Harmon’s Face Value in Franklin help support the Hospice Mission

(l-r) Helen Vellekamp, Harmon’s Face Value Store Manager stands with Store Associates Val Kerwin and Linda Bazylevich near a display of hand sanitizers donated to Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice.

Helen Vellekamp, Store Manager for Harmon’s Face Value, located at the Franklin Shopping Center, 100 Rte. 23 North in Franklin, NJ, reached out to let Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice know they were arranging a community sales campaign and that Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice was selected as a beneficiary of the products sold.

This featured product was University Medical Pharmaceuticals Hand Sanitizer which was on display throughout the store. Guests were asked by store associates if they would like to purchase a bottle to be donated to Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice and positive responses were plentiful.  Helen Vellekamp and her team were proud to present the hospice with 390 bottles of hand sanitizer.  The Harmon’s team members noted that the accolades for Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice were abundant and that most of the donations from customers were followed with a testimony of how Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice touched their lives or the lives of someone they knew.

The organization has distributed this donation to the Home for Hospice for their care team and families at the facility; the Joseph T. Quinlan Bereavement Center, for field nurses and staff and volunteers. Also, a quantity of the hand sanitizers were allocated to be included the 2021 Blizzard Packs, an annual outreach from the Social Service Department for area residents throughout Sussex, Warren and Pike Counties. The Blizzard Pack  contains a variety of staples as well community resource guides in the case of an emergency.

November 18th is National Children’s Grief Awareness Day

National Children’s Grief Awareness Day (NCGAD) was created in 2008 by Highmark Caring Place and is observed the Thursday before Thanksgiving.

This initiative is meant to bring awareness to grieving children who are often referred to as the forgotten mourners. Many times, the adults or older siblings are entrenched in their own grief, leaving young grievers without the support needed during this critical time.

Places like the Joseph T. Quinlan Bereavement Center can provide the support a grieving child may need. We do this in a variety of ways such as individual counseling and children’s art and play groups. Many times, children are not able to find the words to express their grief and we can use play, music, art, and books to help them give voice to their grief and help them process their loss.

You can help support grieving children too! Thursday, November 18th you can wear blue to raise awareness and facilitate a conversation about supporting grieving children. You can use the hashtag #childgriefday on all your social media to help bring attention to this initiative. You can click on, and share, this link http://childrensgriefawarenessay.org/cgad2/pdf/butterfly/pdf . The blue butterfly is named Hope and we can all take pictures of us “Holding On To HOPE”

Additionally, hhis “Holding on to Hope,” sheet provides space for a name or names of those you wish to “Hold On To HOPE” for, whether in memory of them or in honor. https://www.childrensgriefawarenessday.org/cgad2/pdf/bubble.pdf

Together, let’s spread “Hope” to let grieving children know that we are here for them, we care, and they are not alone.

6th Annual Celebrate a Life 5k slated for September 25th

On September 25, 2021, Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice will host the sixth annual “Celebrate A Life 5k Walk.” The walk, which is being held at the New Jersey State Fairgrounds in Augusta, will start at 10:00 a.m. Pre-registration starts at 9:00 a.m. and opening ceremonies at 9:45. The walk is a way to help those dealing with a loss celebrate the life and memory of loved ones who have passed.

 

Dealing with the loss of a loved one is an emotional process that each person handles differently. The Joseph T. Quinlan Bereavement Center offers support to members of the community who are going through the grieving process. The proceeds from the walk will benefit the Joseph T. Quinlan Bereavement Centers. The bereavement center is located on 5 Plains Road in Augusta with satellite locations on Washington Street in Hackettstown and Third Street in Milford, PA.

 

The Joseph T. Quinlan Bereavement Center provides grief support and counseling for hospice families and the community free of charge. The staff works to bring comfort and understanding to help families through difficult times. Individual counseling and ongoing support groups are offered. Support groups include: anticipatory grief support, school bereavement support, memorial services, grief lecture series, children’s bereavement art program and pet loss support.

 

People interested in participating in the walk can register online at KarenAnnQuinlanHospice.org/Walk. The cost is $25 for adults and $15 for participants 13 and under. Vendor applications are also being accepted for $25.

 

This year’s event will again feature a Memory Wall sponsored by BIGGS Kids. Participants are encouraged to bring a photo of their loved one to place on the Memory Wall. Each year we will display past photos as well as encourage new ones to be placed.

 

Registrants are encouraged to form a team to raise funds. There will be prizes awarded to individuals and teams who raise the most money. Individuals who raise $100 or more will get a memorial marker with their loved one’s name displayed along the walk route. All money raised will stay in the community and benefit the Bereavement Center.

