these Affilite links will help support this Podcast.  Maire introduces a partnership with Suzanne Mayer RN inventor of the  cloud9caresystem.com,  When patients remain in the same position for extended periods, they are at high risk of developing pressure injuries, commonly known as bedsores. One of the biggest challenges caregivers face is the tendency for pillows and repositioning inserts to easily dislodge during care.(Suzanne is a former guest on Episode #119) When you order with Cloud 9 care system, please tell them you heard about them from Hospice Explained.(Thank You) Marie's Contact Marie@HospiceExplained.com www.HospiceExplained.com   Finding a Hospice Agency 1. You can use Medicare.gov to help find a hospice agency, 2. choose Find provider 3. Choose Hospice 4. then add your zip code This should be a list of Hospice Agencies local to you or your loved one.

    34 min

  3. May 10

    186 Staying Independent: Innovations in Home Medical Equipment

    186 Staying Independent: Innovations in Home Medical Equipment Host Marie Betcher RN introduces Hospice Explained and interviews Erica Sell, founder and CEO of Harmony Home Medical in San Diego, about aging in place and home accessibility. Sell explains her high-touch, education-focused approach to home medical equipment and modifications, noting bathrooms as the top fall-risk area and commonly not covered by insurance, with home entry/egress as the next major barrier. She highlights lower-cost safety steps like grab bars, handrails, removing loose rugs, improving lighting, and motion-sensor night lights, and discusses equipment options including shower transfer systems, sit-to-stand lifts versus Hoyer lifts, ceiling and floor lifts, lift-chair recliners with pressure-relief features, and high-low adjustable beds to reduce caregiver strain. She also describes lateral-rotation mattresses that can reduce nighttime caregiving needs and newer mobility advances such as lightweight lithium-ion power chairs and a LIDAR autonomous-driving power chair. 00:00 Welcome and Disclaimer 00:42 Meet Erica Sell 02:36 Bathroom Safety Upgrades 04:18 Home Entry and Steps 06:46 Low Cost Aging Tips 08:13 Transfer Equipment and Lifts 14:51 Filling Hospice Coverage Gaps 18:28 Lift Chairs and Pressure Relief 22:31 Rotation Mattresses Save Care Costs 26:05 New Mobility Tech Breakthroughs 30:10 Final Advice and Contact Info 31:54 Closing and Subscribe https://harmonyhomemedical.com https://www.youtube.com/user/harmonyhomemedical   If you want to help, you can donate to help support Hospice Explained at the Buy me a Coffee link   https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Hospice  Hospice Explained Affiliates & Contact Information Buying from these Affilite links will help support this Podcast.  Maire introduces a partnership with Suzanne Mayer RN inventor of the  cloud9caresystem.com,  When patients remain in the same position for extended periods, they are at high risk of developing pressure injuries, commonly known as bedsores. One of the biggest challenges caregivers face is the tendency for pillows and repositioning inserts to easily dislodge during care.(Suzanne is a former guest on Episode #119) When you order with Cloud 9 care system, please tell them you heard about them from Hospice Explained.(Thank You) Marie's Contact Marie@HospiceExplained.com www.HospiceExplained.com   Finding a Hospice Agency 1. You can use Medicare.gov to help find a hospice agency, 2. choose Find provider 3. Choose Hospice 4. then add your zip code This should be a list of Hospice Agencies local to you or your loved one.

