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Anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one knows the journey through grief doesn’t have a timeline. Memories can flood our minds at inopportune moments at the grocery store or at milestone events when there is an empty seat at the table where our loved one used to sit. Homeland Hospice held its 10^th Annual 5K and Memory Walk on September 14 to provide a safe and supportive space for families to honor a lost loved one.

More than 300 runners, walkers, staff members and volunteers gathered for this special Homeland tradition. Runners and walkers wore purple event t-shirts with the names of loved ones remembered. Many participants walked in groups with their furry family members in tow wearing colorful bandanas provided by Homeland. Among the purple sea of participants was Kathy Page and her friend Kim Sowers. This was Kathy’s sixth year walking in honor of her husband Charlie who received hospice services before his death in 2019.

“I support the event every year,” Cathy says. “I am proud to see Charlie’s name on the t-shirt.”

When Kim’s mother, Gail, needed support services, Cathy recommended Homeland based on the compassionate care Charlie received. Kim’s mother has passed away, making this Kim’s first walk.

For others, the event was about supporting Homeland’s mission and connecting with friends and colleagues. Hannah Dudginski of Enola works for Homeland but rarely gets to connect with her coworkers. She brought along her sisters Madeline and Sarah.

“It is great to see everyone,” Hannah says. “We love supporting this event.”

A unique aspect of the event includes interactive stations to help families process their grief. Alexis Conkle, MSW, a Homeland Bereavement Counselor, helped create the activities at each station. The first station focused on gratitude and release. Participants could write personal messages to their loved ones on a special piece of paper which dissolved when placed in water.

“This station is emotional and personal for families,” Alexis says. “At the same time, it can provide relief for many people whose hearts are heavy because they have something to say to their loved one.”

At the second station, runners and walkers received small candles with an uplifting quote about the power of light during dark times of our lives.

Homeland’s beloved teddy bear, named Rosemary, also made a special appearance at the third station. Rosemary is a perennial herb that symbolizes love and remembrance and is often incorporated into special Homeland events.

Runners and walkers could have their photos taken with Rosemary who was in the driver’s seat of a car. Racers could also write the name of their loved one on a magnet and place it on the car.

Homeland Hospice provided a new station this year in honor of its 15^th Anniversary, which will be celebrated with a special event on Saturday, November 23, 2024. “History, Heart & Honor” will include a display of handmade works of art in the shape of a heart. Participants at the race were encouraged to decorate a heart with adjectives about their loved one for the upcoming event.

As the walkers and racers completed the course, they enjoyed apples, bananas, granola bars and burritos over conversation and relaxation.

Funds raised benefit Homeland Hospice supportive services like massage, music therapy and additional in-home relief hours as well as residents of Homeland Center whose financial resources have been exhausted. Homeland Hospice is a nonprofit hospice program that serves communities throughout Central Pennsylvania.

For more information about Homeland Hospice, call (717) 221-7890.

Taking the wrong step or losing balance, even for a brief moment, can cause a debilitating fall. For adults 65 years and older, a simple fall can have a lasting impact. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), falls are the leading cause of injury for this age group. Homeland’s team of highly trained professionals understands the importance of fall prevention and incorporates safety measures and education into its way of work to provide the best care possible for clients and patients.

Karen Paterson, an occupational therapist and quality control coordinator has worked for Homeland since 2017. In her role as a therapist, she works directly with clients and patients. She also evaluates Homeland’s services to ensure the highest standards of safety are met. From her experience, teaching people how to establish and maintain balance is key to preventing falls.

“I teach people to follow the CDC’s balance test,” Karen says. “These four stances can reduce the risk of falls.”

The 4-stage balance test includes standing in the following positions for 10 seconds:

• Stand with feet side-by-side.
• Place the instep of one foot so it is touching the big toe of the other foot.
• Place one foot in front of the other so the heel touches the toe.
• Stand on one foot.

Understanding and regularly practicing this test can give people confidence in their balance as well as identify areas of weakness in the body to focus on strengthening. Movement and increased flexibility are essential to engage our body’s muscles and build muscle memory.

In addition to the lower extremities, Karen recommends focusing on neck and upper body flexibility with simple exercises such as like turning one’s neck slowly to the left and right, chin tucks and shoulder shrugs. The culmination of these practices can help people get to know their body and movements.

“Our night vision can be limited,” Karen adds. “Knowing how our body moves can help us navigate our steps.”

Simple adjustments to the layout and lighting of one’s home is another important factor in preventing falls. Modifications like no-skid bathmats and proper lighting can make a significant difference in safety. Other recommended adjustments include adding shower bars, clearing walking spaces and removing throw rugs.

Through Homeland’s outreach services which include Homeland Hospice, Homeland HomeHealth, Homeland HomeCare and Homeland Palliative Care, each person is given a comprehensive assessment to develop a unique care plan to meet individualized needs. The safety of clients and patients is the foundation of all plans.

