Why do some people contact hospice when a family member is in a serious medical crisis and some people don't? Is it the fear of the unknown? What happens if you call hospice? What does hospice care actually involve, anyway?
That's Good Grease ever so gently helps readers to understand what hospice care is all about through the author's stories and experience gained from 20 years as a hospice patient contact volunteer. Turning to any page the reader will learn that hospice care is nothing even close to what has been experienced before. This book may surprise readers when they learn that:
-Food plays an important part in hospice care, but not necessarily for nourishment.
-Family pets are included in the plan of care for the person on hospice service.
-Humor is used quite often in hospice care.
-The person and their family are actually in charge of their hospice care.
-Every hospice is mandated by Medicare to have volunteers.
Rick Schneider has a manner of talking to the reader in a way that removes the apprehension of the word "hospice". This book, like hospice itself, is unique. As the reader walks into its pages they soon learn that the title, a quote from a person on hospice service, perfectly describes the common sense of hospice care.
Rick Schneider writes a short bi-weekly hospice-oriented column entitled Something More for both the Fairfield Towne Crier and for the Logan Daily News. He also writes a longer hospice oriented column bi-weekly essay for the Logan Daily News and an essay for the monthly Hocking Hills Messenger. He has been a patient contact volunteer for FairHoPe Hospice and Palliative Care, Inc. winning the Volunteer of the Year for 2001 and the Ohio Hospice and Palliative Care Organizations "Volunteers are the Heart of Ohio" award in 2002. He has also been a Community Educator (paid position) for FairHoPe Hospice and Palliative Care, Inc. since October of 2006. He and his wife have four children and live in Lancaster, Ohio.