    32 min

  4. Apr 26

    185 From Suffering to Peace: A Personal Hospice Story

    185 From Suffering to Peace: A Personal Hospice Story Host Marie Betcher, a registered nurse and former hospice nurse, shares her father-in-law's hospice experience to illustrate that end-of-life care is not always smooth. As his cancer progressed, he experienced severe, escalating pain at home, compounded by a medication supply breakdown and the family's stress, including her mother-in-law's vascular dementia. Marie called hospice and then 911, but multiple responders were unable to transport him due to regulations, creating delays until paramedics provided pain medication and a transport team arrived. A wrong route extended the ambulance ride, and the hospital had not been notified by hospice. In the ER, IV medications and palliative sedation finally brought comfort; he slept peacefully for several hours and died without suffering. Marie reflects on learning from imperfect hospice stories and announces a shift to less frequent episodes for work-life balance. 00:00 Podcast Disclaimer 00:29 Meet Your Host 00:43 Father-in-Law Hospice Setup 02:12 Pain Crisis at Home 03:36 Calling Hospice and 911 07:00 Transport Roadblocks 10:11 Ambulance Ride Gone Wrong 11:06 ER Arrival and Palliative Sedation 13:38 Peaceful Passing 14:38 Lessons and Imperfect Stories 16:44 Listener Invitation and Wrap-Up   If you want to help, you can donate to help support Hospice Explained at the Buy me a Coffee link   https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Hospice  Hospice Explained Affiliates & Contact Information Buying from these Affilite links will help support this Podcast.  Maire introduces a partnership with Suzanne Mayer RN inventor of the  cloud9caresystem.com,  When patients remain in the same position for extended periods, they are at high risk of developing pressure injuries, commonly known as bedsores. One of the biggest challenges caregivers face is the tendency for pillows and repositioning inserts to easily dislodge during care.(Suzanne is a former guest on Episode #119) When you order with Cloud 9 care system, please tell them you heard about them from Hospice Explained.(Thank You) Marie's Contact Marie@HospiceExplained.com www.HospiceExplained.com   Finding a Hospice Agency 1. You can use Medicare.gov to help find a hospice agency, 2. choose Find provider 3. Choose Hospice 4. then add your zip code This should be a list of Hospice Agencies local to you or your loved one.

    18 min

  5. Apr 19

    184 Hospice Explained: Lisa Snyder on Legal Psilocybin Facilitation, Grief Support, and Designing End-of-Life Conversations

    184 Hospice Explained: Lisa Snyder on Legal Psilocybin Facilitation, Grief Support, and Designing End-of-Life Conversations Host Marie Betcher, a registered nurse and former hospice nurse, interviews Lisa Snyder, a state-licensed psilocybin facilitator in Oregon and member of the Portland Grief House Death Collective. Lisa shares how losing both parents to cancer led her to found the Losing Your Parents online community and to support others through grief, trauma, and life transitions. She explains why guided psilocybin "journeys" emphasize preparation, trust, and "set and setting," and discusses potential benefits for PTSD, depression, anxiety, and end-of-life anxiety, while noting legal-model limitations and timing considerations for terminally ill clients. Lisa describes death doula training, the importance of normalizing truthful end-of-life planning conversations, and balancing a dying person's wishes with survivors' needs. She outlines Oregon's medical screening process and key contraindications, and provides her website and email for inquiries. 00:00 Welcome and Disclaimer 00:29 Meet Host and Guest 02:36 Lisa's Story and Work 03:36 Who Psilocybin Helps 04:14 Journey vs Trip and Facilitation 05:28 Set and Setting Explained 07:02 Psilocybin at End of Life 09:58 Designing Your Death 14:51 Lisa's Parents and Hospice Memories 17:30 Why Death Doula Training 21:34 Cannabis and Other Supports 23:18 Siblings and Shared Grief 25:49 Starting the Death Conversation 27:37 Advocacy and Family Dynamics 29:49 Funerals Are for the Living 33:09 How to Reach Lisa 33:57 Medical Screening and Safety 37:02 Death With Dignity and Closing lisa@liberadiate.com https://liberadiate.com/   If you want to help, you can donate to help support Hospice Explained at the Buy me a Coffee link   https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Hospice  Hospice Explained Affiliates & Contact Information Buying from these Affilite links will help support this Podcast.  Maire introduces a partnership with Suzanne Mayer RN inventor of the  cloud9caresystem.com,  When patients remain in the same position for extended periods, they are at high risk of developing pressure injuries, commonly known as bedsores. One of the biggest challenges caregivers face is the tendency for pillows and repositioning inserts to easily dislodge during care.(Suzanne is a former guest on Episode #119) When you order with Cloud 9 care system, please tell them you heard about them from Hospice Explained.(Thank You) Marie's Contact Marie@HospiceExplained.com www.HospiceExplained.com   Finding a Hospice Agency 1. You can use Medicare.gov to help find a hospice agency, 2. choose Find provider 3. Choose Hospice 4. then add your zip code This should be a list of Hospice Agencies local to you or your loved one.

