May Newsletter 2025 - Hospice of the Valleys

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NURSES WEEK Please join us in celebrating our 5 star nurses who excel in providing compassionate care to each of our patients. The theme this year is "The Power of Nurses," and once again the America Nurses Association hit the nail on the head with this theme selection. We celebrate the power of our hospice team - nurses who bring dignity, hope, and humanity to the end-of-life journey. Your work is not just care - it is a calling. And we are endlessly grateful for each of you. Thank you

HONORING OUR HEROES THIS MEMORIAL DAY As we gather with friends and family this Memorial Day, we pause to remember and honor the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. Their courage, dedication, and selflessness will never be forgotten. Let us take a moment of gratitude for the freedoms we enjoy, made possible by those who gave everything. May their legacy inspire us to live with purpose and to support one another with kindness and respect. Wishing you a peaceful and meaningful Memorial Day.

Notes from Friends Hospice of the Valleys serves hundreds of patients every year. We honor them by sharing their stories. They remind us every day of the meaning and purpose of our work and that human connection is at the heart of the hospice experience. The following are notes Hospice of the Valleys has received from the families of patients that we have been privileged to provide hospice care. "We were deeply touched by the kindness, professionalism, and dedication shown by each and every member of your team. You went above and beyond to ensure my wife's comfort and well-being.* Just want you to know how grateful I am for all your hard work and attention you gave to my husband. "Bless you all." THANK YOU!

Celebrate the Heart of Volunteering Become a Hospice Volunteer Hospice is about family and community... And volunteers bring heart to hospice. Our team always had the need for volunteers in patient support, music, veteran to veteran support, fundraising, administrative support and more. Hold a Hand-Give a Hug-Touch a Heart. Becoming a hospice volunteers is a meaningful and rewarding experience. You can make a difference! *Seeking bi-lingual volunteers for patient support and music* Hospice of the Valleys: Canyon Lake, Fallbrook, Hemet, Homeland, Lake Elsinore, Menifee, Murrieta, Nuevo, Perris, Quail Valley, Romoland, San Jacinto, Sun City, Temecula, Wildomar, Winchester Please contact Chrisy Lawless, Volunteer Manager 951-200-7800 or CLawless@hovsc.org for more information. You may also refer to our website page HospiceoftheValleys.org for new training updates.

Seeking Fundraising Volunteers - You can make a difference - Outgoing and Self-Motivated - Detail-Oriented and Good organization skills - Ability to Interact Positively with Guests and a Team. If this sounds like you, we'd love to talk with you about how you can help! Please contact: Chrisy Lawless 951-200-7800 | CLawless@Hovsc.org

Please remember Hospice of the Valleys in your trust or will. And, help us now with your kind donation. DONATE to Hospice of the Valleys Hospice of the Valleys is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Hospice of the Valleys complies with applicable Federal and civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. Atención: si habla espanol, Tiene a su disposicion servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingufstica. Llame al 1-951-200-7800 (TDD: 711). 注意:如果您使用繁體中文, 您可以免費獲得語言援助服務。請致電 1-951-200-7800 (TDD: 711).

WIN THIS STUNNING CUSTOM COOLER OR DECORATIVE BIRD HOUSE FOR FATHER'S DAY! Raffle Tickets $5.00 Tickets sold May 12th - June 7th (in Person) at Above and Beyond Beauty. 30520 Rancho Cal Rd, Ste 108, Temecula. COOLER DONATED BY SOCAL CUSTOM RUSTICS. BIRDHOUSE DONATED BY THREE SISTERS HARVEST. PROCEEDS BENEFITS HOSPICE OF THE VALLEYS.

DON'T BE LATE, FOR a VERY IMPORTANT DATE! Join us for the 27th annual WINE AND CHOCOLATE FUNDRAISER: AN EVENING IN WONDERLAND BENEFITTING THE PATIENTS & FAMILIES OF HOSPICE OF THE VALLEYS SATURDAY 13 SEPTEMBER 5:30 PM til 10:00 PM TICKETS $120 TEA PARTY ATTIRE, If you DARE 951.821.1508 Monteleone Meadows 35245 Briggs Rd Murrieta 92563

