tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-131436182024-02-28T07:10:17.016-08:00HOSPICE GIVINGWelcome and thank you for joining Hospice Foundation's online community...Hospice Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15150739668933174449noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13143618.post-47365359798460502942013-08-13T13:46:00.002-07:002013-08-13T13:48:27.455-07:00You're Invited to Open House WelcomeThe board of directors and staff invite you to a special Open House reception to welcome Siobhan Greene, Hospice Foundation's new president and CEO on Thursday, August 22 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., here at the Hospice Foundation office, 80 Garden Court, Suite 201, Monterey.<br />
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We hope to see you here!<br />
RSVP not required but you are welcome to call us, (831) 333-9023.Hospice Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15150739668933174449noreply@blogger.com80 Garden Court, Suite 201, Monterey, CA 93940-31.952162238024961 -146.25-90 48.515625 43.472547761975044 18.984375tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13143618.post-58896893316379692032013-06-04T14:41:00.000-07:002013-06-04T14:47:45.894-07:00Hospice Foundation Names New President and CEO<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheQwB0n24rrDZ_0JDqiVZeCvDmBwEOs42Ai1moibJ82Ps7Zll_ePkGjNJeeu2ZssYJ3OYNRCL6q1rrpe0PRJLwIRWzeeEDo1-WpcOr_FV4JF0FzsD0jI3c_NzzaWKqUUiCL7e_/s1600/Siobhan_Greene_for-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheQwB0n24rrDZ_0JDqiVZeCvDmBwEOs42Ai1moibJ82Ps7Zll_ePkGjNJeeu2ZssYJ3OYNRCL6q1rrpe0PRJLwIRWzeeEDo1-WpcOr_FV4JF0FzsD0jI3c_NzzaWKqUUiCL7e_/s1600/Siobhan_Greene_for-web.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Siobhan Greene</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Hospice Foundation announces the appointment of Siobhan Greene
as its new president and chief executive officer, succeeding Alice Kinsler who last
summer announced her plans to retire at the end of June, 2013.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Greene, who has served as executive
director of Voices for Children - CASA of Monterey County since 2005, will
begin her new post with the Foundation on August 5.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“After a nationwide search, we
are thrilled to find someone of Siobhan’s caliber locally to lead Hospice
Foundation into the future,” said Ralph Thompson, III, chair of the Hospice
Foundation board of directors.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“She brings many years of experience
in nonprofit executive management, fundraising, board governance, financial and
analytical acumen to her new position,” said Thompson. “The board and staff
could not be more thrilled with her selection.”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">"I am very honored to be chosen for this position and look forward to working with such a fine board and staff," said Greene. "The work of Hospice Foundation is critical to supporting dignified and compassionate end-of-life care and ensuring services are available throughout our community."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>Greene has a long history as an
advocate for children’s issues and involvement in the community. She joined CASA in 2002 as director of
development, becoming executive director three years later. Prior to that she was director of marketing
for Four Sisters Inn in Monterey, and has served in other administrative and
management capacities locally and in the Bay Area.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Under Greene’s leadership, Voices
for Children - CASA has grown dramatically in both its service to children and
its role to help improve the foster care system. The organization has
quadrupled in size, serves hundreds of children a year, has been recognized
with numerous awards, and successfully launched San Benito County CASA, which
effective July 1, will be an independent entity.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">She holds a bachelor’s degree in
therapeutic recreation from St. Joseph’s College, in Brentwood, New York. </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Greene
serves on and is the immediate past chair of the Juvenile Justice Commission
for Monterey County; is a board member for the California CASA Association and CASP
(Community Alliance for Safety and Peace); and participates in various county
system-of-care committees including the local implementation team of the Blue
Ribbon Commission on Children in Foster Care.
Greene is active in Carmel-by-the-Sea Rotary and is the past President
of the local chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Kinsler has served as Hospice
Foundation’s chief executive since 1998.
