For the better part of 30 years, Don Walsh worked as a friendly sleuth.

That’s what good librarians do, after all. They discover things on behalf of others.

Now, at the age of 84, the tables have turned and it’s Emmanuel Hospice serving him.

And for that, Don is especially grateful and embraces any opportunity to share details about his relationship with the Grand Rapids-based health care provider.

“This particular hospice and its people go out of their way to make it special,” he says. “They believe in what they’re doing, and it’s a privilege for me to tell their story through me.”

Don was born and raised until the age of 14 in Traverse City, and in moving to Grand Rapids, grew to love what he now considers “a great place to be.”

As a youngster, he pedaled newspapers for the Grand Rapids Herald and Press – and before that, the Record-Eagle in TC – and later worked for his father, who owned a dime store in Wyoming called Wyoming Variety.

As a teen, he became interested in collecting things – baseball cards, stamps, coins – and at age 19 actually tried his hand at owning a hobby store, a venture that lasted but four months.

Eventually, he graduated from Aquinas College, and it’s there he met the love of his life, wife Kathie, with whom he raised five children. Don and Kathie live together with a 30-year-old grandson.

Don’s first jobs after college included teaching school in the Detroit area, but he remembers thinking “It was silly to stay there because we both loved Grand Rapids so much,” and they returned to settle in Eastown. He became involved in neighborhood issues to such a degree that he became the first chairperson of the Eastown Community Association. He and Kathie are long-time parishioners at St. Andrew’s Cathedral.

Professionally, he made his biggest mark with the Grand Rapids Public Library, splitting a 30-year career between the main site downtown and the Ottawa Hills branch.

In 2010, Don had heart bypass surgery, and four years later endured a stomach tumor and then prostate cancer. Around 2018, he began experiencing shortness of breath. Nearly two years ago, he was admitted to Emmanuel Hospice after being informed that he likely had less than a year to live.

Don says his time with the Emmanuel team has been “a remarkable season of working together, and there has never been a question of how much they care.”

He’s grateful for the ways in which Emmanuel lifts up Kathie as well as their children and grandchildren, “reassuring them all and helping them through the hard parts.” He particularly appreciated the support that allowed him to attend ArtPrize and see his daughter, Sara’s exhibit, with both comfort and peace of mind.

Emmanuel Hospice relies on an interdisciplinary team, with patients like Don and his family at its center, as it works to enhance the lives of those facing serious, life-limiting illnesses.

The interdisciplinary team brings together the appropriate medical providers, along with a social worker, home health aides, spiritual care counselors, complementary therapy specialists, volunteers, bereavement counselors and others to ensure all needs are met.

Don enjoys regular visits from his Emmanuel care team. His first encounter was with an intake specialist, who helped him understand his options going forward. Then he saw a social worker, who helped him sort through some red tape involving a hospital bill.

He occasionally requests time with a spiritual adviser, who helps him “talk things through about my life, my life after, and anything I want to have a dialogue about.”

Twice a week, an aide visits and, depending on the need, will bathe him, shave him and tend to other affairs of daily living. Once every two weeks, he receives massage therapy, which helps comfort the after-effects of a recent fall he incurred. Weekly, a nurse visits and helps him manage his medications and troubleshoots any new developments.

Receiving care in his home “is so much more than simply receiving services,” he says. “They’re there not only sharing their lives with you, but helping you along a tough journey. I know it’s a business, but that’s not what they ever project. It’s more of a mission.

“People,” says Don, “get the crazy idea that hospice is about dying. But it’s about living. And it’s about taking the time to relax and have someone care for you in such generous ways. This particular hospice goes out of its way to make that special.”

For more about Emmanuel Hospice, call (616) 719-0919 or visit emmanuelhospice.org

 

Alzheimer’s disease. It takes lives and devastates loved ones. There is no cure.

And predictions for the future aren’t promising, as the number of Americans expected to suffer from Alzheimer’s is expected to soar from nearly 7 million today to nearly double that number by the year 2050.

All of which means it’s more important than ever to seek experts in providing care and support to those affected by this debilitating disease who are well-versed in its symptoms and comfort regimens – like those employed by Emmanuel Hospice for one.

“We are serving more patients with dementia than any other nonprofit community-based hospice in West Michigan,” says Melissa Wedberg, director of business development at Emmanuel. “Thirty-four percent of our patients’ primary diagnosis is dementia, and the most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s, so we feel we are the experts in providing end-of-life care for this population.”

Emmanuel is uniquely qualified in part because since its inception, it has served a significant number of patients with Alzheimer’s in various settings, including from its founding partners – St. Ann’s Home, Sunset Senior Communities, Brio Living Services and Clark Retirement.

Because Alzheimer’s is a terminal diagnosis, individuals with this disease are often eligible for hospice services, which focus on providing comfort and dignity at the end of life.

