Throughout her career, Brittany Rickert has explored nursing jobs in various settings but keeps getting drawn back to hospice. For her, there’s little out there that offers such a unique and rewarding experience.

“There are landmarks throughout our lives and death is one of them,” says Rickert, a nurse of 15 years. “It is very special to be allowed into that sacred space with patients and their loved ones, to support them through such a pivotal portion of their life.”

As a registered nurse case manager with Emmanuel Hospice, Rickert is in a diverse role that requires her to use both clinical and emotional support skills to walk alongside patients on their end-of-life journey.

She defines her position as the “coordinator of the patient experience altogether,” working alongside an interdisciplinary team to bring supportive services directly to patients, wherever they call home.

“My goal is to make sure each patient’s quality of life is at its best and that patients are getting everything they could possibly want from hospice care to live fully and comfortably,” Rickert says, noting she collaborates with social workers, spiritual caregivers, music therapists and more, depending on a patient’s goals and needs. “I want each patient to feel completely cared for and for the family to know they’re in good hands.”

As Rickert guides patients through their options, she empowers them to make informed decisions about their care. Patients select which services are important to them. Alongside traditional medical care options, Rickert likes to highlight the complementary therapies and services available, including massage therapy, pet visitors, essential oils and more.

“People are often surprised to learn about our additional therapies as not every hospice offers them,” Rickert says. “Patient wishes are another example that can be very meaningful and connect with our goal of making hospice more about living. Just this past month, I have been working on a wish to get a family out to an MSU basketball game for a huge Spartan fan in our care.”

Another key point Rickert emphasizes with families: The care team is available 24/7 to answer questions and dispatch care as needed.

“Just because I’m not scheduled to come back until next week for a regular visit does not mean I or another member of the care team can’t check in sooner,” she says. “I reassure families our light is always on. We’ve got you.”

Rickert enjoys being “out in the field” regularly and providing direct patient care herself. Because hospice is a service, not a place, she is caring for patients wherever they are all throughout much of West Michigan. That distinction is particularly relevant this time of year as Emmanuel Hospice celebrates National Care at Home Month and the role of hospice in the spectrum of in-home care.

During a typical patient visit, Rickert checks vitals and does a head-to-toe assessment, zeroing in on common symptoms that can occur as the end of life approaches. She manages medications and takes stock of supplies and other equipment to help patients remain comfortable in their home.

Providing emotional support is intertwined with the clinical side of her role. As a main point of contact for patients and their loved ones, it’s critical she helps them navigate unchartered waters with empathy and respect. Rickert aims to be a reassuring presence to everyone involved.

To learn more, call 616.719.0919 or visit EmmanuelHospice.org.

For Deb Vazquez, being a volunteer for Emmanuel Hospice is about ensuring patients have “a friend in the end.” It’s about providing that friendly face to smile at and a caring hand to hold, offering comfort and compassion at the end of life.

She began serving as a hospice volunteer earlier this year along with her husband, Tony, and their dog, Cocoa, as a way to give back. The couple had seen the benefits from having parents in hospice, most recently with Tony’s parents in Florida.

They found Emmanuel through an online search for hospice in their area and learned the nonprofit is always looking for new volunteers, especially pet visitors. They promptly signed up and completed the volunteer training, Cocoa included. Vazquez says it has been incredibly rewarding for the whole family.

“The impact of pet visits is amazing,” she said. “Patients absolutely love Cocoa. She’s small enough to sit on people’s laps and will gaze into their eyes. Patients like to talk or hum to her and pet her. Cocoa just has a great temperament and loves the attention.”

In addition to visits with Cocoa, Vazquez meets patients one-on-one. In that capacity, she’s found the simplest gestures can have a profound impact.

“Just holding hands is huge,” she said. “A couple of patients love when I bring lavender-scented lotion to rub on their hands. It is sweet to see the calm it can bring to them.

“Talking to patients seems to make a difference, too. Even if they are noncommunicative, I’ll get a smile or a hand squeeze back that tells me they know someone is there for them and cares.”

Vazquez is intentional about learning about each person’s life story so she can find ways to personalize visits. Volunteer Coordinator Holly Salas said it’s clear Vazquez “cares deeply” about the patients she sees.

“Deb goes above and beyond,” Salas said. “She brings patients treats and flowers, plays music for them and seeks out connection in any way she can. She recently reconnected one of our patients with family members, which was very meaningful to them.”

Having an interest in genealogy, Vazquez was eager to help the patient look into his family history and reconnected him with relatives.

“It started with connecting over foods he grew up with living on a farm like I did, “ Vazquez explained. “With permission from his dietitian, I was able to bring him food from his childhood. That brought up a lot of memories and family member names that he hadn’t been able to remember.

“It was just fantastic. You start with talking about something as innocuous as food we enjoyed as kids to find common ground and then suddenly it’s opening doors to new ways to make someone’s day a little brighter.”

Vazquez discovered another patient loves playing games, so naturally, they now have a three-week game of Monopoly going. That patient also loves playing games with Cocoa.