She joined the organization in March, 1998 several months after it was
founded on July 1, 1997 to raise funds and make grants to support hospice and
other end-of-life care services in Monterey and San Benito counties.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Under Kinsler’s leadership, Hospice
Foundation has awarded more than $20 million in grants locally. This funding has expanded the availability of
hospice services in the region, including specialized children’s services,
opened palliative care programs in the region’s four hospitals, and provided
support for a variety of grief support and end-of-life educational programs. <a href="http://www.hospicegiving.org/grants/recipients/">Read about the grants that were awarded in the fall of 2012</a>, now at work in the local community.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“It’s been an honor serving in
this role for so many years,” Kinsler said, “and now Siobhan will bring her
strong leadership capabilities and fundraising experience to the role and
continue to steward the hospice mission going forward in our community.”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">For more information, visit<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_661631063"> </a></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://www.hospicegiving.org/">www.hospicegiving.org</a></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> or call (831) 333-9023. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Hospice Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15150739668933174449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13143618.post-16544255414513640572013-01-24T09:32:00.001-08:002013-01-24T11:05:13.305-08:00The New Tax Law and IRA Charitable Rollovers<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #4c4c4c; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 13px/normal Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span data-mce-style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">As we begin the new year, we thought you would like some timely information about an important provision of the new tax law and IRA distributions that may benefit you with income tax savings.</span><br />
<span data-mce-style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /><span style="color: white;">If you are at least age 70½, you can reduce or avoid paying income tax on your required IRA distribution when you redirect all or a portion of it to a 501(c)(3) charity.</span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;" style="font-size: 12pt;"><em><span data-mce-style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">But you will need to act by January 31 for it to apply to your 2012 taxes.</span></em></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: white;"><em><span data-mce-style="text-decoration: underline;" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Here’s how it works</span></span></em><span data-mce-style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">:</span></span></span></div>
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<li class="MsoNormal"><span data-mce-style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Ask your IRA custodian to write and send your distribution check directly to your favorite charity (we hope that’s Hospice Foundation). </span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal"><span data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">According to the IRS rules, you are allowed up to $100,000 directly from your IRA and you will avoid paying any income taxes on this<em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>“qualified charitable distribution.”</em></span><span data-mce-style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> (Keep in mind that since you are redirecting your IRA distribution to your charity, it will not count as income to you. Therefore, you will not receive an additional charitable income-tax deduction later.) </span></span></span><span data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal"><span data-mce-style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Your IRA distribution redirect must be made by January 31, 2013 for it to apply against your 2012 taxes.</span></li>
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<span data-mce-style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;" style="color: white; font-size: 12pt;">If you have already received your 2012 required minimum distribution, you are still allowed to transfer these funds to your the 501(c)(3) charity of your choice by January 31. You will<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>not<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></em>have to report it as income for 2012. </span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="color: white;"> </span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Similarly, you may also redirect your 2013 distribution at any time during the year and into January 2014, and avoid reporting the required distribution as income for 2013.</span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="color: white;"> </span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">If you consider taking advantage of this provision in the new tax law, we hope you will consider Hospice Foundation as the charity of your choice and continue your support of compassionate, end-of-life care in your community.</span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="color: white;"> </span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Please call Lisa Bennett at Hospice Foundation 831-333-9017 for more information.</span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Thank you very much for your support and Happy New Year!</span></div>
Hospice Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15150739668933174449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13143618.post-54883232493212332152012-10-15T13:56:00.003-07:002012-10-15T14:00:41.199-07:00Gain Peace of Mind<span style="color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Have You Done Your Will?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;">National Estate Planning Awareness
Week – Oct. 15-21 <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;">“<i>Estate</i> planning?,” you say. “I
don’t have a columned front portico, outbuildings, or any acreage. I’m
lucky to be keeping up with my mortgage payments and bills.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;">Most people have this reaction when
they hear the term “estate planning.” Estate planning is not just for the wealthy. It is for
everyone. So maybe we, as nonprofit estate planning professionals, have the terminology wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;">Perhaps we should use the phrase: “making <i>your</i> decisions about <i>your</i> assets,” whatever size or type they may be. Your estate
consists of everything you own, including your home and its contents, business,
financial accounts, real estate, and other personal possessions. Estate
planning is the process of deciding what happens to these items after your
death, and describing those plans in the appropriate legal documents such as a
Last Will and Testament.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sometimes the unexpected can happen too, such as an accident, sudden illness, stroke or heart attack that causes death.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;">Most people have some assets and, even
if they have only one family member who should receive
them, it really helps to have that spelled
out – just in case – in a Will.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;">When
there are no family members and you want the
assets to go to charity, the need to craft a Will is even more important because state law won’t know (or
care) which is your favorite charity. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;">When
there’s more than one family member, a Will can
clearly describe your wishes for distributing your assets, and you can avoid
leaving quarrels behind you. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">According to the National
Association of Estate Planners and Councils (</span><a href="http://www.naepc.org/"><span style="color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">www.naepc.org</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;">),
more than 120 million Americans do not have up-to-date estate plans to protect
their families. Many people procrastinate thinking that by doing so will
bring upon their demise sooner rather than later. This, of course,
simply is not true. What it will bring on, however, is peace of mind.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;">The message is that everyone should have a will. You have worked hard for what you have so you want to ensure that
it ends up going to people and/or charities of your
choice.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;">Beyond a simple will, of course,
there are myriad ways to deal with one’s assets.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;">You can put them in trusts to avoid estate taxes. You can even gain better retirement income now by
naming a charity as a beneficiary. There are many methods available that
can benefit you, your survivors, and charities, if you choose, and the role of
an estate-planning professional is to help you put a plan together.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;">Through a well-crafted plan, you
will discover ways to reduce your taxes and still provide for those people and causes you love. And, as your life
circumstances change, you may need to update your estate plans to make sure
they still describe your wishes for your family or others in the
foreseeable future. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: white; font-size: large;">So here’s a suggestion: Gain
peace of mind for yourself and your family. Make your Will, update your estate plan, and review it at least once a year.
