Nebraska Hospice and Palliative Care Association

01/08/2026

Thank you Barbara Karnes, RN for this well written message. ❤️

Thank you, Ben Sasse for being a role model for Nebraskans. ❤️

I don’t get into political comments or discussions. My comments here are about a brave man who in my opinion is an impressive role model for us all.

Ben Sasse was a senator from Nebraska. He recently announced that he was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

“Last week I was diagnosed with metastasized, stage-four pancreatic cancer, and am gonna die.” These words were part of his announcement.

It would be wise for all of us to recognize when medical treatments are not what is needed. In many situations, getting affairs in order (through an advance directive and durable medical power of attorney) is what is needed, not a series of “treatments” that will affect the quality of the time that is left.

We forget or are in denial that death will come to us all. There is a point where being cured and returning to a "normal" life will not be possible. At that point, we can either choose to cherish what remains of life’s good moments or we can spend our limited remaining time in medical treatments that have low chances of success.

Everyone will die someday. We will die either quickly or gradually. Gradual death gives us time. Time to put our affairs in order, time to say goodbye, time to find peace within ourselves.

Gradual death is a gift — an opportunity to do and say that which is important to us and to those around us. BUT only if we take the gift.

Ben Sasse is taking his gift. I thank him for going public with his situation and being a role model for us all.

12/17/2025

Choosing hospice is one of the most meaningful decisions a family will ever make.

When you choose a hospice that belongs to the Nebraska Hospice & Palliative Care Association, you’re choosing:

❤️ A team committed to excellence

❤️ Caregivers trained in the latest best practices

❤️ Support for your whole family

❤️ A community dedicated to dignity, comfort, and compassion

NHPCA member agencies stand together to make sure every Nebraskan receives the care they deserve at the end of life.❤️

12/11/2025

As we close another year of serving Nebraska’s hospice and palliative care community, we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Endless Journey Hospice—our first and only Platinum Level Sponsor. Your belief in our mission, and your investment in the work we do across the state, have strengthened our association in ways that will carry forward for years to come.

Endless Journey hospice philosophy honors the whole person—mind, body, and spirit—at a time of life when compassion, presence, and dignity matter most. Your commitment to nourishing clients and their families physically, emotionally, and spiritually isn’t just a tagline; it’s the foundation of everything you do. It shows in the thoughtful way you incorporate non-pharmacological therapies, in the reverence you hold for client choice, and in the depth of support each discipline brings to the bedside.

Your model of care reminds us all that hospice is far more than a medical service—it is a community, a circle of support, and a return to the origins of end-of-life care: families surrounding their loved ones, guided by skilled caregivers who prioritize comfort, meaning, and respect. Endless Journey strives to live this heritage every day. Your organization has built a team that embodies this calling with remarkable authenticity.

Your willingness to offer massage therapy, acupuncture, reiki, healing touch, aromatherapy, chiropractic care, guided meditation, pet therapy, music therapy, and so many other supportive modalities reflects a powerful understanding: that comfort takes many forms, and that quality of life deserves to be addressed holistically. Your work uplifts not only your clients, but also the entire hospice community by demonstrating what compassionate, multidimensional care can look like.

We are deeply grateful that you have chosen to stand with us as a Platinum sponsor. Your leadership helps us train, equip, and empower hospice professionals across Nebraska. It allows us to advocate more strongly, educate more broadly, and ensure that the values at the heart of hospice—comfort, dignity, and choice—remain visible and protected.

Thank you for the extraordinary care you bring into homes and facilities across our state, and thank you for your partnership with the Nebraska Hospice and Palliative Care Association. Your support enriches our work, strengthens our mission, and truly makes a difference.

With great appreciation,
Nebraska Hospice and Palliative Care Association

12/02/2025

🌟 This Giving Tuesday, your generosity directly strengthens hospice and palliative care across Nebraska. 🌟
When you give to the Nebraska Hospice and Palliative Care Association, you’re not just making a donation — you’re investing in compassion, dignity, and the future of high-quality end-of-life care for people across our state.

Here’s how your gift today makes a meaningful, immediate impact:

💛 $50 — Helps a CNA prepare for hospice certification, advancing their skills so they can provide expert comfort and care when patients and families need it most.

💛 $100 — Supports specialized training for a nurse caring for a pediatric hospice patient, allowing a child to spend their final days at home, surrounded by the people and the love that matter most.

💛 $175 — Provides an 8-hour continuing education scholarship for hospice professionals, ensuring they remain confident, competent, and supported in the sacred work they do.

💛 $500 — Covers half the cost for a nurse preparing for their national hospice certification exam — elevating excellence in care across our state.

Every dollar you give builds a stronger workforce, supports rural hospices, and ensures Nebraska families receive compassionate support at one of the most vulnerable moments of life.

Your donation truly makes a difference.
Please consider giving today — and helping us continue this mission of comfort, dignity, and hope.

🙏 Give. Support. Honor.
Together, we strengthen hospice care in Nebraska.