Your Health Matters - Combating Caregiver Burnout Leslee B. Cochrane, MD. Executive Medical Director It is estimated that as many as 53 million Americans will serve as unpaid caregivers for family members with chronic illness and/or disabilities this year. The value of the care provided by these unpaid caregivers is estimated to exceed $450 Billion annually. Caregiving is very demanding work and it taxes the emotional, physical and financial well-being of those providing care. According to a 2023 survey of unpaid caregivers conducted by AARP, more than 60% of those surveyed felt that caregiving increased their level of stress and worry. When this increased stress continues over a long period of time, it can lead to a condition known as caregiver burnout, which is a state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion. In order to better understand caregiver burnout it is helpful to recognize some of the warning signs. Below is a list of some of the common warning signs of caregiver burnout: 1. Changes in appetite- eating too much or too little. 2. Inadequate sleep and feeling exhausted. 3. Mood changes including anxiety and depression. 4. Self neglect- not attending to medical, emotional and spiritual needs. 5. Danger signs such as elevated blood pressure and chest pains warrant immediate medical attention. Caregiver burnout is a very real and growing problem and the cost of providing personal care is expensive and not covered by most insurance plans. Although there are no easy answers to address this growing problem, there is help available. If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms of caregiver burnout then please reach out to your healthcare provider for assistance. Below are some additional caregiver resources available in our community which I hope you will also find helpful: Riverside County Office on Aging: Family Caregiver Support Program Family Caregiver Support Program aims to serve adult family members caring for a relative who is 60 or older or relative living with dementia. Services include: Education, Training, and Support are provided through caregiving classes which are offered to caregivers at intervals throughout the year. Classes are available in-person and online in a group setting. Support groups are also available. Information and Assistance: Caregivers may receive referrals and linkage to additional community-based services and public benefits to assist in the caregiving journey. Care Management: Caregivers are provided with individualized care from a designated Social Services Practitioner, to assess their needs as well as those of your loved one, provide emotional support, education, resources, referrals, and direct advocacy to help meet your needs and prevent burnout. Monthly contact is made to ensure care plan goals are met. Respite: To provide caregivers temporary relief of caregiving responsibilities, respite may be provided to case management clients. Respite is dependent on available funding. All services are provided free of charge. Address: 3610 Central Avenue Suite 102, Riverside, CA 92508 Mon-Fri 8am-5pm | (877) 932-4100 |rcaging.org | rcaging@rcaging.org Veteran's Service Center -Hospice of the Valleys is a proud to participate in the We Honor Veterans Program. Veterans may be eligible for additional caregiver resources including funds to assist with caregiver support. (951) 955-3060 | rivcoveterans.org/ Riverside County In-Home Supportive Services - Patients with Medi-cal insurance may be eligible to receive assistance with hiring in home caregivers or placement in a Skilled Nursing Home. 888-960-4477 (7:30 AM - 5:30 PM, M-F) riversideihss.org/

Volunteer Corner In honor of National Volunteer week, Hospice of the Valleys hosted it's Annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon at Oscar's Brewing Company to celebrate our amazing volunteers. The Hospice of the Valleys Special Recognition Awards were presented to Delores Schultz, Larry Sieks and Bob Diaz. The Hospice of the Valleys Care Partners Awards were presented to St. Martha's Quilters and The Colony Yarnsters. Congratulations to our awardees in recognition of their exemplary volunteer service! Our volunteers are the best of the best. They do so much for so many and our community is a better, more compassionate place because of their service. They are an essential part of our team and help form the heart of hospice. We could not do the work we do without each and every one of volunteers, we are truly grateful. "There's nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer." - Jimmy Doolittle

What's in a Name? Mike Patton Bereavement Counselor/Spiritual Care While I have spent my entire life on the Protestant side of the Christian faith tracks, the longer I live the more I enjoy learning about and sharing in the faith of my Catholic brothers and sisters. I have felt a tremendous unity with them in this season of grief as the world reflects on the death of Pope Francis. Of his life: his Latin American roots, his faithful service in the Jesuit order and rising through the ranks of the Catholic hierarchy, and his election to Pope on March 13, 2013, we have been reminded. What I find most inspiring is the selection of his Papal name from St. Francis of Assisi. Jorge Mario Bergoglio took the name of Pope Francis and lived into that name so well that in his death the entire world is being reminded of his servant leadership, that he was the approachable Pope, and that his service was characterized as Christ-like, which I believe is the highest and most noble calling for anyone who identifies as "Christian." To be the leader of over 1 billion people, there is much in the name. St. Francis of Assisi's well-known prayer explains it all very well: Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; Where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Contemporary culture perceives servant leadership as being weak and ineffective. Pope Francis turned that notion upside down and inside out. His legacy of humble service with the full power of the papacy in his hands is a remarkable example for all to see, ponder and apply. It is abundantly clear to me that Hospice of the Valleys' leadership operates from a similar playbook, humble service with a deep commitment to providing kind and healing presence to our patients and their families. May humble service always be associated with our good name! "Together with a culture of work, there must be a culture of leisure as gratification. To put it another way: people who work must take the time to relax, to be with their families, to enjoy themselves, read, listen to music, play a sport'.

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