</span></span></div>
<span style="color: white; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;">Next time, when you hear the term estate planning, you’ll be
able to say, “Yes, we’ve got that under
control; in fact, we just updated everything since [insert life-change
here]. I feel so much better, having taken care of it.” You’ll be able to claim better peace of mind. So mark this
week with your action to make plans for your estate.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="color: white; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;">Better now, then never.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="color: white; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;">Learn more by calling Hospice Foundation today at
(831) 333-9023 or visiting our website at </span><a href="http://www.hospicegiving.org/"><span style="color: white;">www.hospicegiving.org</span></a><span style="color: white;">.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="color: white; font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="color: white; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: white; font-size: large;">-- Lisa Bennett, Director of Development<br />-- Jennifer Pettley, Director of Communications</span></span></div>
<span style="color: white; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #1f497d;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
Hospice Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15150739668933174449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13143618.post-28401120330975943482012-07-25T15:43:00.003-07:002012-07-25T15:43:42.562-07:00Hospice Care and the Affordable Care ActClearly, the way health care is funded and provided in our country needs fixing. Mission critical.<br />
<br />
While it is far from perfect, and the president event admits this, the Affordable Care Act is just one step in the right direction. The only way health care costs can be reduced is if everyone pays into the system and shares those costs, not just those that have health care coverage and who bear the brunt of the rising costs. And those who cannot afford coverage will have options available. Depending upon your point of view, all of these provisions are up for debate, of course. <br />
<br />
But what we want to talk about is the practical effect the Affordable Care Act will have on the provision of hospice care. <br />
<br />
Medicare is the greatest source of reimbursement to providers of hospice care, about 80 percent of their revenue. The Medicare patient pays no deductible and only a minimal fee for prescription drugs. <br />
<br />
When across the board cuts are made to Medicare, reimbursement rates drop to the providers. But their costs in salaries, benefits, equipment, drugs, etcetera, etcertera continue to increase. The financial gap widens and they must look at services and staff. <br />
<br />
Hospice care is very family- and patient-centered. It is difficult to quanify in dollars the nature of the interactions between the hospice team and the dying patient and family...it is intensive and takes as long as it takes...<br />
<br />
Hospice Foundation does not want them to be impacted and we know you don't want that too. That's why we need EVERYONE's help in funding this care. We aggregate the dollars we receive in donations across many of these vital services so that they can continue to do what they do so well. The individual providers of care do not have the capacity to raise the dollars they need on their own...they really depend upon our grants to help them.<br />
<br />
Mission critical.<br />
<br />
Please consider a donation today to Hospice Foundation. Help Us, Help Them.Hospice Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15150739668933174449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13143618.post-7281934255665590392012-01-18T17:39:00.001-08:002012-01-18T17:45:48.428-08:00End of Life Care Needs to Be SeamlessWe are always coming across statistics in the literature and comments from providers who tell us about people getting into hospice care too late to truly benefit from all that it has to offer. Primarily it's because one must choose to elect the service and therefore must suspend any curative or prolonging therapies. Most people are not wanting to do that. Totally get that. So what we really need to be looking at is how to deliver high-quality, compassionate, multi-disciplinary end-of-life care seamlessly--no need to elect it. As the needs grow at the end of life, certain services, like additional nursing visits, just begin to build. The problem is, no one has figured out a way to contain or control the costs in something that has no boundaries, like the current Medicare Hospice Benefit.<br /><br />Hospice Foundation continues to look at this issue, to encourage collaborations among our grant recipients to enhance the end-of-life experience for all.<br /><br />What do you think? How should this care be handled?Hospice Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15150739668933174449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13143618.post-63580757954103524002012-01-06T13:50:00.001-08:002012-01-06T14:18:24.534-08:00<strong>Celebrating 15 Years!</strong><br /><strong>Coming Up for 2012<br /></strong><br />So how long can we say Happy New Year? Anyway, it's nice to have the busy holiday season behind us and look ahead at what we've got coming up.<br /><br /><strong>Annual Report</strong> - Publishes at the end of February with a complete wrap up of achievements and activities for the year 2011. Plus it will include a complete list of donors for that 12-month period.<br /><br /><strong>Spring Raffle</strong> - Look for information on our website at <a href="http://www.hospicegiving.org/">www.hospicegiving.org</a> about some of the fabulous prizes that will be available if you buy tickets to our Spring raffle. This project used to be called Bounty and the Feast. Let us know if you have a catchier name for it, we're open to new ideas. Call Lisa Bennett at (831) 333-9023.<br /><br /><strong>End of Life Ethics Videoconference</strong> - our annual spring videoconference (April) from Hospice Foundation of America, followed by a live panel discussion. Actual date and location still to be announced. Preliminarily we're looking at April 19, 2012 and hope to secure Cal State University, Monterey Bay.<br /><br /><strong>Executor Trustee seminars</strong> - We're moving these from the fall to late spring to even out our event calendar. Legal, financial and fiduciary specialists make up our panel of experts and take questions from the audience about all aspects of executor/trusteeships. <br /><br /><strong>15th Anniversary Celebrations</strong> - We are 15 years old on July 1! In that time, we have made $19 million in grant funding to support hospice and other end-of-life care services. Thank you donors!