    39 min

  6. Apr 12

    183 Creating Digital Legacies with Reflekta AI (with Grief Specialist Dawn DeLaloye)

    183 Creating Digital Legacies with Reflekta AI (with Grief Specialist Dawn DeLaloye) Hospice Explained host and former hospice nurse Marie Betcher interviews grief specialist Dawn DeLaloye about Reflekta AI, an intergenerational storytelling platform that helps people create a "reflection" of themselves or loved ones—living or deceased—by adding photos, voice recordings, and memories guided by an AI biographer. Dawn explains it takes about 20 minutes to start, has launched seven months ago, and already includes about 15,000 stories; listeners can try it by talking with sample elders Virginia and Arthur. She describes how reflections can preserve details beyond photo captions, support hospice and terminally ill patients by affirming they are more than a diagnosis, and may be healing for grief, sharing her experience creating a reflection of her father who had Lewy body dementia. Dawn outlines sharing and subscription access, and how voice can be preserved using recordings or a close relative's voice. 00:00 Podcast Disclaimer 00:29 Meet Your Host 00:42 Introducing Dawn DeLaloye 02:02 What Is Reflekta AI 03:42 Early Traction 04:04 Try Talking to Elders 05:23 Why It Was Founded 07:05 Legacy for Hospice 07:34 Creating After Death 10:21 Setup Time and Prompts 11:50 Healing Through Story 13:53 Everyone Has a Story 16:13 Sharing and Subscription 18:07 Meaning at End of Life 22:11 Preserving a Loved Voice 24:49 Final Thoughts and Wrap https://reflekta.ai/   If you want to help, you can donate to help support Hospice Explained at the Buy me a Coffee link   https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Hospice  Hospice Explained Affiliates & Contact Information Buying from these Affilite links will help support this Podcast.  Maire introduces a partnership with Suzanne Mayer RN inventor of the  cloud9caresystem.com,  When patients remain in the same position for extended periods, they are at high risk of developing pressure injuries, commonly known as bedsores. One of the biggest challenges caregivers face is the tendency for pillows and repositioning inserts to easily dislodge during care.(Suzanne is a former guest on Episode #119) When you order with Cloud 9 care system, please tell them you heard about them from Hospice Explained.(Thank You) Marie's Contact Marie@HospiceExplained.com www.HospiceExplained.com   Finding a Hospice Agency 1. You can use Medicare.gov to help find a hospice agency, 2. choose Find provider 3. Choose Hospice 4. then add your zip code This should be a list of Hospice Agencies local to you or your loved one.

