Hospice is a concept of care that can be rendered in a variety of settings and includes a wide array of services. Hospice is also unique in that care goes way beyond just medical treatment and encompasses the entire family. While hospice care is often the maximal approach to caring for terminally ill people, it is estimated that hospice services are underutilized and misunderstood.

We will address the issues surrounding loss and how it impacts families, how hospice works and some of the multicultural issues that impact the choices families make for end of life care. Upon completion of program, participants will be able to:

• · Define the hospice concept of care

• · List the components of hospice care

• · Recognize who qualifies for hospice care

• · Compare care for those who use hospice to those who don’t

As hospice is a multidisciplinary concept, our program will be presented by a multidisciplinary team.

GOODWIN HOSPICE will be addressing “Meeting You Where You Are” – having the discussion regarding end-of-life goals of care. 

Aaron Zajdel is a licensed clinical social worker and the Care Connections Manager at Goodwin Living.  Aaron completed his Master’s degree in social work with a concentration in social work with the elderly at Florida International University before beginning his career in the Washington, D.C. area.  After working in community mental health and homelessness prevention, Aaron joined Goodwin Living.  In his current role as Care Connections Manager, Aaron has created and implemented a social-work driven palliative care model that works with residents with chronic diagnoses in all levels of care as well as in local hospitals.  This social work team discusses, coordinates and medically documents resident-driven goals for medical care in the context of their personal diagnoses and health journeys.

Capital Caring, will talk about Clarifying The Myths of Hospice.

Chelsey Primdahl, RN is the Director of Hospice Admissions at Capital Caring Health. She graduated nursing school in 2009 following education at Virginia Commonwealth University and John Tyler Community College. Prior to hospice she worked in Operating Room, Emergency Department, and Cardiac ICU settings.  Within hospice she has held positions as an RN Case Manager, an After-Hours RN, and Director of Nursing. She earned her certification in Hospice and Palliative Care in 2017 and is also certified in Transcendental Meditation and Healing Touch; is a member of the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association, the American Holistic Nurses Association, the International End of Life Doula Association, and is currently working towards certification in Clinical Aromatherapy.

VITAS Healthcare will discuss When To Call Hospice: The Early Indications which Suggest the Need for Hospice Referral.

Rusty Burke serves as a marketing representative for Vitas Healthcare, focusing on assistant living and long term care communities. Rusty delivers education to staff teams at the communities, keeping them up to date on disease specific clinical criteria. He also develops programs for the residents of the communities, including Veterans’ Day celebrations and holiday sing-alongs. Prior to joining Vitas in 2009, Rusty served as a respiratory liaison at Respicare, a home respiratory company.