The Center for Nursing Professional Development

News

New Hampshire Non-Profit Cares About End-of-Life Care
Newsletter submission by:
Janice McDermott, Executive Director
New Hampshire Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
125 Airport Road, Concord, New Hampshire 03301
Phone: 603-225-0900 | Fax: 603-672-4409 | JMcDermott@nhhpco.org

New Hampshire Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHHPCO) is a nonprofit, 501©(3) charitable organization offering resources and support to improve end-of-life care in our community. NHHPCO exists to benefit the people of New Hampshire. In collaboration with others, NHHPCO advocates for improved access to excellent hospice and palliative care and for related services to meet healthcare needs of people facing life-threatening conditions and provide support to their families.

Currently, one third of the people dying in the US are receiving care from a hospice program. The average length of service for someone receiving hospice is less than 59 days, and 54% of persons receiving hospice care have an illness other than cancer. In NH, 56% of persons who receive hospice care die in a private home, 26% die in a nursing home, while 12% die in a free-standing hospice inpatient facility (hospice house).

NHHPCO accomplishments this year include:

• Twenty senior centers across the state hosted our "Pain Play" to educate the public on how to advocate for good pain management and not to accept pain as an inevitable part of aging. This was a collaborative effort with the Seacoast Repertory Theater.
• Hospice professionals received increased training in bereavement support and training on the unique needs of veterans at end of life.
• Fifty nurses and nurse's aides were helped to prepare for the national certification exam in Hospice and Palliative Care.
• The Public Policy Committee is addressing changing hospice Medicare regulations at the national level and advocating for the under-insured in New Hampshire.
• NHHPCO has secured donated office space in Concord allowing for increased visibility and meeting space for members.

Healthcare in China - Where East Meets West

Join us for an informational session on Wednesday, November 5, 2008, 6:00 p.m. on campus at NHTI.

This outstanding, 15 day China program offers a unique educational and cultural experience combining study at Tongji University in Shanghai, on-site healthcare visits and a chance to explore China's world-famous historical sites including:

• The Great Wall
• Tiananmen Square
• Forbidden City's Imperial Palace
• Ming Tombs
• The Bund

In addition to touring with an experienced local guide and an NHTI escort, participants may attend lectures, presentations, and workshops, immersing in a combination of unforgettable educational and cultural experiences designed to enhance their understanding of the healthcare culture in China.