<br /><br /><strong>Golf Scramble</strong> - Day after Labor Day on Sept. 3, 2012 at Monterey Peninsula Country Club in Pebble Beach, California. Rare opportunity to play these world-renowned, members-only courses, so be sure to check our website this summer for all the details.<br /><br /><strong>Southern Comfort BBQ & Auction</strong> - (September) Wonderful party at the beautiful Massa Vineyard in Arroyo Seco in Southern Monterey County, Calif., hosted by Bill and Laurie Massa. This event attracts business and social leaders from the South County region to the spectacular grounds of the vineyard to raise funds for hospice! Call us if you are interested in more information!<br /><br /><strong>Coping with Grief at the Holidays</strong> - Two very special workshops for families who have lost a loved one and for those who need some support about how to cope with grief during the holiday period. These will be November 3 and 10, 2012 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Monterey and St. Ansgar's Lutheran Church in Salinas.<br /><br /><strong>Trees of Life Tribute Light Campaign</strong> - Three tree lightings in December with hundreds of lights illuminated, each in honor or in memory of someone. Get your 2012 light dedication early by call 831-333-9023. Dates to be determined.Hospice Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15150739668933174449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13143618.post-39274465531852214682011-11-07T13:54:00.000-08:002011-11-07T14:43:28.268-08:00Tips for Coping with Grief During the HolidaysWe had a wonderful turnout for our first of two Coping with Grief During the Holidays workshops on Saturday, Nov. 5, featuring author and grief counselor Judy Tatelbaum, MSW. Judy has been doing these workshops with us for more than 10 years. Our next one is Saturday, Nov. 12 at St. Ansgar's Lutheran Church in Salinas, 10 a.m. to noon. <br /><br />Here are excerpts of her suggestions from the hand-outs we give to people who attend...:<br /><br /><strong>Be kind to yourself.</strong> Do only as much as much as you can comfortably handle. Get the rest and nourishment and affection that you need. Choose what's best for you--to spend time alone or to be with people, and whether or not you want to be immersed in the holiday spirit or not.<br /><br /><strong>Ask for what you need.</strong> People find great satisfaction in being able to help you. Let them but if you want your privacy respected, let them know this too. If you want to talk about the person you've lost, tell them this too.<br /><br /><strong>Don't compare your life with other people's lives.</strong> Feeling jealous of intact families and feeling deprived are natural reactions after a loss. But don't believe that other families are happier than your as if other people have what you do not. We tend to harbor illusions about other people live and especially at the holidays, they may not be as ideal as you think.<br /><br /><strong>You can choose how or where to spend the holidays.</strong> There is no perfect solution but you can choose what you would like to do, or nothing at all. You can choose to spend them as usual, though recognize they will feel different than usual without your loved one, or you can do something entirely new.<br /><br />You are in control of how you want to navigate the holidays. It is not wrong if you choose to avoid the holidays altogether or you can choose to do something you've never done before such as going on a cruise, taking a brief trip or take on other things that can pleasantly distract you. It is okay to have a good time, you will not be dishonoring the love one you lost.<br /><br />Our love is not measured by the extent of our grief. We can love forever without having grief as our testimonial to that love. Remember, few of us would want others to be forever bereft because we are gone.<br /><br />The best gift we can give ourselves and others for the holidays and every day is to live our lives wholeheartedly.<br /><br />--Excerpts from<br />Surviving the Holiday When Someone You Love Has Died<br />By Judy Tatelbaum<br />Bereavement Magazine<br />Nov/Dec. 1991Hospice Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15150739668933174449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13143618.post-36279286849428309822011-06-16T14:54:00.000-07:002011-06-16T16:14:48.258-07:00Philanthropy: Cornerstone to a Meaningful LifeBy Lisa Bennett<br /><br />I just learned something troubling:<br /><br />A study in January this year by U.S. Trust revealed that <em>only 36 percent</em> of the wealthy and very wealthy consider "making a positive impact on society" an important use of their wealth. And <em>only 13 percent</em> consider it important to "leave a legacy of contribution to society."<br /><br />A 2007 Bank of America study said 98 percent of high-net-worth households give to charity, and most of them give to multiple organizations.<br /><br />If so many wealthy people are giving to charity, why isn't using their wealth "to make a positive impact on society" a higher priority for them?<br /><br />I was surprised to learn that the top three priorites cited in the US Trust study were "financial security," "financial freedom" and "travel." Maybe these donors are not giving enough thought behind their philanthropy. Maybe their gifts are at a dollar level not "meaningful" to them.<br /><br />Philanthropy can be a cornerstone of building a meaningful life by using one's wealth to help create lasting, positive change.<br /><br />Ask yourself, "When people speak my name after I'm gone, what would I like them to say?"<br /><br />How would you like to be remembered?<br /><br />Thoughtful, meaningful philanthropy is one way to seek and find the answer to these questions. Philanthropy that goes beyond the merely transactional and soars into the transformational will help us all - the donors no less than the recipients.<br /><br />Think about it.Hospice Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15150739668933174449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13143618.post-40754642493964626222011-05-31T14:37:00.000-07:002011-05-31T15:25:34.552-07:00Taking A Broader Approach to End-of-Life CareLet's face it. We all don't pay much attention to how we want to receive care at the end of life because we're too busy living our lives: taking care of kids, working hard, looking after aging parents or grandparents. It's tough to face the fact that the end of our lives will one day be upon us. Americans like to avoid the subject altogether.<br /><br />Studies have shown that most of us want to spend our final days at home, surrounded by loved ones and all things familiar. No one wants to be in pain and most everyone certainly wants uncomfortable symptoms to be controlled.