Gentle Shepherd Blog
Our team at Gentle Shepherd Hospice wants you to have the practical information you need to make the most of every day. Check out these helpful articles and devotionals written by Kim Eckenroth our co-founder and VP of patient care.
Are generic drugs inferior?
If your relative is taking brand-name prescription drugs, a switch to generic could provide significant savings. Why are brand-name drugs so expensive? It takes a lot of money and time to develop a new drug. In particular, it must be tested to show it works and is...
In Our Own Words: Cows on a Hill
by Brian Whited, Chaplain, Gentle Shepherd Hospice The Mighty One, God, the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to where it sets. From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth...for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a...
In Our Words: Prayers during difficult times
In the midst of this crisis, most of the Gentle Shepherd staff is in the field or working remotely. In lieu of a marketing team meeting today, we received a touching email from Tracie McKenney, our executive director of strategic development and mission advancement. I...
Keep calm and stay in balance
This is a time of great uncertainty. It's natural to feel a wide range of emotions, including fear, anxiety, confusion, or loneliness. It is also a time to take extra care to address your feelings and keep them from paralyzing or overwhelming you. Get the facts. Our...
COVID-19: Recommended Steps to Prevent Illness
As COVID-19 spreads, experts indicate many people will not have or exhibit serious symptoms even if they contract the disease. However, there are two groups of people who are especially at risk, the elderly and those with chronic medical conditions. Older adults and...
SPECIAL ALERT Regarding our Response to COVID-19
Gentle Shepherd Hospice continues to closely monitor COVID-19 and following all Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines. Since early in 2020, our multi-disciplinary emergency preparedness response team has been coordinating all operations in accordance with...
Does Dad “saw logs” all night?
If your loved one snores, this may be a sign of "sleep apnea." All snoring jokes aside, sleep apnea is a serious condition that deprives the brain of oxygen. A person with sleep apnea goes without oxygen for at least 10 seconds, five to 30 (or more) times an hour. It...
Caring for a loved one with COVID-19?
What we know so far is that COVID-19 is spread much like the regular flu—through coughs and sneezes that put droplets in the air and on surfaces. It may be 2–14 days after exposure before a person has symptoms. That means people can spread the virus without knowing...
Dad can’t brush his teeth
Is dementia making oral care difficult? Unfortunately, this isn't a task to let go. Poor mouth care leads to cavities and gum disease, and then to toothaches, sore gums, and a disinterest in food. It can also contribute to a deadly infection, "aspiration pneumonia."...
The myth of self-reliance
As a society, we value independence. The self-sufficient super-achiever. When it comes to family caregiving, however, this mind-set can backfire, resulting in stress and burnout for you, not to mention greater risk for your relative. (Imagine if something happened to...
Early signs of heart failure
Too often, older adults assume that fatigue and trouble breathing are just a natural part of aging or being out of shape. They aren't. In fact, these can be early signs of heart failure. Heart failure means the heart is having difficulty pumping effectively. As a...
Caring for your marriage, also
With Valentine's Day on the horizon, it's a good time to consider strategies to prevent your partner from getting overlooked because of your caregiving. Caring for an aging relative definitely affects your ability to nurture your significant other. A poll at...