“A lot of people think hospice is only for people who are actively dying, but the reality is that if we can get into the home sooner to establish support for patients with Alzheimer’s and their families, we can have a greater impact on their end-of-life experiences,” Wedberg says. “So we encourage families to explore hospice earlier because there is so much we can do for them as experienced caregivers.”

That includes a holistic approach including traditional medical care offerings as well as a wide array of complementary therapies and services – everything from music therapy to massage therapy to a specialized Art Legacy program that combines self-expression with symptom management.

Emmanuel also is practiced at addressing issues tied to agitation that Alzheimer’s patients often experience – episodes that can be extremely difficult for the caregivers of these patients.

“By intervening with our therapies, we can often limit the need for psychotropic medication,” Wedberg says.

More than 80% of the help provided to older adults in the United States comes from family, friends or other unpaid caregivers. This underscores the necessity of caregiver education, specifically how to respond to a patient who asks the same questions over and over again.

Wedberg also emphasizes that there is a need to increase awareness of – and funding for – dementia-related illnesses, since dementia annually kills more people than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined.

That sobering statistic also reinforces Emmanuel’s recommendation that patients and their families act early on “to establish that support and customization of their care that can be so comforting during these journeys of change.”

When people with dementia start hospice at the 11th hour, “it can feel like a panic and a rush and can be traumatic,” Wedberg says. “But if we can get in earlier and establish relationships and trust, especially with someone who is confused, it can be a much more meaningful and impactful experience.”

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

You feel like you’re in the middle of an old-fashioned taffy pull – being stretched at both ends and there’s no way out.

Welcome to the “sandwich generation,” which finds you caring not only for your own children, but also your parents or in-laws or a complicated combination.

“It’s a lot of juggling at both ends – caring for your own children and/or grandchildren, but also making time for mom or dad and the changing needs they have as they age,” says Jan Amato, business development specialist for Emmanuel Hospice. “One minute, you’re making lunches for your school-age kids, and in the next, you’re arranging all kinds of medical appointments for your parents.

“There could be as many as four generations involved at once, and there you are, trying to keep everyone happy and healthy.”

The accompanying challenge: Dealing with a heavy dose of stress if you’re the designated driver for all those people looking to you for everything from meals to transportation to housing to emotional, physical and spiritual needs. Add in a serious, life-limiting illness, and it can feel entirely overwhelming.

In her capacity at Emmanuel Hospice, Amato has seen first-hand the effects of those stress-inducing conditions, and notes how Emmanuel is equipped to help not only its patients, but their family members cope and develop strategies for challenges posed by being caught up at both ends.

“A cardinal rule,” she emphasizes, “is regularly carving out some time for yourself, even if it’s a half hour to read, take a bath or work on a project, or just sit quietly and take in the present.

“You need to find something that’s enjoyable to you, and then take the time to do it, and without taking that phone call.”

Amato also has personal experience with the juggling act of the sandwich generation. Her father-in-law is located in Ohio, while Amato and her husband still reside in Michigan. To help care for him, her husband and his siblings take turns visiting. But Amato says it’s typical for one sibling to absorb more responsibility for mom or dad, and that can lead to stress and friction.

“We try to walk that journey with the patient and their family, and a lot of times there are multiple family members expressing different opinions on how that journey should look.”

Amato says it’s important for caregivers to develop a self-care strategy that includes:

• Building a strong support system.
• Setting aside time for self-care and staying engaged with your hobbies and interests.
• Not discounting what others can do; lean on your network and be willing to delegate.
• Keeping priorities organized.

National platforms like CaringBridge also offer helpful resources for navigating challenges of being a caregiver with tools to help you share and communicate updates with loved ones, as well as ask for and receive support.

“At Emmanuel Hospice, we’re qualified to connect people with professionals who specialize in counseling that helps those who might feel overwhelmed as a caregiver at both ends,” Amato says. “People need to know it’s OK to have that third party intervene.”

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

OK, you’ve made the mid-April tax deadline. Congrats. Now what?

Here’s a thought: Get something arguably as important – or even more so – in order next.

We’re talking about critical health care decisions in the event you’re not able to communicate decisions yourself – decisions you can define in an “advance directive.”

That’s the aim of National Healthcare Decisions Day on April 16 every year, which is typically the day after taxes are due.

Unlike taxes, advance directives aren’t something you’re obligated to execute, but experts agree you’ll feel immense relief should you take on the task. You’ll then have legal documents in place to safeguard the ways in which you want important decisions made about your health care if you are unable to communicate them yourself due to an accident, illness or other factors.

“Having a conversation is a good place to start, after you’ve gone through the contemplative part of it,” says Sara Lowe, executive director of Emmanuel Hospice in Grand Rapids.