<br /><br />But every person is different. Every family is different. A cookie cutter approach to the appropriate care and services doesn't serve the needs.<br /><br />Yes, hospice care is a wonderful, compassionate broad-ranging plan of care for people at the end of life. We're huge champions. Most of Hospice Foundation's funding supports core hospice services. But hospice isn't for everyone because of its eligibility requirements--that the patient seeks only pain and symptom control and no longer curative therapies. Nor does it serve the full range of needs out there.<br /><br /><br />That's why Hospice Foundation has taken an innovative, proactive approach, working with local providers of end-of-life services, to determine the greatest needs in the community for end of life care and funding those services. We fund a range of end of life services, and we advocate for changes in the system to improve access to care for all.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGsRFkHzjb0rA68WIe30-PdiW-9tFjZOfNaAvi0PHTyh14Zyz_v1HBD-D5Wbo-emxz8UnfY_r2WL1kWIS4YWb1DsDrAFcM-pIOEevVbH9WlF7615wSiARBkJaMjNxwR2suZRs2/s1600/Boy_Lying_Down.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 134px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613002255077122594" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGsRFkHzjb0rA68WIe30-PdiW-9tFjZOfNaAvi0PHTyh14Zyz_v1HBD-D5Wbo-emxz8UnfY_r2WL1kWIS4YWb1DsDrAFcM-pIOEevVbH9WlF7615wSiARBkJaMjNxwR2suZRs2/s200/Boy_Lying_Down.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />For example, because of the hospice eligibility requirements by state and insurance payors, this option for years didn't sit well with parents. They didn't want to forego curative care and treatments for their kids, even if these weren't likely to change the course of their child's illness. Most parents don't want to go there, and they shouldn't have to. That's why we helped fund changes to the law and terminally ill kids can now receive hospice-like care at home while still undergoing treatments. <br /><br />Whether it is for children or adults, Hospice Foundation is about funding solutions. We're also about ensuring that high-quality compassionate end-of-life care and services are available to all today and into the future. Please read more about our work on our website: <a href="http://www.hospicegiving.org/">http://www.hospicegiving.org/</a> and join the conversation on our Facebook page. Find Hospice Foundation. Tell us what you think.....Hospice Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15150739668933174449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13143618.post-41676650482524155072011-03-22T15:23:00.000-07:002011-03-22T15:58:01.404-07:00Spirituality and End-of-Life Care Conference<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir5PyBumL6EaEq2OXxShZNsW3BJGj3ucU2SpbEyPMW1hlC9HBTGHk6j2Ewh6YoMFs6TllEdRpesYiVPwz0L8PaYnpRcEcdUkJPh4wd61cN_yTddpHIBTlfvadhWdnwMKfR3JkK/s1600/2011WebBanner+copy.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 38px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587036517276482658" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir5PyBumL6EaEq2OXxShZNsW3BJGj3ucU2SpbEyPMW1hlC9HBTGHk6j2Ewh6YoMFs6TllEdRpesYiVPwz0L8PaYnpRcEcdUkJPh4wd61cN_yTddpHIBTlfvadhWdnwMKfR3JkK/s200/2011WebBanner+copy.jpg" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYz6SYFjX7swT1z_1p38qU3GXyyjyC43czUyQYeuVKYdUlG-RnIA2HRDPM0lMVFw5Il340PBSAXqlRg8h_jpFumPTUtysViMVYuiJH40f60EPfWC-fTukKx-q4uzxTq9-shH9g/s1600/2011WebBanner+copy.jpg"></a><br /><br /><div>Join us for an enlightening and engaging discussion exploring the topic of "Spirituality and End of Life Care" and featuring two panels of renowned professionals from the clergy, health and human service sectors on Wednesday, April 13, 2011 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at California State University, Monterey Bay. Space is limited; Reservations required to 831-333-9023. Admission by April 8 is $35 and includes lunch; $40 after April 8. More info: <a href="http://www.hospicegiving.org/">http://www.hospicegiving.org</a></div><br /><div></div><div>Panelists will discuss and explore the emotional, practical, spiritual and health concerns that emerge throughout a serious illness and at the end-of-life. They will define spirituality as different from religion, and evaluate approaches to end-of-life reminiscence, life review, and dignity enhancement. They will describe successful approaches to helping people utilize and enhance their coping capabilities through various spiritual practices, rituals, beliefs, and within various faith communities.</div><br /><div></div><div>Ten local non-profit providers will have displays and representatives on hand to answer questions about their services. All are Hospice Foundation grant recipients.</div><div></div><div>See you there!</div></div>Hospice Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15150739668933174449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13143618.post-16908105868720450962011-03-04T15:07:00.000-08:002011-03-04T15:23:55.864-08:00Tax Law Supports Charitable Gift Planning<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDXTKCYEFgdDsxvFCh1x0AP9KPnHZd-Bl1dk296FmGuVcbvnPxMSaKNOrh5lYjlQC9zNy_IgOukGmULbkTay-9NyIFrIz_fEu4sMKRJ3kJyORVra494Y2GoV572vTpsrhZyphB/s1600/Lisa166.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 83px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 120px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580367774321627810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDXTKCYEFgdDsxvFCh1x0AP9KPnHZd-Bl1dk296FmGuVcbvnPxMSaKNOrh5lYjlQC9zNy_IgOukGmULbkTay-9NyIFrIz_fEu4sMKRJ3kJyORVra494Y2GoV572vTpsrhZyphB/s200/Lisa166.jpg" /></a><br /><div>By Lisa Bennett<br /><br /><br /><div>Fortunately, our tax system encourages you to make charitable gifts which can provide significant tax savings. You could receive income, estate- and gift-tax advantages, depending on how you structure your giving.</div><br /><div></div><div>If you want to make a significant gift to Hospice Foundation, but need your investment income, a Charitable Gift Annuity (CGA) might work for you. A CGA provides a fixed-dollar payment on a quarterly basis to you and/or a loved one. The amount of the annuity payment and the income-tax advantages will depend on the age and number of people who will receive theincome. many annuitants find tht the actual income from a CGA is higher than they were receiving from highly appreciated, but low-yielding stocks.</div><br /><div></div><div>It pays to stay up-to-date on changes in tax laws. For more information, articles available at the National Law Review (<a href="http://www.natlawreview.com/">http://www.natlawreview.com/</a>) and PGCalc (pgcalc.com) are good sources. You may also want to contact your estate planning attorney or accountant. I'm also happy to answer your questions, at no obligation of course. Please call me at (831) 333-9017 or <a href="mailto:lbennett@hospicegiving.org">lbennett@hospicegiving.org</a>.