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.

Affordable funerals

Affordable funerals

We are all vulnerable to an upsell when we want to honor a deceased family member. Fortunately, the Federal Trade Commission offers some protection in the form of standards all funeral homes must follow. This enables you to make apples-to-apples comparisons. For...

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Physical therapy and pain relief

Physical therapy and pain relief

Pain is no fun, whether in a knee, a neck, or elsewhere in the body. There are drugs that dull pain. But they don't cure the problem. Plus, prescription drugs usually have side effects or are addictive. Physical therapy (PT) is a proven treatment that can relieve pain...

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What is hoarding?

What is hoarding?

Perhaps you wonder if your family member is a "hoarder." (You may even harbor secret fears about yourself!) We all have cherished possessions. From trophies to teacups. Spare buttons to cans of half-used paint. But hoarding is different. Most of us can determine when...

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Senior move managers

Senior move managers

Does your loved one need to downsize? Move? Does the prospect seem overwhelming? Perhaps not just physically, but emotionally too? Enter the senior move manager: Part mover, part interior decorator, part compassionate friend. These professionals take a holistic...

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Frontotemporal dementia (FTD)

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD)

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is an umbrella term for a cluster of conditions that makes up about 10 percent of dementia cases. It's the most common form when dementia occurs before age 65. What sets FTD apart is a sudden and dramatic change. Often in a person's...

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Caring as a stepfamily

Caring as a stepfamily

The majority of us feel obliged to help an ailing parent (77 percent, according to Pew Research Center). But if your parent is okay and your stepparent is ill, then what? Should you help with caregiving? (Pew data indicate 56 percent of us feel obliged.) What if your...

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Managing pain with music

Managing pain with music

Here's a prescription for pain relief: the sound of music. Pain is very real. It is also a perception. How strongly we feel pain at any given time depends a good deal on our thoughts and mood. Music has a profound influence on both. Indeed, research shows that using...

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When you feel more resentment than love

When you feel more resentment than love

If you are caring for a parent or parents who abused or neglected you in childhood, your situation is especially challenging. You may feel on an emotional tightrope, trying to keep your balance, with many conflicting feelings. For example, guilt, that you "should"...

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Low-vision bathroom

Low-vision bathroom

The bathroom is often the most challenging (and least safe) room in the house for someone who is visually impaired: Poor lighting, or lighting that's too bright. Lots of white-on-white furnishings and shiny fixtures. Hard-to-read settings on faucets. Tiny caps and...

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How is your relative’s “social health”?

How is your relative’s “social health”?

The U.S. Surgeon General reports we have a loneliness epidemic. Like smoking and obesity, social isolation creates a greater risk for poor health. It's been associated with a 48 percent increase in "premature death" (a death where a change in lifestyle could have...

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Adjusting to memory care

Adjusting to memory care

Once your loved one is in their new home, the two of you will have a lot of adjusting to do. Like any big change, it takes time to find a new internal balance, a "new normal." One to three months is about average. For you. Expect a range of emotions: Sadness, guilt,...

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When ice cream is better than salad

When ice cream is better than salad

Whether it's a bowl of soup or a bag of groceries, providing food is how we show our love. And when a relative has a serious illness, it's natural to want them to eat a healthy diet. Many chronic conditions respond well to specialized diets. Diabetes and heart...

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