Living Well: The Oasis Podcast

Oasis Hospice & Palliative Care
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Welcome to The Well. This is a show about hospice and end-of-life planning, hosted by Oasis Hospice & Palliative Care, an independently owned and operated agency serving Chicago with quality end of life care. In our 14 years of business, we've found that far too many families wait longer than they should due to misunderstanding of what hospice care really is. Others may even decline support because of fear or a common misconception. We're here to help change that, by sitting with the people who do the work - chaplains, nurses, social workers, administrators; and the families who've lived it. Conversations about dignity in death, and finding comfort in communion. We hope to dispel common misconceptions, share stories of hope, and provide practical guidance for families and professionals alike who find themselves navigating the tough roads of serious illness and loss; helping shed light on the true impact of hospice and palliative care in the Midwest, across America, and around the world. At our core we believe that hospice is not about death, it's about life. Expert delivered, heart driven, dignified whole-person care. Listen in to hear what quality hospice care actually looks like.

Episodes

  1. Jul 1

    The Healing Power of Presence (and Pet Therapy!)

    Reverend Carlene Appel has been working in hospice for over 20 years as a chaplain and pet therapist, and with that experience, comes perspective. In our conversation today on Living Well, "Rev" as we often call her shares her view of how hospice care supports the body, mind, spirit, and soul. She reflects on the meaning of chaplaincy, clears up common myths around spiritual care, and explains why presence and compassion matter so deeply at end-of-life. The episode also highlights the unique role pet therapy can play in a holistic care plan, and features the lovely pup herself in miniature spurts. (If you hear a doggo politely breathing or getting a few ear scratches in the background, please do not be alarmed.) Welcome to Living Well: The Oasis Podcast. ---- ABOUT OASIS HOSPICE: Oasis Hospice & Palliative Care is a CHAP-accredited, faith-based hospice serving the Chicago Southland. House of Goshen, our 14-bed inpatient facility in Flossmoor, Illinois, provides a place of peace, dignity, and refuge for patients and families. 📞 Contact: (773) 941-4838 🌐 Website: OasisHospice.us | HouseofGoshen.org Subscribe for monthly conversations with healthcare leaders, families, and the voices reshaping how we care for one another in life's most sacred moments. Also check us out on YouTube, and sub there for more: https://www.youtube.com/@oasishospiceandpalliative Or for the full episode with Reverend Carlene: https://youtu.be/K1dvwL7Ajvs

    24 min
  2. The Heart of Hospice & Psychosocial Care

    Jun 22

    The Heart of Hospice & Psychosocial Care

    "Hospice care is truly my first love." In this episode, we sit down with Nadira Muhammad, Director of Psychosocial at Oasis Hospice & Palliative Care, to explore the invisible work that transforms hospice care—emotional support, family dynamics, grief, and the relational side of end-of-life care. Too many families think hospice is only about pain management. But what happens when you address the emotional, spiritual, and relational needs alongside medical care? Nadira walks families through anticipatory grief, navigates difficult family conversations, coordinates care across our interdisciplinary team, and helps stabilize entire families during their most vulnerable moments. This is the first episode in our three-part series on psychosocial care. In this conversation: What psychosocial support actually is (and why families often resist it)How emotional distress impacts physical comfortNavigating family conflict and difficult conversations at end of lifeCultural competency and meeting families where they areAnticipatory grief and the emotional work of dyingBereavement support before and after deathWhy this work is ministry, not just medicine About Oasis Hospice & Palliative Care: CHAP-accredited, faith-based hospice serving the Chicago Southland. House of Goshen is our 14-bed inpatient sanctuary in Flossmoor, Illinois. 📞 (773) 941-4838 🌐 OasisHospice.us | HouseofGoshen.org Subscribe for weekly conversations about whole-person care and what it means to live well. #HospiceCare #PsychosocialCare #EndOfLifeCare #Caregiver #FamilySupport #Grief

    13 min

  3. Jun 19

    Navigating the New Realities of Hospice [AI Podcast]