</div><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div>Hospice Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15150739668933174449noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13143618.post-60016823352010252132010-07-01T15:03:00.000-07:002010-07-01T15:03:31.742-07:00Bill Casey's Experience with Hospice<object style="BACKGROUND-IMAGE: url(http://i2.ytimg.com/vi/uW03fXNC2Zo/hqdefault.jpg)" height="295" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/uW03fXNC2Zo&hl=en_US&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/uW03fXNC2Zo&hl=en_US&fs=1" width="480" height="295" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object>Hospice Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15150739668933174449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13143618.post-22027008424459370612010-06-01T13:13:00.000-07:002010-06-01T13:57:47.456-07:00Medicare May Soon Cover "Concurrent Care"It's well documented that sometimes families will choose to continue curative treatments for a terminally ill loved one, even if a cure is unlikely, rather than choose palliative care that focuses on symptom management and comfort care. No one wants to feel like they are "giving up" on a loved one. They understandably want to try everything medically possible to try and cure or slow down the advance of disease.<br /><br />Complicating the issue is that many insurance programs and Medicare stipulate that patients must choose to forego further curative treatments <em>before</em> they can be admitted into a hospice program and receive its comfort-based measures. Unfortunately, the decision to seek hospice care is too often made just days or hours before the death of the ill family member. He or she has not been able to benefit from the many wonderful, supportive services the hospice team provides.<br /><br />The good news is that soon patients and families may no longer have to make such a heart-breaking choice.<br /><br />The U.S. Health & Human Services Dept., which administers Medicare, is undertaking a"concurrent care" study to see how to combine (and cover) curative treatments with palliative care. Can this perplexing issue be heading toward a solution? We certainly hope so because this is the right thing to do.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2010/05/24/prsb0524.htm">http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2010/05/24/prsb0524.htm</a>Hospice Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15150739668933174449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13143618.post-27600845988645463052010-03-26T15:27:00.000-07:002010-03-26T23:55:37.201-07:00Where Do We Go From Here?Hospice Foundation of America's recent teleconference called Cancer and End of Life Care explored the many issues surrounding transitioning terminally ill patients from curative treatments to other care options such as hospice.<br /><br />Dr. John Hausdorf, a Monterey, California, oncologist and panelist at our teleconference broadcast site said that new cancer therapies try two avenues: one to cure the cancer and another to prolong life by slowing down the progression of disease.<br /><br />It's great that there are many more options today. But when the cancer is incurable, often the patient and family still want to try additional treatments. Sometimes these treatments can greatly impact the patient's quality of life because of debilitating side effects. So it leaves health care providers, patients and their families grappling with a timing question: when does hospice care become the better option? To go on hospice, the patient must forego any additional treatment.<br /><br />This leaves one to ask, why can't patients have it both ways? Hope for a cure but also the ability to gain additional care and support if needed. Why can't compassionate, home-centered care that supports the dying patient become a natural part of the health care continuum...why must patients choose one course over another? Shouldn't it just be seamless?<br /><br />Unfortunately, Medicare and private insurance companies haven't yet figured out a way to contain the costs of seamless transitions to end of life care. They require patients to exit and enter different modes of treatment which have different rates of reimbursements to providers. So while hospice is a wonderful choice, the fact that IT IS A CHOICE is in itself a barrier for people. They don't realize that hospice does allow patients to live to the fullest extent possible, under the circumstances, with care, comfort and dignity.<br /><br />The system needs to change to recognize these needs.<br /><br />Healthcare choices for people at the end of life should be seamless. Patients and families should not have to make such difficult choices--whether or not to stop treatment--be required to give up something to get something else. Hospice care should be available to all as a matter of course in our end of life health care delivery.Hospice Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15150739668933174449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13143618.post-58218260900321550002010-02-09T22:37:00.000-08:002010-02-09T22:37:56.601-08:00eBay Giving Works - About My Nonprofit - Hospice Foundation<a href="http://donations.ebay.com/charity/charity.jsp?NP_ID=36497">eBay Giving Works - About My Nonprofit - Hospice Foundation</a><br /><br />You can now buy or sell your items and benefit hospice care. Try this link to learn more!Hospice Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15150739668933174449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13143618.post-21520127177017820642010-01-26T09:57:00.000-08:002010-01-26T10:06:31.409-08:00It Takes A Community: Weighing In On Recent Herald Story:<a href="http://www.montereyherald.com/search/ci_14262333?IADID=Search-www.montereyherald.com-www.montereyherald.com">http://www.montereyherald.com/search/ci_14262333?IADID=Search-www.montereyherald.com-www.montereyherald.com</a><br /><br />In a recent story in the Monterey County Herald about Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula's efforts to reign in costs and increase its efficiency, Alice Kinsler weighed in on the topic with a letter to the editor reprinted here for you:<br /><br />Dear Editor:<br />As president and CEO of Hospice Foundation, I applaud Community Hospital’s wide-ranging efforts to maintain the quality of its patient care while working to contain its costs of providing services. It is indeed a challenge today for all health care providers as they grapple with steep cuts in reimbursement from government and private insurance. Unless providers are able to find alternative ways to help close the funding gap, it can mean cutting vital services.