 

Please call 973-383-0115 ext. 145 for more information on how you can get involved. If you are unable to walk we always have need for volunteers to help out on the day of the event. On September 30, we will all walk together so that no one has to walk alone.

Healing in the Classroom workshop planned

The effects of unresolved grief on children can be devastating. From a child’s perspective, the experience of loss is not only overwhelming emotionally, but affects cognitive functioning as well.

Young children may be unable to recognize or categorize their losses, let alone sort them one from another. They may receive unclear explanations or no information at all about why these losses have occurred. They may have little or no time to develop a trusting relationship with the bearer of bad news, thereby suspicion develops, and confusion about the details may play a role in the ensuing grief process.

Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice and the Joseph T. Quinlan Bereavement Center invite teachers, school counselors, social workers and psychologists to participate in “Healing in the Classroom.” This program is designed to help educators create onsite grief support systems for bereaved students.

 

Training, resource materials, and technical assistance will be provided to help school professionals support students who are grieving the death of a loved one. The course offers counselors 12 clock hours. Karen Ann Quinlan Memorial Foundation, in conjunction with the Joseph T. Quinlan Bereavement Center, has been approved by NBCC as an approved continuing education provider, ACEP No. 6539. Certificates of completion will be given to all attendees.

 

This is a two-day session held on Thursday and Friday August 5 and 6, from 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. virtually via ZOOM. Tuition is $250 per individual and includes all workshop materials and workbooks.

 

Those interested can visit KarenAnnQuinlanHospice.org/Classroom to register online or download a printable registration packet. For more information please call 973-948-2283 or email dsebzda@karenannquinlanhospice.org.

 

Roses to be placed for Memorial Day

Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice in partnership with Lisa’s Stone Brook Florist will honor our fallen military, late veterans and their spouses who are interred at the Northern New Jersey Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Sparta, NJ on Saturday, May 29th.

 

On the 29th from 9 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. staff and volunteers from Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice will join others who over Memorial Day weekend will place a rose at veterans  gravesites in honor of their service in this nationwide event.

 

Memorial Day began after the Civil War and was originally called Decoration Day. Each year on this day we honor those who risked or sacrificed their lives while protecting and fighting for our country. On Saturday, volunteers will place a flower in front of each headstone while quietly reading the inscription and then thanking the person for their service.

 

Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice is a Level 5 “We Honor Veterans” partner. “We Honor Veterans,” is a program of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. Level 5 is the highest level WHV partners can attain and includes required community education activities and yearly recertification. Currently, Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice is the only organization in New Jersey with this designation.

 

As a partner, Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice is provides specialized care to Veterans who are facing a life-limiting illness. Aside from existing partner requirements, Level 5 partners place a greater emphasis on staff education and caring for Vietnam-era and combat Veterans. Additionally, Level 5 partners take on the role of regional mentor to other WHV partners working to enhance their programs.

 

“We are happy to start a new tradition in 2021 to honor our Veterans,” said Jacqui Gieske, Director of Social Services at Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice. “We are hoping to bring back the original meaning of Memorial Day.”

 

There are currently 337 interments at the Northern New Jersey Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Sparta and we will place a rose on both the Veteran’s and spouse grave if they too are interred there. “Our Veteran’s families have made tremendous sacrifices, and we want to be sure to honor their service too,” said Gieske.

 

We are inviting community members who would like help place roses to contact us at 973-383-0115 ext. 145. This is a meaningful memorial and is a great way to pay tribute and honor those who have given so much for our Country.

 

The roses are being provided by Lisa’s Stone Brook Florist of Branchville, NJ. “It is such an honor to be a part of this Memorial Day tribute,” said Lisa O’Hara of Stone Brook Florist. “The sacrifices of these heroes will never be forgotten.”

 

Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice will also hold a community screening of “15 Things Veterans Want you to Know,” on Friday, May 28th via Facebook livestream at 11a. This informative video by PsychArmor and was created to educate anyone who works with, lives with, or cares for our military Veterans. PsychArmor asked hundreds of Veterans what they wanted civilians, employers, educators, health care providers, and therapists to know about them. These comments were used to create the topics of this course including 5 Questions You Should Always Ask Veterans, 1 Question You Should Never Ask Veterans, and 15 Facts that promote greater understanding of our Veterans. More information can be found on our website at KarenAnnQuinlanHospice.org or by calling 973-383-0115 ext. 145

NHPCO Announces Providers Successfully Earning Quality Connections Rings in First Quarter of 2021

Thirty-three hospice providers progress through NHPCO’s innovative quality improvement program

 

(Alexandria, Va) – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) is proud to share the organizations that have earned at least one ring in the first quarter of the Quality Connections (QC) program. QC a new program from NHPCO designed to enhance the knowledge base, skills, and competency of hospice and palliative care professionals and providers for continuous quality improvement. QC is structured around four fundamental pillars which are represented by four QC rings: Education, Application, Measurement, and Innovation.