    "Hospice isn't a place you go to die; it's a way to ensure the final chapter of life is written with dignity, peace, and presence." In this episode of Living Well: The Oasis Podcast, we tackle one of the most misunderstood statistics in healthcare: why the median hospice stay in the U.S. is just 24 days. We dive into the systemic and emotional barriers that often prevent families from accessing the "gift" of hospice until the very end. Drawing from the latest FY 2026 CMS regulations, we explore how late referrals impact patient care and why earlier access is the key to truly holistic support. In this conversation, we discuss: The 24-Day Reality: Breaking down the median length of stay and what it reveals about our healthcare system.The "Too Late" Burden: Why fear and misconceptions keep families from calling hospice until a crisis hits.Workforce & Regulation: How the FY 2026 Final Rule and staffing shortages are shaping the future of end-of-life care.Reframing Hope: Shifting the narrative from "giving up" to "living intentionally" with 24/7 skilled support.The Oasis Difference: How our House of Goshen IPU provides a sanctuary for those needing immediate, high-acuity care.Advice for Families: Why the best time to talk about hospice is before you think you need it. ABOUT OASIS HOSPICE: Oasis Hospice & Palliative Care is a CHAP-accredited, faith-based hospice serving the Chicago Southland. House of Goshen, our 14-bed inpatient facility in Flossmoor, Illinois, provides a place of peace, dignity, and refuge for patients and families. 📞 Contact: (773) 941-4838 🌐 Website: OasisHospice.us | HouseofGoshen.org Subscribe for monthly conversations with healthcare leaders, families, and the voices reshaping how we care for one another in life's most sacred moments. TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Introduction: The 24-Day Statistic 2:15 - Understanding the FY 2026 Final Rule 5:45 - Why Late Referrals Happen 9:10 - The Clinical Impact of Short Stays 12:30 - How Oasis Bridges the Gap 15:00 - Closing: Quality Over Quantity Disclosure: This episode of Living Well was produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence using Google's NotebookLM. The content is derived from verified Oasis Hospice & Palliative Care clinical resources and has been reviewed by our team to ensure it meets our standards of educational authority and excellence

    18 min

  4. Jun 18

    A Hospice Nurse's Favorite Part of the Job

    Meet Chineze (Nezzie). She started with us at Oasis Hospice late last year, and a few weeks ago celebrated her first Nurses Week with us Hospice. Nezzie is a star on our clinical team, and in this short conversation, she talks about what drew her to the work of hospice nurse — and why, after just a short time, she's found something she didn't expect: the joy of connecting with people from all walks of life. If you're a nurse considering hospice care, or just curious about what the work actually looks like; start here. YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82zMeAuQ2jg ------- Also, we're hiring... Admissions RN, IPU Nurse, and On-Call RN positions available. Learn more: www.oasishospice.us/careers Call: (773) 941-4838 or email info@oasishospice.us #HospiceNursing #NursesWeek #OasisHospice #Nursing #EndOfLifeCare #ChicagoSouthland

    1 min
  5. "The Health Scare that Led Me to Hospice"

    Jun 17

    "The Health Scare that Led Me to Hospice"

    [MINI PODCAST EPISODE #1] Rob McManamy didn't expect to end up here at Oasis. After a health scare of his own in April of 2025, he started looking at end-of-life care differently — and now, a year later and fully recovered, he's one of Oasis Hospice's most committed volunteers, showing up for holiday drives, family events, patient visits, and most recently even helped announce names our quarterly memorial service. In this short conversation, Rob talks about what pulled him toward hospice work, the hesitation his family had when he told them, and why the work has given him a kind of purpose and joy he didn't know he was missing. If you've ever wondered what hospice volunteering actually looks like, or whether it's something you could do — start here: oasishospice.us/volunteer ------- Video of this conversation can be found on our YouTube page: https://youtu.be/JhBughjvil8?si=vyHFLuDsiSjjesaS  (please also subscribe!) #HospiceVolunteer #OasisHospice #ChicagoSouthland