Lowe, and scores of her employees, have witnessed firsthand the friction that can ensue when advance directives aren’t in place, and loved ones start arguing about what dad or mom would want when they can no longer decide on their own.

“What we’ve seen is how there is so much more peace in the family when those documents are in place,” says Lowe, noting that setting up advance directives “can serve as a final gift of clarity for your loved ones.”

Conversations should eventually include the person or persons you’re confident about choosing to serve as your durable power of attorney for health care decisions revolving around the types of medical interventions you do and do not want dependent upon the situation.

“Those conversations help determine who the right person for that is,” says Lowe, emphasizing that you shouldn’t automatically choose your spouse or firstborn, but instead that person you can best trust to carry out your wishes.

Advance directives remain in effect until you change it, so it’s a good idea to review your advance directives on an annual basis, especially if your life has been affected by divorce, separation or other family crises that might affect your initial choice.

“You never know when something unforeseen is going to happen,” she says.

Lowe understands that some people find it a daunting task to discuss death and dying. Her suggestion?

“You don’t have to do it all at once. Take your time,” she says. “Think about it, then have those conversations. Break it up into smaller pieces, but then act.”

And she offers this to consider, “It’s always better to have advance directives in place and not need them, than it is to need them and not have them.”

A lawyer is not needed to fill out an advance directive, but witnesses are required for the document to become legally valid. For more information about advance directives, consider visiting websites like CaringInfo.org, where you can navigate to the state you live in for specific guidelines, and download forms. You can also learn more via the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization at nhpco.org.

Once your advance directive is complete, be sure your doctors have a copy, as well as everyone who might be involved with your health care decisions. Store the original document in a safe but easy to find place. Avoid locking the document away, so it can still be accessed by loved ones if you’re unexpectedly hospitalized.

For more information about Emmanuel Hospice, call 616.719.0919 or visit EmmanuelHospice.org.

 

You might say that for hospice music therapists like Roger Scott, they perform their work in the key of C, where the “C” translates to care, compassion and comfort.

Along with colleague Miranda Eden, Scott is one of two board-certified music therapists employed by Emmanuel Hospice. He considers the complementary therapy the twosome provides arguably as vital as traditional physical care administered by medical staff. And it’s a popular choice among patients and their loved ones. In 2023, Scott and Eden made more than 1,770 patient visits.

“It’s a very intense, rewarding experience,” says Scott, who hails from California but settled in Michigan after earning a degree in music therapy at Western Michigan University.

He traces his interest in music therapy back to the year 2000, when he started serving as a member of the U.S. Army Europe Band and Chorus, primarily as a vocalist.

“When we’d perform for soldiers, it really seemed to make a difference to them,” he says, noting that after his discharge, he went to a conference for music therapists and “fell in love with it.”

At Emmanuel Hospice, music therapy is offered as one of many ways to enhance a patient’s life, engage the senses and create joyful memories. During the last two years working with Emmanuel, Scott has discovered that every day – and every patient – is different.

During a session, he’ll often sing and strum the guitar, inviting patients and their caregivers to sing or hum along. He’ll even record a patient’s heartbeat and then marry it to music, so it can be enjoyed time and time again.

Heartbeat recordings are an opportunity for patients to create a legacy gift for their loved ones. The accompanying music often speaks to a review of their life and serves as a keepsake for caregivers to cherish after the patient has passed.

What patients might need in the way of music therapy is largely tied to how they express themselves to any one of their care team members. Communication is key among Emmanuel colleagues in order to provide holistic care that supports the patient’s mind, body and spirit.

The end result often manifests itself in a reduction of the patient’s pain, a chance to work through emotions and as a special way to recount memories as they embark on an otherwise difficult journey. Music therapy can be employed at a hospital, home or other living center – wherever the patient is receiving care.

Scott has played everything from rock to pop to Gregorian chants for his patients, and says it’s surprising how many requests he fields for arias from operas, such as “Nessun Dorma,” which debuts during the final act of the Puccini opera “Turandot.”

Whatever the music, Scott says it’s common for the patient to choose something near and dear – hymns or folk tunes or something from their heyday – that reminds them of significant people and events from throughout their lives.

“Often times, people will light up when they hear something that was popular when they were younger,” he says. “It meets their needs, and can help them work through a tough time.”

Music therapy can bring up a range of emotions while helping manage anticipatory grief, pain and anxiety. It can provide great comfort, as well as sensory stimulation and self-expression.

“It’s always hard not to smile when they’re smiling,” Scott says, “and it’s hard not to cry when they’re crying. You do the best you can for them, and in doing so, seek those moments when you can bring patients and their family members to a place of peace.”

Music therapy is one of several complementary therapies and services Emmanuel Hospice offers. To learn more, visit EmmanuelHospice.org/holistic-care or call 616.719.0919.