During her time making home visits, Karen gets to know her clients and patients well. For some people, visits from Homeland staff are the only visits they receive, which makes observations of their behavior and movement so important to their safety.

“Prevention is key,” Karen says. “We want everyone we serve to have the best life possible.”

Nicole Simmons was hanging her artwork in Homeland’s sunny Florida Room Gallery when a resident came by.

“Ooh, look at the pretty pictures,” the resident said. “They are so beautiful.”

That was music to Simmons’ ear. As a self-taught artist who recently discovered her love for painting, she loves connecting with people who express their appreciation.

“I like hearing that people get something out of it,” she said.

Simmons is the artist for the summer 2024 edition of the Community Gallery Initiative. Through the initiative, the Art Association of Harrisburg matches local artists with exhibit spaces at area businesses and facilities, rotating the exhibits quarterly.

Initially, Simmons thought she’d try painting as a new hobby. Five years after graduating from Gettysburg College with a degree in political science and a minor in Spanish, she became curious about the “paint and sip” trend.

“As soon as my brush hit the canvas, I thought, ‘This is awesome.’”

Initially, Simmons expected to work in cartooning and animation, but experienced artists suggested that she get a grounding in portraits and painting techniques first.

“So, I kind of went on a tangent, and I’ve been on that tangent ever since,” she said.

Today, Simmons works as a fundraising researcher and strategist at Dickinson College. Art is her creative expression outlet. She paints in a studio in her recently refurbished basement, experimenting with media and techniques.

Texture and subtle collage are evident in the pieces brightening the Homeland hallway. Her mixed-media pieces might blend plaster, collage, and acrylics. One painting of birch trees was created with oil paint and cold wax. for a cake-frosting look that inspired its title, “Frosty Twilight.”

Simmons primarily learned to paint from YouTube videos, online classes, and through the Art Association of Harrisburg.

For her Homeland show, Simmons brought two collections featuring butterflies and birch trees. The butterfly collection emerged from her memories of catching butterflies as a child. As she painted, she recognized that butterflies also represented her transformation into an artist.

“I chose butterflies as a fun thing to do, but after a while, I realized that butterflies have a deeper meaning for me,” she said. “They change. They’re metamorphosis.”

Hikes with her husband through the wilds of Pennsylvania and Colorado inspired her birch tree paintings.

“I love the visual texture of birch trees,” she said. “It resonated with what I was trying to do.”

While this is Simmons’ first Community Gallery Initiative showing, the Art Association of Harrisburg has included her paintings in group exhibits. She also had a solo show at the Wheel of Light studio in Halifax. Simmons sells her work at www.nicolesimmonsart.com

“I prefer putting out things that inspire happiness and joy in people,” she said. “Naturally, there’s a place in art for the more pensive pieces, and I appreciate them, but my creative process is so joyful and brings me a lot of satisfaction that I want to pass it on.”

Showing at Homeland feels like the perfect fit.

“I love bringing my work to this space,” she said. “Residents might see them and remember their own experiences, when they took a hike or were catching butterflies.”

As to where her art goes next, Simmons is “kind of at a crossroads.” She’s thinking of returning to portraitures but still loves playing with texture, so she’s trying to figure out how all the pieces fit.

“Lately, I’ve been inspired by light and shadow and how to render warm and cool light,” she said. “Color temperature and color theory is what I’ll dive into next.”

Learning always drives the look and feel of her work.

“Art is constantly a learning experience, and I think that’s part of why I love art so much,” Simmons said. “There’s always something to learn. People say I should be a professional artist, but I love being a learner and student. It’s so freeing to experiment and try things. You’re not beholden to the same style.”

As a young woman, Tamara Jaroszewski of Harrisburg experienced the profound impact of hospice services when her sister died of breast cancer at age 40. For Tamara, hospice work became a beacon of hope and inspiration. She felt called to help patients during their end-of-life journey. Her call was recently answered when she joined Homeland’s Hospice team as the volunteer coordinator. Homeland Hospice, a nonprofit hospice program, serves communities throughout Central Pennsylvania.

“I proudly do this work in honor of my sister,” Tamara says. “I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”

Tamara joined Homeland after working as a volunteer coordinator for a large hospice organization that served a sizable region. Her work with Homeland gives Tamara the opportunity to build relationships with patients and their families and the dedicated cadre of hospice volunteers. Homeland’s life-changing work is made possible by volunteers who share their time and compassion with others. From working directly with patients to helping with administrative tasks, volunteers are the lifeblood of the organization.

“I am getting to know our volunteers personally,” Tamara adds. “I am overwhelmed by their kindness and dedication to our work.”