Quality Connections is a national program designed to support hospice and palliative care provider delivery of high-quality, person centered care.   The program goals are to enhance the knowledge base, skills, and competency of hospice and palliative care staff through education, tools, resources, and opportunities for engagement and interaction among hospice and palliative care quality professionals.

As of April 15, 2021, Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice has earned their Education Ring. Each Ring has specific activities incorporating practical resources to progressively track and improve both clinical and organizational quality. Activities such as quarterly data reporting and benchmarking, NHPCO’s E-Online courses, peer case studies, and engagement will be part of an organization’s quality journey. Additionally, participants will find activities that are focused on promoting diversity, access and inclusion within your organization and with the communities you serve.

“These providers are demonstrating their commitment to quality patient- and family-centered care. It is not enough to simply say that one is interested in quality; one must step up to demonstrate it. These providers have taken an important step in improving their quality of care. This matters to patients, families, payers and providers,” said NHPCO President and CEO Edo Banach.

Home for Hospice visitation policy updated – 4.22.21

Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice maintains strict compliance with the CDC and New Jersey State Mandates regarding the COVID-19 Pandemic. Effective immediately the following visitation policy will be in place at the Home for Hospice.

The number of visitors allowed at one time has increased from 2 visitors to 5 visitors.

The policy also includes the following requirements for visitors:

  • All visitors must wear the appropriate personal protective equipment. Bandanas, gaiters, or masks with exhalation valves are not permitted because they don’t provide sufficient protection.
  • All guests must undergo a symptom check and sign in at the front desk leaving their phone number for contact tracing if needed.
  • All visitors must perform hand hygiene before visiting a patient. Once in the facility, visitors must remain in the patient’s room throughout the visit, except when directed otherwise by staff.  If they need to use the bathroom, they are to use the one in the patient’s room.
  • Visitors will ring the doorbell and if there are already five people in the room those visitors will not be permitted in.  They must wait outside until the family comes out, the visitor is not allowed in to retrieve the other visitors.
  • Visitors can be out on the patio but at no time are they to enter the building if there are already 5 visitors in the room.  If this happens, we will be forced to ask everyone to leave.

Please note all common areas remain closed currently.  We also are NOT providing tours.  If you would like to see the building please click here for a virtual tour.

Thanks for your patience and understanding as we strive to keep our families and staff safe during this time. If you need any further assistance please call 973-300-0669.

Newsletter offers CME for Medical Professionals

As your local not-for-profit hospice with over 40 years of experience, Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice is committed to providing our community with the education and tools needed to make one some of the hardest decisions of a lifetime.

Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice is proud to present two FREE outreach programs designed to enhance the knowledge and understanding of hospice and palliative care.

The first program offers one FREE CME/CE credit via the Quality-of-Life newsletter. The newsletter is published quarterly and offers an instant CME/CE certificate upon completion. Those completing the course receive an acknowledgment certificate after completing a brief online evaluation. Upon registering and successfully completing the activity evaluation your certificate will be made available immediately. The estimated time to complete the activity is one hour. You can earn up to four CME/CE credits a year by completing the evaluation in each newsletter. The newsletter is available either printed or digitally.

The second offering is a FREE electronic subscription to the Home Care & Hospice Association of New Jersey, Transitions newsletter. This weekly newsletter contains timely and relevant information regarding hospice and palliative care. The Transitions program is currently only available to those who practice in New Jersey.

To receive one or both of these publications please visit: https://www.karenannwquinlanhospice.org/newsletter to sign up. You may also contact Anthony Grigal, at agrigal@karenannquinlanhospice.org or by calling 973-383-0115 ext. 123 for more information.

 

Click here to preview a copy of the Quality of Life Newsletter

Click here to preview a copy of the Transitions Newsletter

Judge Armstrong awarded prestigious Lighthouse Award

The Honorable Judge Paul Armstrong

The New Jersey Commission on Professionalism in the Law recently awarded it most prestigious award, The Lighthouse Award to the Honorable Judge Paul Armstrong.

The award honors individuals who uphold the professions highest ideals and who have accomplished significant career achievement.

The Professional Lawyer of the Year Awards are presented in cooperation with the bar associations across the state, to lawyers who are respected by colleagues for their character, competence and exemplary professional behavior.