<br /><br />Community Hospital and other local providers turn to Hospice Foundation for help to ensure their hospice and other end-of-life care services remain available and high-quality for all families who need them. In October, Hospice Foundation responded to CHOMP with a $517,000 grant to help reduce the impact of its reimbursement/cost gap. In fact, 10 local end-of-life care providers received Hospice Foundation funding in 2009 totaling just over $1 million. But we can’t do this alone. We depend upon our community of donors—the source of these grants—to help us respond to the community’s needs for end-of-life care. Let the providers concentrate on cost-effective and high-quality patient and family services. You can help by joining with Hospice Foundation to support their efforts. It takes a community!<br /><br />Alice Kinsler<br />Carmel ValleyHospice Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15150739668933174449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13143618.post-58598906323534183142010-01-05T13:27:00.000-08:002010-01-05T13:34:51.803-08:00No Worries-Retirement Income That is GuaranteedIn an era of economic uncertainty about many retirement income vehicles, here's one that remains guaranteed - the income payment you can receive from a charitable gift annuity (CGA).<br /><br />Hospice Foundation is among just a handful of Monterey County nonprofits that is licensed through the State Department of Insurance to offer a Charitable Gift Annuity. CGAs are a great way to benefit you and/or a loved one today and well into the future, then ultimately fund end-of-life care and comfort services for Monterey and San Benito county residents and families.<br /><br />A charitable gift annuity is part investment and part donation. It is particularly attractive to a person who wants to receive income from assets that have risen sharply in value, such as stocks, because you can realize significant tax-savings.<br /><br />Read all about CGAs on our website.<br /><a href="http://www.hospicegiving.org/estate_gifts_CharitableAnnuities.htm">http://www.hospicegiving.org/estate_gifts_CharitableAnnuities.htm</a>Hospice Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15150739668933174449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13143618.post-29512023918949942982009-12-14T14:46:00.000-08:002009-12-14T14:53:04.029-08:00Tax-Free Year-End Giving with IRA Distributions<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWiakJJ234gWOsFF4-B5cvgBZSsElSYf8vL0nuwycGqsp7bdXN7wOS-NnhZvMIdbV7DFFekkyK0oG64JWJu6Hbz1UWj3C4wL2aF3n58tDYEnQirnzCo8Z_vKjcSbBvpqEBaVHW/s1600-h/Susan.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415228526381251938" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWiakJJ234gWOsFF4-B5cvgBZSsElSYf8vL0nuwycGqsp7bdXN7wOS-NnhZvMIdbV7DFFekkyK0oG64JWJu6Hbz1UWj3C4wL2aF3n58tDYEnQirnzCo8Z_vKjcSbBvpqEBaVHW/s200/Susan.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>You can be a part of the team who makes compassionate end-of-life care possible. Here's a year-end opportunity to save on Individual Retirement Account income taxes and make a gift to Hospice Foundation to help fund hospice and other end-of-life care in Monterey and San Benito counties.<br /></div><br /><div>If you are age 71 or older, you can make a tax-free gift from your traditional IRA distribution to support hospice care through the Hospice Foundation. You won't pay income tax on the amount of your gift!<br /></div><br /><div>But you have to act quickly, before December 31, to ensure you get full advantage of this opportunity.<br /><br />Here's how it works: Tell your traditional IRA administrator that you want to make a "qualified charitable distribution" to Hospice Foundation and give him or her the Foundation's federal tax ID, 94-2404634, our legal name, Central Coast Hospice Foundation, and our mailing address, PO Box 1798, Monterey, CA 93942.<br /><br />The administrator will send your tax-free gift directly to us. It must be postmarked by December 31, 2009! Thank you very much!<br />This giving opportunity has been available since 2006. Congress might extend it, as it did once before, but no one can say for sure.</div><br /><div><br />Here's the fine print:<br />· The check from the financial institution must be postmarked by December 31, 2009.<br />· Only IRA holders of the right age can take advantage of this opportunity.<br />· Traditional IRAs work best for this program. Because Roth IRAs are taxed differently, a charitable distribution from a Roth IRA probably offers you far less benefit.<br />· Charitable distributions cannot be made from 401(k), 403(b), SEP IRA, or SIMPLE IRA accounts-they don't qualify for this program.<br />Note: We do not advise on personal income tax issues. Please consult your tax advisor for full information. Only your advisor can give you definitive advice based on your personal financial circumstances.<br /><br />If you have any questions, please call Susan Cortese, Director of Development, Hospice Foundation, (831) 333-9023.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>Hospice Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15150739668933174449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13143618.post-51390322698490198222009-09-25T14:50:00.000-07:002009-09-25T15:10:30.609-07:00Remarkable Hi-Tech Solutions in Home Care SettingToday, I drove about 60 miles south of our office for a demonstration by one of our grant recipients of hi-tech telemedicine units they purchased with a $94,000 grant we gave them earlier this year.<br /><br />The units are truly remarkable technology, offering a huge solution for connecting patients in rural locations to nursing offices that may be many, many miles away in more populated locales. They offer peace of mind to family members between scheduled visits by the nurse, helps reduce the anxiety of both the patient and family, and helps make it possible for patients to remain at home for care.<br /><br />These units measure blood pressure, heart rate, respiration, blood oxygen levels, and record weight, among other things. It provides state-of-the-art monitoring of a patient's condition and the opportunity for the family caregivers and patients to directly talk with the nurse, ask questions and learn what to do next. By manipulating the small unit affixed with a camera, the family caregiver helps the nurse see the patient's wounds or check for swelling, discuss his or her overall condition and see them directly for conversation.