Grandma’s well-worn and much loved nightgown, a reminder of special hugs given to beloved granddaughters as they cuddled safely in her lap. What a blessing it is for these children to close their eyes, squeeze a soft bear, and forever feel close to these moments.  That’s the blessing that a memory bear provides.  The simple Read More

After a patient is diagnosed with a terminal illness, family conversations often shift to considerations about all that comes next. There are questions about finances, options for treatments, hospice care, end of life planning. Many families also discuss where the individual will spend their final months and days, given the level of care and support Read More

Partnerships with professionals are central to improving lives and ensuring that seniors remain safe and healthy at home. In Orange County, Salus Homecare is fortunate to have partnered with many professionals who are experts in finances, long term care, advocacy and case management, hospital discharge, and mental or physical health. Today, we would like to Read More

According to a recent online news article, an organization studying the strategic plan for Orange County, CA has found that the aging population here is increasing. Seal Beach, Laguna Woods and Villa Park are now amount the cities with the oldest population in our country. Roughly 14% of the population is over the age of Read More

The choice you make in a hospice provider will have a significant impact on quality of life when you’re faced with a life-limiting illness. There are Medicare guidelines for hospice care that help to protect you as you’re making this decision. However, when it comes to the care you or a family member will receive, Read More

At this time of year especially, when others are planning resolutions that include losing weight or getting a new job, the information provided by a hospice patient can be quite valuable. There are lessons to be learned from conversations with people who recognize that their time on Earth may be short. As hospice nurses, we Read More

When a beloved family member or friend is terminally ill, one of the best gifts you can give them is your time. As they walk through this stage in life, knowing that you’re there to support them and create cherished memories is meaningful, and it’s certainly one of the best ways you can show them Read More

When a loved one is diagnosed with a terminal illness, it is normal to have questions about what comes next. While some families initially feel hopeless and believe no options are left, this is not the case. Hospice care is a viable alternative to nursing home placement, extended hospitalizations or difficult and unsuccessful curative approaches. Read More

Journaling is an exceptional tool for self-discovery. It is something that anyone can do, at any point in their life. The process only requires that a person grab a notebook and a pen and write down their thoughts. No specific grammatical or spelling skills are necessary. The only person who has to see a journal Read More

Seniors with Alzheimer’s often require support. This is true even in the earliest stages of the disease. As the disease progresses, their needs typically increase. Eventually, total care is necessary. While there is no cure for this disease, the right level of support assists these individuals in enjoying their highest quality of life well into Read More

Death is inevitable. We will all face it at some point in the future. Despite this fact, it is not a subject that most people feel comfortable talking about. Perhaps this is because it is difficult to permanently say goodbye to a person we love. Maybe it is because of the unknown reality about what Read More

Living and dying are not two separate things, rather, they are connected and part of everyone’s reality. When dying, how and where a person dies shapes their experience and can profoundly impact the quality of their last days, weeks and months, as well as the way their loved ones perceive death. Studying the Impacts of Read More

According to a recent 2014 government report, Americans are living longer lives as death rates fall, and the average life expectancy for a person age 65 in 2012 was 19.3 years. Many people have difficulty with this concept of life expectancy as they feel death is a normal, natural process of living that can be Read More