Judge Armstrong is a founding member of the Karen Ann Quinlan Memorial Foundation and has served on the Governing Board for more than 40 years.

Please join us on congratulating Judge Armstrong for the exceptional accomplishment.

Please click here to view Judge Paul Armstrong’s acceptance speech.

Please click here to read Judge Paul Armstrong’s acceptance speech.

Half for Hospice winner nets over $8,000!

CONGRATULATIONS TO MEREDITH ROBERTS OF SUSSEX, NJ

Winning ticket #:              360
Winner:                                Meredith Roberts of Sussex, NJ

Total Collected:                 $16,240.00
Winner Received:            $  8,120.00

LEFT TO RIGHT: Marlina Schetting, Chief Operating Officer and Administrator at Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice presents the check to Meredith Roberts, while her son and mother Eileen Diehl look on. It was quite a surprise for Meredith as the ticket was purchased for her and she didn’t know about it until she received the phone call from our Special Events Manager, Jennifer Smith. Stay tuned for the 2021 Half for Hospice tickets to go on sale soon – win up to $10,000!

CARES Act changes deducting charitable contributions made in 2020

If you are thinking about make a donation to Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice – here’s another good reason to do it today!

COVID Tax Tip 2020-153, November 12, 2020

Whether taxpayers are supporting natural disaster recovery, COVID-19 pandemic aid or another cause that’s personally meaningful to them, their charitable donations may be tax deductible. These deductions basically reduce the amount of their taxable income.

Here’s how the CARES Act changes deducting charitable contributions made in 2020:

Previously, charitable contributions could only be deducted if taxpayers itemized their deductions.

However, taxpayers who don’t itemize deductions may take a charitable deduction of up to $300 for cash contributions made in 2020 to qualifying organizations. For the purposes of this deduction, qualifying organizations are those that are religious, charitable, educational, scientific or literary in purpose. The law changed in this area due to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.

The CARES Act also temporarily suspends limits on charitable contributions and temporarily increases limits on contributions of food inventory. More information about these changes is available on IRS.gov.

Click the button to make a donation to Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice today! Thank you!

KEY POINTS:

  • The CARES Act, which went into effect this spring, established a new above-the-line deduction for charitable giving.
  • You can write off up to $300 in cash donations on your 2020 income tax return, which you’ll be filing next spring.
  • Normally, you’d have to itemize deductions to write off charitable giving when you file your taxes. About 14.8 million households took a tax break for donating to charity in 2018, according to the IRS.

Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice is not giving tax advice. Each situation is different. Please contact your accountant to see if you qualify for this tax deduction.

November is National Hospice Month

In recognition of National Hospice Month, Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice invites you to watch “In the Matter of Karen Ann Quinlan.” This movie depicts the poignant and true story of our Co-Founders, Julia and Joseph Quinlan and their legal battle to let Karen Ann die with dignity. With proceeds from this movie and the book “Karen Ann – The Quinlan Tell their Story,” the Quinlan’s opened a hospice and memorial foundation in 1980 to honor their daughter’s memory. Her court case is linked to legal changes and hospital practices around the right of people to refuse extraordinary means of treatment, even if cessation of treatment could end a life.

Every year, according to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, nearly 1.6 million people living with a life-limiting illness receive care from hospice and palliative care providers in this country. These highly trained professionals ensure that patients and families find dignity, respect and love during a most difficult journey.

This type of care does not happen by accident—at Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice, our professionals, including registered nurses, certified nursing assistants, certified home health aides, chaplains, licensed social workers, bereavement counselors, nurse practitioners and medical director, are true experts.

At Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice, hospice care is our specialty. Our staff members are truly experts in end-of-life care. Most of us want the best when we have a serious ailment (the best oncologist, the best eye surgeon, etc.). For over 40 years we continue to be pioneers in end-of-life care and education.

Our staff provides the highest level of quality medical care with the emotional and spiritual support that families need most when facing the end of life. Through this specialized quality care, we see many patients and their families experience more meaningful moments together. Hospice helps them focus on living despite a terminal diagnoses.

As hospice providers, we receive many gifts from those we care for too—we are able to witness the love of families and friends as they come together to care for one of their own in need. We are taught valuable lessons in faith, dignity, compassion, care and love. As care providers, our lives are changed and touched by those families we serve in hospice care.

Please visit our website at KarenAnnQuinlanHospice.org to learn more about the services that we offer. If you or someone you know is in need of the extra support we can offer please call 973-383-0115 to speak to a hospice specialists. When it’s time for Hospice care, sooner is better.