<br /><br />Six units, in operation in South Monterey County, were purchased by a Hospice Foundation grant given last spring to Central Coast Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice, Inc., based in Monterey. The funds were raised from the foundation's highly successful Southern Comfort BBQ and Auction at Massa Vineyard in Arroyo Seco, Calif. on Sept. 6, 2008.Hospice Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15150739668933174449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13143618.post-45726359994340887132009-09-02T14:29:00.000-07:002009-09-02T14:45:33.856-07:00Benefits of End-of-Life ConversationsPeople often avoid talking about end-of-life issues because no one wants to think about death and dying, as if it's not going to happen to them. Planning, preparation and understanding are the keys to having a dignified, peaceful death which most people claim they would like to have. It doesn't mean, of course, that death will happen tomorrow, next week or even next year. But some day. Talking about what you want when you come to the end of your life can be a very tender, bonding experience with your loved one, and they can benefit by talking with you. We want the best for each other.<br /><br />Conversations between doctors and patients are also a good idea but sadly this will not be part of the health care reform bill.<br /><br />We've attached a link from Boston.com that addresses this issue. It discusses the benefits to families, patients in having these conversations. Also find this quote:<br /><br />“Everybody is afraid of death; it’s part of being a human being. But this regressive thing happens when there’s a big public conversation,’’ said Don Schumacher, president of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. “This legislation is an opportunity to begin. Between 2011 and 2028, 70 million people are going to die. That’s a lot of people to care for, and we need to have these conversations."Hospice Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15150739668933174449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13143618.post-71066346765651835052009-07-24T14:43:00.001-07:002009-07-24T14:54:29.212-07:00News to Share<strong>Award Received</strong><br />In ceremonies last night, Hospice Foundation was given the Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce's Business Excellence Award as 2009 Best Non-Profit. We gave $1.32 million in grants to 10 local organizations that serve people at the end of life and their families. This brings to more than $15 million in funds given since 1997 to help create, develop and sustain local service providers of hospice care for children and adults, and other services for the end of life.<br /><br /><strong>Executor Trustee Seminars - No charge to attend.</strong><br />Announcing the dates for Hospice Foundation's fall seminar series, <em>Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Being An Executor or Trustee.<br /></em>Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009, 5:15 to 7 p.m. - National Steinbeck Center, Salinas, Calif.<br />Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009, 5:15 to 7 p.m. - Embassy Suites Hotel, Seaside, Calif.<br />Call for details and to reserve your space: 831-333-9023Hospice Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15150739668933174449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13143618.post-79660800037383453232009-07-22T13:35:00.000-07:002009-07-22T14:02:54.581-07:00National Hospice Advocates React to O'Reilly Guest CommentsHospice Foundation of America recently responded with a letter to conservative talk show host Bill O'Reilly denouncing comments made by Laura Ingraham, a recent guest on his show in which she evidentally mischaracterized hospice care. In the letter, HFA said Ms. Ingraham portrays "hospice as merely a place to die and her suggestion that hospice advocates seek to shorten life are so wrong and so harmful that they must be addressed."<br /><br />The discussion was surrounding the health care reform debate now in Congress. Whatever your thoughts on this topic, it is important to note that hospice is not a place but rather a philosophy of care in the home setting that "seeks to add quality to the last weeks and months of life for those suffering from incurable illness," HFA says. "The people who choose hospice do not choose to give up on life. Instead, they wish to spend their final moments at home with their loved ones, aided by doctors and nurses who specialize in pain management and supported by counselors and clergy who are experts in pastoral care."<br /><br />Here's a link to read the letter to Mr. O'Reilly: <a href="http://www.hospicefoundation.org/newsroom/releases/090721.asp">http://www.hospicefoundation.org/newsroom/releases/090721.asp</a>Hospice Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15150739668933174449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13143618.post-55212681315329527992009-05-28T14:27:00.000-07:002009-05-28T14:29:06.112-07:00More on Quality End of Life ConversationsFound an excellent, touching story about how conversations between dying patients and their physicians achieve a higher quality of life for patients at the end of life. Check it out.<br /><a href="http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/28/redefining-hope-at-lifes-end/">http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/28/redefining-hope-at-lifes-end/</a>Hospice Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15150739668933174449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13143618.post-11232326062772242422009-05-27T12:57:00.000-07:002009-05-27T13:29:36.798-07:00Why Families Avoid the Call for Hospice HelpFamilies tend to delay calling for hospice services until just the last days or weeks of a loved one's life primarily because of misconceptions about what it is all about, according to a recent post,"Avoiding the Call to Hospice," by Paula Span on The New York Time blog, <em>The New Old Age. </em><br /><br />Span says many people think hospice is a place to go to die, rather than a type of home-based care that offers a multitude of services, many of which are covered by Medicare or private insurances. Some think it is about giving up on finding a cure, still others are simply afraid of the term, <em>hospice</em>. Span says some people equate the term with death and dying, rather than realizing that hospice care is about managing a loved one's pain and uncomfortable symptoms and offers compassinate care at home. In addition, Span says, "doctors may neglect to mention hospice care (as an option), or even discourage it."<br /><br />Check out the blog post: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/oe2ss4">http://tinyurl.com/oe2ss4</a><br />When patients have made the decision to no longer treat the disease, hospice care offers a range of care services for people in the comfort of their home. It does not effect of the course of the disease but can positively effect the "condition" of the patient, and offers help to family members caring for a loved one.Hospice Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15150739668933174449noreply@blogger.com