The California Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (CHAPCA) provides essential tools, resources and education to professionals and families throughout our community. Through these efforts, they help us all to better understand and share the value and benefits of professional hospice care and palliative care services in Orange County and across California.

CHAPCA Virtual Conference

Recently, CHAPCA held their annual conference and exhibition, this year choosing a virtual format for safety reasons in light of COVID-19. At the event, CHAPCA recognized their 2020 award nominees and winners. Among the winners was Salus Hospice in Orange County volunteer Nancy Johnson, CHAPCA’s Gift of the Heart recipient.

Nancy Johnson has been a hospice volunteer in Orange County since summer, 2010. She was drawn to hospice after her husband died of brain cancer soon before. At the end of his life, they both experienced the benefits of hospice care. It was such a blessing to their life, so she decided to be a blessing to others in their time of need.

Nancy is the owner of Shear Attitude Hair Salon on Lido Isle, Newport Beach. She is not only a business owner, but she has the heart of hospice and readily shares it with hospice patients and families at a moment’s notice. Nancy believes that the tender loving care she provides empowers patients and families, helping to change how they feel. She has also been known to notice an exhausted family member and say, “how about you, you’ll be next . . . let’s do your hair too!”

Nancy Johnson makes people look and feel good. With an eye for detail and a deep understanding of the value of confidence in your own appearance, she spends her time not with the young, but with the young at heart. Her days are spent carefully trimming locks of hair or applying a subtle shade of blush to translucent skin that is still soft to the touch. Her goal is to make people feel attractive, even in the end stage of life.

Her volunteer role with Salus Hospice in Orange County allows her to do just that. Nancy has married her love for cutting hair with volunteering with hospice. She never fails to answer the call when a patient asks for a haircut or makeover.

“This is not about me, it’s about them,” Nancy says. “I don’t regret a day of it because I do what I love.”

“Nancy is so obviously passionate about what she does and passionate about life. She has a knack for helping to make people feel good in the moment even while in hospice care,” states Debbie Robson, Vice President of Salus Home Health and Hospice. “As a volunteer she is simply irreplaceable. We value her contributions.”

Nancy says she wouldn’t trade her experiences and has never regretted one day volunteering with Salus Hospice. She exemplifies her caring service by faithfully sharing her “Gift of the Heart” with hospice care patients. Nancy is constantly trying to use her heart and skills to bring happiness to people in the midst of tough times.

Today, Nancy Johnson, is a regular volunteer supporting our Orange County hospice care patients and families. There are no words to explain what an asset she is to our patients, our hospice team and our community.