    3 min
  6. Hospice as a Calling, Not a Career

    Jun 16

    Hospice as a Calling, Not a Career

    "Hospice is not about dying, it's about living. It's how you live the days you have left." In Episode 2 of The Oasis Podcast, we sit down with Sade Bello, Co-Founder and COO, to explore what it means to answer a calling—not just pursue a career. Sade shares her journey from working in hospice administration to co-founding a faith-based ministry that now serves families across the Chicago Southland. From a modest four-bedroom vision to a 14-bedroom state-of-the-art inpatient facility in Flossmoor, Illinois, this is a story of faith, perseverance, and the conviction that hospice care should be about dignity, compassion, and living with intention. In this conversation, we discuss: How hospice "called" Sade and transformed from a job into a ministryThe moment she knew this work was bigger than herselfWhat it takes to build a team rooted in compassion, not just clinical skillHow Oasis separates itself from unethical practices in a competitive industryThe truth about hospice care—and why it's not about dying, but about livingHer advice to families considering hospice: "It's a gift, even though it doesn't feel like it" ABOUT OASIS HOSPICE: Oasis Hospice & Palliative Care is a CHAP-accredited, faith-based hospice serving the Chicago Southland. House of Goshen, our 14-bed inpatient facility in Flossmoor, Illinois, provides a place of peace, dignity, and refuge for patients and families. 📞 Contact: (773) 941-4838 🌐 Website: OasisHospice.us | HouseofGoshen.org Subscribe for monthly conversations with healthcare leaders, families, and the voices reshaping how we care for one another in life's most sacred moments. Check out the episode on YouTube and follow there for more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ims-dN6wl0&t=84s TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Introduction 0:40 - How Hospice Called Sade 3:00 - The Moment It Became Ministry 6:30 - From Four Bedrooms to Fourteen 8:30 - "God Qualifies the Called" 11:00 - Sade's Reaction to the Flossmoor Dream 13:00 - What Ministry Means in Practice 15:00 - Hiring for Heart: Building the Team 17:00 - Sustaining Compassion in Heavy Work 19:30 - What She's Most Proud Of 20:30 - Advice to Her Younger Self 21:15 - The Truth About Hospice Care 23:00 - Closing

    21 min

  7. Jun 15

    Why We Built a Hospice in Chicago

    In the first episode of our podcast, CEO Hakeem Bello shares the founding story behind Oasis Hospice & Palliative Care and House of Goshen. Together with his wife Sade Bello, they've built and now sustain a faith-focused operation serving the Chicago Southland. Hakeem discusses what inspired him to enter hospice care, the vision behind Oasis, and what “compassionate excellence” means in practice. We also explore some common misconceptions around hospice care, the importance of dignity and comfort at the end of life, and our commitment to serving families with heart, purpose, and professionalism. Whether you are a caregiver, healthcare professional, family member, or someone seeking to better understand hospice care, this conversation offers insight into the philosophy and mission driving our work. Subscribe for more conversations with nurses, chaplains, social workers, volunteers, families, and leaders shaping the future of end-of-life care. Or visit oasishospice.us to learn more. Call us today if you or someone you know needs support. There's Life in Hospice | 708 941 4838

    23 min
  • 7 Episodes

About

Welcome to The Well. This is a show about hospice and end-of-life planning, hosted by Oasis Hospice & Palliative Care, an independently owned and operated agency serving Chicago with quality end of life care. In our 14 years of business, we've found that far too many families wait longer than they should due to misunderstanding of what hospice care really is. Others may even decline support because of fear or a common misconception. We're here to help change that, by sitting with the people who do the work - chaplains, nurses, social workers, administrators; and the families who've lived it. Conversations about dignity in death, and finding comfort in communion. We hope to dispel common misconceptions, share stories of hope, and provide practical guidance for families and professionals alike who find themselves navigating the tough roads of serious illness and loss; helping shed light on the true impact of hospice and palliative care in the Midwest, across America, and around the world. At our core we believe that hospice is not about death, it's about life. Expert delivered, heart driven, dignified whole-person care. Listen in to hear what quality hospice care actually looks like.

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