Hospice of the North Coast Blog

For 31 years now Light Up A Life (LUAL) has been Hospice of the North Coast’s annual candle-lighting memorial – a meaningful way for families served by our hospice and the community to remember and celebrate loved ones that are no longer with us.  LUAL is an event put on by the Hope Bereavement Center of Hospice of the North Coast, now headed by Ti Johnson, Director of Bereavement.

For the past two years we have held LUAL at the Oceanside Museum of Art (www.oma-online.org).  Sunday, December 4 was a beautiful sunny day in Oceanside and roughly 100 people filled the Gleason Auditorium of the OMA to remember their loved ones.  I opened the event singing “Wind Beneath My Wings”, following by the inspiring talk given by Sy Brenner, World War II prisoner of war survivor (www.sybrenner.com.  This nearly 90 year old war hero shared from his experiences and left everyone feeling as though they too, could find humor in the face of adversity.

Following Sy Brenner’s spirited talk, everyone was given the opportunity to remember their loved one by lighting a candle in their honor.  This part of the program is always a time of remembering and reflecting on the love we shared, the times we laughed and cried with those who are now deceased.  Although they are absent in the physical, their spirit remains ever present in our lives.

Below are a few pictures from this event.  We welcome everyone to join us each year, the first Sunday in December to Light Up A Life in honor of your loved one.

SAVE THE DATE:  Light Up A Life 2012 will be Sunday, December 2, 2012.  This is a free event and is open to the public!

Ti Johnson, Sy Brenner, Yvette Williams

Hospice of the North Coast (HNC) is a community based non-profit organization in Carlsbad, CA.  We have been providing quality end of life care to patients in the North San Diego Coastal community for more than three decades.  This month we celebrate 31 years in the business of helping people experience a peaceful death.  We understand death is a part of the life cycle.  We help families and those that are part of the patient’s journey on hospice adjust to life after their death.

HNC understands “hospice” can be a challenging subject to broach.  It is however a necessary topic to discuss when a loved one has been diagnosed with a terminal illness.  Many patients and families shy away from hospice care assuming it means giving up or letting go.  Actually, the sooner a patient comes onto hospice, the sooner our team of professional experts is able to work to stabilize them.  We help manage pain systems and get them under control, resulting in patient’s increased quality of life.

A couple of well known studies have been released indicating that palliative and hospice care helps some patients live longer, even better lives than without it.  A study, released by the New England Journal of Medicine, determined in its research that patients on hospice and palliative care lived longer than those who received standard physician care.

Hospice of the North Coast is committed to assisting patients and their families navigate the ever-changing mosaic of healthcare choices.  We also have a premier bereavement support program that offers groups to children, teens and adults, as well as individualized counseling.  For those who are not ready to come onto hospice, we also offer clinical education to patients and families desiring information to support their choice in the future.

We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 760.431.4100.  Let us help you!

Comments and stories welcome…

New Blog….new Hospice home! Hope all of you will come to our Ribbon Cutting and Open House this Thursday the 24th 4pm. Check out our website(www.hospicenorthcoast.org) for details!  It has been a huge lift to move into our beautiful permanent home and as I sit looking out of our newly washed windows it really hit me that our work environment makes a difference. Our staff now has a comforting and comfortable place to be!