11/29/2025

✨ Honoring the GRACE Cancer Foundation NHPCA Coalition Member ✨

Today we are honored to spotlight the GRACE Cancer Foundation a compassionate coalition member of the Nebraska Hospice & Palliative Care Association. Their organization is built on a powerful vision: to provide financial and emotional support to cancer patients and their families when they need it most.

The Grace Cancer Foundation understands that a cancer diagnosis affects every part of a person’s life—not just their health. That’s why they offer support that truly makes a difference day to day. Their assistance includes gas cards for travel to treatment, help with medical bills and household expenses, grocery cards, access to professional mental health resources, and so much more.

Their work eases the burden for families facing overwhelming challenges, offering relief, hope, and compassionate connection during some of life’s hardest moments.

NHPCA is grateful for the Grace Foundation’s partnership and for the incredible impact they make across our communities. Thank you to their dedicated team for walking beside Nebraskans with generosity and heart. 💛

Our vision is to provide financial and emotional support to cancer patients and their families. Several types of assistance are available such as; gas cards, assistance with medical bills, household expenses, grocery cards, professional mental health resources, and much more.

11/29/2025

✨ Honoring The Grace Space & Owner Kelly Sparr ✨

Today we are proud to recognize one of NHPCA’s dedicated coalition members, TThe Grace Spaceand its visionary owner, Kelly Sparr. Kelly’s heart for end-of-life care is woven into every part of this remarkable ministry. What began as a calling placed on her heart has grown into a beautiful space where residents are surrounded with compassion, intention, and reverence for the final chapter of life.

At The Grace Space, the mission is clear: to love fiercely, live fully, and walk fearlessly through life’s final journey. Kelly and her team embody that mission through their commitment to comfort, connection, and deep respect for every individual who enters their home.

Their care model is unlike anything else—rooted in humility, patience, integrity, and grace. The Grace Space team is specially trained in end-of-life practices that honor the whole person: comfort touch, aromatherapy, music, art, nature, massage, and animal therapy. Each resident is treated as a fully realized individual with a life story, spiritual needs, personal wishes, and a unique path toward peace.

Spiritual care is a true cornerstone of their work. Regardless of belief or background, residents receive thoughtful, inclusive support—daily chapel services, pastoral care, and a team ready to honor cultural and religious practices with genuine respect. Their posture of care embraces the end-of-life journey rather than resisting it, helping each person find meaning, comfort, and emotional release in their own time.

Nestled in a peaceful Northwest Lincoln neighborhood, The Grace Space offers a home-like setting where residents can enjoy fresh air, nature, gardening, and moments of quiet reflection. It is a haven built for dignity, connection, and the kind of gentle support families hope for when facing one of life’s most sacred transitions.

NHPCA is grateful for their partnership, their trust, and their devotion to elevating end-of-life care across Nebraska. Kelly, you and your team are a gift to the community and an example of what it means to care with purpose and heart.

Our Mission To Love Fiercely, Live Fully, Walk Fearlessly in Your Life’s Journey. “The Posture of The Grace Space will reflect the inner attitudes of our hearts and minds, in which we will display humility, patience, love, honesty, integrity, stewardship and respect. Our hearts will be teachable...

11/29/2025

✨ Honoring Bethany Home & Administrator Bob Tank ✨

Today we are proud to recognize our coalition member, BBethany Home and administrator Bob Tank, whose leadership and compassion shine through every corner of their community. Bob and his dedicated team embody what it means to provide truly loving, person-centered care to all who call Bethany Home their home.

Their commitment is especially evident in the way they support residents receiving hospice care. In these tender moments of life, the staff at Bethany Home walk alongside patients and families with remarkable gentleness, respect, and dignity. They collaborate closely with hospice teams, ensuring every individual’s physical, emotional, and spiritual needs are met with unwavering kindness.

This level of care isn’t taught—it comes from the heart. Bethany Home’s team shows us every day what compassionate caregiving looks like, and we are deeply grateful.

The Nebraska Hospice & Palliative Care Association is honored to have their ongoing support. Their partnership strengthens our shared mission to make quality end-of-life care accessible across our state.

Thank you, Bob, and the entire Bethany Home staff, for the difference you make in the lives of residents and families—and for exemplifying the very best of Nebraska care. ♥️

11/29/2025

🌟 Honoring Agemark: A Proud NHPCA Coalition Member 🌟

This National Hospice and Palliative Care Month, we want to shine a spotlight on NHPCA coalition member, Agemark, a family-owned and operated organization that embodies the true spirit of community and compassion. Since 1987, Agemark has been dedicated to serving seniors with the same love and care we would want for our own families.

With communities spanning from coast to coast—including Maryland, Iowa, North Dakota, Nebraska, California, and Washington State—Agemark has touched the lives of thousands, providing a loving and safe environment that feels like home. Their commitment to the four dimensions of wellness—physical, intellectual, social, and spiritual—ensures that every individual in their care feels valued and connected.