“The patient will toss dog bones around her room, so Cocoa has to search them out,” Vazquez said. “She gets a real kick out of Cocoa doing this sort of hide and seek.”

To anyone interested in volunteering with a hospice organization, Vazquez says it’s natural to wonder about what it will be like, but assures that any worries will be “far outweighed by the moments of joy you’ll bring.”

Anyone who wants to learn more about volunteering with Emmanuel Hospice is encouraged to email EHvolunteer@EmmanuelHospice.org or call 616.719.0919 and ask for Holly. An in-person orientation to onboard new volunteers will be offered from 1-4 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 21 at the nonprofit’s Grand Rapids office. More information can be found at EmmanuelHospice.org/volunteer.

Grand Rapids, Michigan, Sept. 15, 2025 – Emmanuel Hospice is looking for volunteers in the greater Grand Rapids area to provide companionship and support to patients.

The organization is in particular need of patient/family support volunteers in the northern regions of the metropolitan area, specifically Belmont, Greenville and Sparta. Volunteers with pets are also needed to join the nonprofit’s popular pet visitor program.

“Emmanuel Hospice relies on the generosity of volunteers to uplift the quality of life of our patients and their loved ones,” Volunteer Coordinator Holly Salas said. “Our volunteers bring compassion and joy to our patients during a particularly difficult time. By providing a peaceful presence, companionship and laughter, volunteers help make hospice more about living.”

Patient/family support volunteers help enhance patients’ quality of life through one-on-one conversation. They spend time listening, reading, sharing positive memories, capturing patient life stories and more at the bedside.

Volunteers who participate in the pet visitor program are first trained as patient/family support volunteers, in addition to having their pet certified as a companion animal. Pet visitors and their human companions are specially trained and selected to match each patient’s specific needs, energy level and abilities.

Emmanuel Hospice makes all the arrangements needed for a pet to become certified as a pet visitor on the volunteer’s behalf and covers the certification cost. The process involves documentation of current wellness exams and vaccinations as well as three observation visits.

Other volunteer roles involve making bereavement calls, supporting office needs, assisting with community outreach, knitting and card-making. A veteran-to-veteran program is also available for veterans and active-duty service members to support patients who share the common thread of military service.

“I’m passionate about matching the unique skills and interests of prospective volunteers with the right opportunity,” Salas said. “You’ll be set up for success with all the training you’ll need and an assignment tailored to your strengths. If you have any interest in volunteering, I encourage you to reach out for more information.”

Individuals who are interested in volunteering must first undergo a criminal background check and screening for tuberculosis before receiving training.

An in-person orientation to onboard new volunteers will be offered from 1-4 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 21 at the nonprofit’s Grand Rapids office. The event will include a thorough introduction to Emmanuel Hospice and its volunteer roles, policies and procedures. Alternatively, a hybrid option including an in-person meeting and self-paced online course is also available.

Anyone who is interested in volunteering and wants to learn more is encouraged to email EHvolunteer@EmmanuelHospice.org or call 616.719.0919 and ask for Holly. More information about volunteer opportunities can also be found at EmmanuelHospice.org/volunteer.

About Emmanuel Hospice

Emmanuel Hospice is an interfaith provider of compassionate, person-centered hospice care to patients and their loved ones in West Michigan. Serving the community since 2013, the nonprofit draws on a team approach that focuses holistically on mind, body and spirit, working to enhance each patient’s life with a combination of expert medical care, spiritual counseling and complementary therapies and services – because hospice is more about living than dying. Emmanuel Hospice has expanded to serve all of Kent and Ottawa counties and portions of Allegan, Barry, Newaygo, Ionia, Montcalm and Muskegon counties. For more information, visit EmmanuelHospice.org.

Palliative (pal·li·a·tive), noun: a medicine or form of medical care that relieves symptoms without dealing with the cause of the condition.

That sounds like hospice, right? Well, yes and no. While they share similarities, hospice care and palliative care aren’t one in the same.

“Hospice is always palliative, but palliative care is not always hospice,” says Emily Page, a nurse practitioner with Emmanuel Hospice. “Both focus on symptom management, but hospice care is more comprehensive while palliative care tends to be more consultative.”

With professional experience in both palliative and hospice care, Page is well-versed in where the two overlap and differ. She says the main distinctions lie in the breadth of services that are covered and a patient’s goals and eligibility.

“To be eligible for hospice, you have to have a prognosis of six months or less of life and a goal of treating symptoms over curing your condition,” Page explains. “By contrast, palliative care also treats symptoms, but it can be utilized for patients who are still having active treatments to cure a disease.”

For example, when working for a palliative clinic, Page would commonly see people actively receiving chemotherapy, radiation, dialysis or surgical procedures to treat cancer, advanced stages of COPD, chronic heart conditions or heart failure.

Page says a big focus of palliative care is having “goals of care” discussions with patients facing serious illnesses or chronic conditions.

This involves exploring what matters most to the patient in terms of their well-being, discussing prognosis and treatment options and facilitating decision-making. Palliative care providers are adept at monitoring changes in a patient’s condition and adjusting care plans for evolving goals.