Many volunteers find personal satisfaction from the relationships formed through patient visits. Often, patients think of volunteers as an extension of their family. Tamara helps support these relationships and assists volunteers to ensure they feel supported in their roles. When a volunteer returned to her scheduled patient visits after a reprieve to grieve the death of her father, Tamara was by her side.

“I knew her first visit back could be difficult,” Tamara says. “We approached it as a team.”

While Tamara has been with Homeland for only a few months, she is impressed by the longevity of service and creativity volunteers bring to their work. Many individuals have dedicated years to the organization and continue to raise their hands to take on new and different projects to bring comfort to patients and their families.

Tamara is excited to see more people participate in My Life, My Legacy, which gives hospice patients an opportunity to tell their life story to a volunteer who records the responses and allows the family to add their thoughts and recollections, as well as photographs. The end result is a printed book for the patient to help him/her find peace, and pride in his/her life story. The book also helps families preserve memories after their loved one dies.

“The books are beautifully written,” Tamara adds. “Our volunteers put their heart and souls into these projects and it shows.”

As Tamara grows in her tenure with Homeland, she looks forward to shepherding new projects as they evolve to benefit patients. For her, each day is a new and wonderful opportunity to build on Homeland’s rich history of service.

“You know when you are in the right place,” Tamara says. “I feel I was destined to do this work.”

For more information on volunteer opportunities with Homeland Hospice, call Tamara at (717) 221-7890.

“You, my brown eyed girl.” The lyrics of “Brown Eyed Girl,” Van Morrison’s nostalgic and catchy song from 1967, is familiar to many and a portal to another time for others. For anyone growing up in the 1960s, this song and others from this era evoke memories of times with friends and the feeling of freedom that comes with youth.

Music has the power to connect us to memories hidden in the recesses of our brain and ignite energy in our mind and body. Homeland Hospice, a nonprofit hospice program that serves communities throughout Central Pennsylvania, uses a music and memory program to bring patients comfort and peace during their end-of-life journey. Through this program, volunteers work with a patient’s family to create a playlist specific to the patient’s interests.

For Stephanie Douglas of Carlisle, the song “Brown Eyed Girl” has a new meaning after she played the song for a hospice patient. Stephanie has volunteered with Homeland Hospice for several years. A self-described hugger, Stephanie believes human touch relieves stress and restores calm in the body. When “Brown Eyed Girl” was played, the patient’s demeanor changed.

“The tension disappeared from her face,” Stephanie says. “I could feel her lightly squeeze my hand.”

Stephanie’s patient was nonverbal. She conveyed her emotions through facial expressions and the occasional tightening of her hands. Music was a lifeline to connect her to her past. Stephanie’s patient loved musicals and would often sing and dance throughout her home during her younger years.

“We filled the playlist with musicals and her favorite songs,” Stephanie adds. “We even added holiday songs since my visits were close to Christmas.”

The music helped transport the patient’s memory to a time when illness did not exist. The stress in her face and occasional tears were replaced with lifted eyebrows and wide eyes of excitement. In addition to “Brown Eyed Girl,” holiday songs like “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” and “Up on the Housetop” changed the patient’s demeanor.

“Her face looked peaceful and her eyes grew wide with excitement,” Stephanie says. “I could see her shoulders shimmy ever so slightly.”

Hearing is widely thought to be the last sense to decline during the process of dying, making music the ideal way to connect and ease worries. Music also provides comfort to caregivers.

For Kelly Willenborg of Florida, educating people about the power of music and memory has been her professional life’s work. Kelly is a brain health gerontologist, a researcher who studies the impact of aging. Among her many accomplishments in this field, Kelly launched the Healing Jukebox to bring musical engagement to senior living homes. She also is part of the documentary “Alive Inside: A Story of Music and Memory” and has developed a series of questions to help guide family members when creating a unique playlist. She uses a free Spotify App for ease of use.

Kelly connected with Homeland Hospice several months ago to bring this organized and purposeful approach of music and memory to Homeland.

“Homeland is one of the first hospice organizations to use this program,” Kelly says. “I hope this is the spark to encourage people across the country to try this approach.”

While more music therapists are in need to keep up with the aging Baby Boomer Generation, the music and memory program is an easy and free approach anyone can use to care for their loved one.

For Stephanie, her experience with music and her hospice patient was a powerful lesson she used when caring for her father during his final days earlier this year. Stephanie developed a playlist of her dad’s favorite music including music from the Four Freshman.

“Music took my dad to a place of comfort,” Stephanie says. “The songs helped all of us find peace during a difficult time.”

The power of human connection brought Stephanie to Homeland as a volunteer. The opportunity to make meaningful connections and utilize new services, like music, has given her a volunteer experience like no other.

“I love my time with Homeland,” Stephanie adds. “I am thrilled to add music as another way to connect with patients.”

For more information about Homeland Hospice, call (717) 221-7890.