    26 min

  7. Apr 5

    182 The Timely Presence: Year-Long Grief Support and Showing Up After Loss

    182 The Timely Presence: Year-Long Grief Support and Showing Up After Loss Host Marie Betcher, a registered nurse and former hospice nurse, interviews Kelly Edmondson, RN, a bereaved mother and certified grief counselor who founded The Timely Presence, a year-long grief support service. Kelly shares formative experiences with death in trauma ICU, including an 18-year-old dying on Christmas as his family arrived, and later the death of her son Darius in 2023, which led her to focus on supporting people through milestone days. She explains how The Timely Presence provides one-time-purchase collections tailored to relationships (parent/child, spouses/partners, infant pregnancy loss, and other close relationships), delivering 3–6 heirloom-quality personalized gifts over a year, ending on the loss anniversary, with reminders to the gift giver. Kelly discusses practical gift examples, expanding interest in pet loss, and guidance for supporting grieving people: say the loved one's name, listen without trying to fix grief, avoid comparisons, and recognize grief has no timeline. 00:00 Welcome and Disclaimer 00:44 Meet Kelly Edmondson RN 02:15 Christmas ICU Turning Point 05:18 The Call That Changed Everything 07:27 Mother's Day and Finding Purpose 10:37 Building The Timely Presence 15:07 How the Service Works 17:28 What's Inside the Gifts 21:08 Grief Counseling and Pet Loss 23:58 Say Their Name and Remember 30:29 What to Say to Grievers 34:14 Where to Find Timely Presence 35:52 Closing Thanks and Subscribe https://thetimelypresence.com/shop/   If you want to help, you can donate to help support Hospice Explained at the Buy me a Coffee link   https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Hospice  Hospice Explained Affiliates & Contact Information Buying from these Affilite links will help support this Podcast.  Maire introduces a partnership with Suzanne Mayer RN inventor of the  cloud9caresystem.com,  When patients remain in the same position for extended periods, they are at high risk of developing pressure injuries, commonly known as bedsores. One of the biggest challenges caregivers face is the tendency for pillows and repositioning inserts to easily dislodge during care.(Suzanne is a former guest on Episode #119) When you order with Cloud 9 care system, please tell them you heard about them from Hospice Explained.(Thank You) Marie's Contact Marie@HospiceExplained.com www.HospiceExplained.com   Finding a Hospice Agency 1. You can use Medicare.gov to help find a hospice agency, 2. choose Find provider 3. Choose Hospice 4. then add your zip code This should be a list of Hospice Agencies local to you or your loved one.

    36 min
  8. 181 Feeling Supported and Prepared for Death on Hospice

    Mar 30

    181 Feeling Supported and Prepared for Death on Hospice

    181 Feeling Supported and Prepared for Death on Hospice In episode 181 of Hospice Explained, host Marie Betcher, a registered nurse and former hospice nurse, shares a listener story about a new nurse who felt unsupported and unprepared for his mother's death on hospice and still carries a negative memory 16 years later. Marie reflects on the need for hospice staff to assess families' education and experience levels, ask leading questions, clearly explain what to expect, and ensure people know who to call and feel safe doing so. She also shares her own experience with her oldest brother's death, realizing she stayed in "nurse role" to support others and didn't emotionally prepare herself to grieve. She invites listeners to be a guest and share positive or negative hospice stories so others can learn and do better in the future.  00:00 Welcome and Disclaimer 00:29 Episode Intro and Purpose 00:47 Listener Story Feeling Unsupported 01:48 Hospice Staff Must Assess Needs 02:24 Personal Story Brother's Death 03:48 Check In and Teach Caregivers 04:52 Share Your Story and Closing IF You want to share your story please email me: Marie@HospiceExplained.com   If you want to help, you can donate to help support Hospice Explained at the Buy me a Coffee link   https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Hospice  Hospice Explained Affiliates & Contact Information Buying from these Affilite links will help support this Podcast.  Maire introduces a partnership with Suzanne Mayer RN inventor of the  cloud9caresystem.com,  When patients remain in the same position for extended periods, they are at high risk of developing pressure injuries, commonly known as bedsores. One of the biggest challenges caregivers face is the tendency for pillows and repositioning inserts to easily dislodge during care.(Suzanne is a former guest on Episode #119) When you order with Cloud 9 care system, please tell them you heard about them from Hospice Explained.(Thank You) Marie's Contact Marie@HospiceExplained.com www.HospiceExplained.com   Finding a Hospice Agency 1. You can use Medicare.gov to help find a hospice agency, 2. choose Find provider 3. Choose Hospice 4. then add your zip code This should be a list of Hospice Agencies local to you or your loved one.

    6 min
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About

This is a podcast to Explain what is hospice. The goal of this show is to decrease fear and increase education for patients and their families during the end of life season. The show will also share some experiences and stories to help the listener understand what does Hospice mean, and how a person can help care for their loved one.

Information

  • Creator
    Marie Betcher RN
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    189
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © @hospiceexplained
  • Show Website
    Hospice Explained

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