“Palliative care programs can bridge the gap between patients who may be medically appropriate for hospice but not yet goals-of-care ready,” Page says. “In those cases, when a patient decides they don’t want to pursue curative treatment anymore, their palliative care team can shift them into a hospice program.”

It can work the other way around, too.

“If a patient enrolls in hospice and later finds a new clinical trial, they could be referred to a palliative program, which would walk alongside them while they’re actively seeking treatment.”

Coordination of care between multiple specialists, Page says, is another aspect of palliative care that can be helpful.

“Palliative care professionals specialize in putting everything together,” Page explains. “When you go to the hospital, you may be seeing three or four specialists who all have different treatment plans that don’t always work together. That’s where palliative care can come in and determine what the patient’s ultimate goals are to help the different specialists better align.”

Similar to hospice, there are different types of palliative care programs out there, Page says, so services can vary, and it is consultative in nature. Hospice, on the other hand, is a specific Medicare benefit that provides a more comprehensive approach to care through holistic, team-based services for both patients and their families.

“Palliative care can be really helpful for improving quality of life while pinpointing when a patient is appropriate for hospice and starting those discussions early,” Page noted. “Palliative care should not be seen as a replacement for end-of-life care when patients meet both goals of care and eligibility requirements.

“When considering between the two, I recommend taking the time to ask your provider questions to fully understand your options and choose the path that is best for you and your goals.

For more information, call 616.719.0919 or visit EmmanuelHospice.org.

Myths and misconceptions surrounding hospice have caused people to delay accessing supportive end-of-life care they’re entitled to – or skip it entirely.

Melissa Wedberg, vice president of community relations at Emmanuel Hospice, is passionate about dispelling these myths and empowering individuals to take advantage of hospice services earlier on.

“If you have Medicare or private insurance, hospice is a benefit you have a right to when you’re medically eligible,” Wedberg said. “We are not hastening death; we are bringing support. Delaying hospice can lead to unnecessary pain, suffering and potentially even loss of time with loved ones. After finding out what hospice is – and is not – families wish they’d called sooner.”

Hospice is not giving up.

According to Wedberg, this is the biggest mental and emotional barrier that exists not only for patients but for families and even for some physicians, too.

“Hospice is not about resigning to the disease process or age; it’s about refocusing goals,” she explained. “When someone doesn’t have curative options left, we focus on enhancing quality of life. At Emmanuel, we start with the question, ‘How do you want to live?’ Hospice means gaining support during a difficult time rather than going through it alone.”

Hospice is not just for your last days or hours.

Individuals can be on hospice for months or more, especially when enrolling sooner than later. There are many diagnoses that make you eligible.

“It might surprise people to learn that someone on hospice is not necessarily someone who looks like they’re dying,” Wedberg said. “You may have seen a hospice patient and not even known it because they were out at a grocery store or attending a ball game. Hospice care is helping that individual live how they want to live for the time they have left.”

Hospice does not hasten death.

“Hospice care is a way for people to live more comfortably for longer,” Wedberg said. “In fact, we believe hospice is more about living than dying. We work tirelessly to provide life-giving opportunities that make every moment matter.”

Studies have found hospice patients may actually live longer due to better quality of life and symptom management than those with similar illnesses who are not receiving end-of-life care.

Hospice will not make you change doctors.

“You can keep your primary care provider, or you can choose to have your care overseen by the hospice medical director,” Wedberg said. “What’s important for patients and families to know is they remain in

control when they sign on. We offer support and solutions; you can decide if or how you want to accept them.”

Hospice will not take away your medications.

A hospice nurse will work with a patient’s doctor to determine which medications are necessary to maintain comfort, but “if a patient wants to continue a medication they’re taking, they’re generally able to do so,” Wedberg said.

Hospice is not a refusal of all medical treatment.

While choosing hospice means a focus on quality of life over curative measures, that doesn’t mean all medical treatments stop.

“With the exception of cancer treatment or dialysis, it’s rare patients have to give up treatment, especially when it’s for symptom management,” Wedberg said.

Hospice will not administer pain medication regardless of need.

Some believe hospice will immediately use heavy pain management, such as morphine or opioids, no matter the situation. There is also the myth that these medications will hasten death. Both are not true.

“We only treat pain if pain exists,” Wedberg said. “And we’re going to treat it at the appropriate level for each individual only to relieve discomfort and improve their quality of life.”

Additionally, patients are empowered to use other therapies and services, such as massage therapy, acupuncture, essential oils and more, alongside or instead of medication to manage their symptoms, depending on their wishes and goals.

Hospice is not a place.

Hospice is rarely an actual location that people go to, but rather a service that comes to you wherever you call home.

Hospice is not a one-time decision.

“If for any reason you don’t want hospice anymore, you can stop at any time and there’s no penalty,” Wedberg said. “You can leave and come back. You can switch providers. If a miracle treatment or clinical trial becomes available, you could take it. But in the meantime, if you’re eligible for hospice, why not get that support in place?”

For more information, call 616.719.0919 or visit EmmanuelHospice.org.