Agemark’s innovative wellness philosophy, LifeCycles, recognizes the importance of belonging, decision-making, and finding meaning in life. They strive to empower seniors to live their best, most fulfilling lives, both within their communities and beyond.

Thank you, Agemark, for your unwavering dedication to changing lives and for being a vital member of the NHPCA coalition. Your compassion and commitment to excellence make a profound difference in the lives of so many! 💙

11/28/2025

Honoring our members, The Palliative Care Team at Nebraska Methodist Health System

This National Hospice and Palliative Care Month, we want to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude to the dedicated palliative care team at Nebraska Methodist Health System. Your commitment to providing specialized care for individuals living with serious illnesses is truly remarkable.

Your focus on relieving symptoms and improving quality of life makes a profound difference for patients and their families. By working collaboratively with primary care providers and specialists, you ensure that each patient receives the comprehensive support they need, whether in the hospital or clinic setting.

Thank you for your compassion, expertise, and unwavering support. You are making a significant impact in our community, and we are so grateful for everything you do! 💙

Our team provides specialized care for people living with serious illnesses by focusing on providing relief from their symptoms to improve their quality of life.

11/28/2025

🌟 Honoring Our Palliative Care Heroes 🌟

This National Hospice and Palliative Care Month, we want to take a moment to shine a light on the incredible members of the Nebraska Medicine Palliative care team, members of Nebraska Hospice and Palliative Care Association (NHPCA).

Their dedicated team provides an essential layer of support for patients facing serious or chronic illnesses, ensuring that they receive holistic care for their body, mind, and spirit. They truly understand that this journey can be overwhelming, and their goal is to help you and your family experience the best quality of life possible during these challenging times.

Their compassionate team of experts include: 👩‍⚕️ Fellowship-trained physicians 👨‍⚕️ Specialty-trained advanced practice providers 👩‍💼 Specialty-trained social worker 👩‍⚕️ Specialty-trained nurse 🙏 Pastoral/spiritual care providers

If you or a loved one is navigating a serious illness, please talk to your doctor about whether a referral to palliative care is right for you. .

Thank you to all our Palliative care team for your members unwavering commitment and compassion. Your work makes a profound difference in the lives of so many. 💙

Palliative care is a health care program that focuses on pain and symptom management for patients with advanced diseases, aiming to relieve suffering.

11/28/2025

🌿 Honoring Traditions Healthospice — NHPCA’s Newest Member 🌿

This Hospice and Palliative Care Month, we are proud to welcome Traditions Health Hospice as our newest member of the Nebraska Hospice and Palliative Care Association. Traditions brings a deeply relationship-centered approach to care—one that truly reflects the spirit of hospice.

Their team is passionate about getting to know each patient and family, listening closely so they understand what matters most in every journey. Whether a need is physical, spiritual, or emotional, their compassionate experts remain steadfast in providing support that honors each person’s values, preferences, and dignity.

Comfort and dignity are the anchors of hospice care, and Traditions embodies this beautifully. Their clinicians are highly skilled in recognizing and managing symptoms early, often allowing patients to remain comfortable in the place they call home throughout the final chapter of life. This commitment to proactive, thoughtful care makes an immeasurable difference for families navigating difficult moments.

Traditions Healthoined NHPCA in 2025, and we are truly grateful for their partnership, their dedication to excellence, and their ongoing commitment to Nebraska communities. We’re honored to welcome them into our hospice family and look forward to supporting the impactful work they do every day.

💚 Thank you, Traditions Health Hospice, for your compassion, your expertise, and your heart for this work.

Traditions Health provides in-home hospice in Lincoln, NE. Learn about our hospice services and contact us today to request care.

11/28/2025

🌿 Honoring Valley County Health System Hospice this Hospice & Palliative Care Month 🌿

This month, we proudly recognize the remarkable hospice team at Valley County Health System, Nebraska, whose dedication reaches far beyond city limits and into the surrounding communities they serve with such compassion and steadiness.

Valley County Hospice is known for walking alongside patients and families during one of life’s most tender chapters. Their team collaborates closely with each patient’s family and physician to ensure that needs are not just identified but truly met—physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.

What stands out in their approach is the consistency of presence and the intentionality behind every visit. Families know they can count on skilled clinicians who understand the complexities of end-of-life care and who honor the patient’s dignity every step of the way. Their interdisciplinary team brings together nurses, social workers, aides, chaplains, and volunteers who believe deeply in comfort, respect, and individualized support.

In a region where community matters, Valley County Hospice exemplifies what excellent end-of-life care should look like: compassionate, coordinated, and centered on quality of life. They ensure that patients spend their final days with comfort, peace, and the reassurance of being cared for by people who genuinely prioritize their well-being.

The Nebraska Hospice and Palliative Care Association is grateful for Valley County Health System Hospice and the profound difference they make for families across central Nebraska. We value your membership and support!

💚 Thank you for bringing comfort, dignity, and unwavering compassion to those who need it most.

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