HopeHealth

12/16/2025

PediPal, HopeHealth’s pediatric palliative care program, had a wonderful time at the Festival of Lights at La Salette this past week! The evening was filled with holiday music, crafts, sensory games, photos with Santa, and special visits with the PediPal team’s pet therapy dog, Oliver.

Despite the chilly weather, twenty families bundled up to stroll through the thousands of spectacular lights outdoors, then headed inside to warm up with hot chocolate and plenty of fun. The photos from the night truly warm our hearts.

12/16/2025

Caring for someone you love can be overwhelming—but you don’t have to navigate it alone. Our Caregiver Confidence education series is designed to empower family caregivers with practical knowledge, trusted resources, and the confidence to make informed decisions during challenging times.

🕛 All sessions are held at 12:00 pm and will be held January 7, January 29 and February 11. Learn more and register:

HopeHealth offers professional and caregiver eduation courses on various end-of-life care topics. Learn more and sign up for a course.

12/14/2025

🕯️ Happy Hanukkah from HopeHealth 🕯️

Tonight begins the Festival of Lights — a time of reflection, resilience, and hope.

For those who wish to honor loved ones who are no longer with us, we invite you to visit our virtual candle lighting page, a space for remembrance, comfort, and shared light. https://ow.ly/9GT750XIxGe

12/14/2025

Our hearts are with the Brown University community during this time of profound loss and heartbreak. We hold the students, faculty, staff, families, and all those affected with care and compassion as they navigate shock, grief, and uncertainty.

In the wake of violence, there is no right way to feel and no set timeline for healing. Grief can be heavy, disorienting, and deeply personal. We honor each person’s experience and the many ways this community will mourn and support one another in the days ahead.

As caregivers, educators, neighbors, and volunteers connected to this community, we stand in solidarity with Brown and with all who are hurting. May you be surrounded by care, patience, and understanding, and may support be present when it is needed most.

12/12/2025

“We will walk with you and see you through” — that promise guides Crystal Downs, RN, every day.

Crystal’s path to HopeHealth began when her own father received end-of-life care, and she discovered what sets the field of hospice apart.

Now, as an RN case manager with one of our Massachusetts teams, she offers other patients and families the same support.

“My job is all about knowing who my patients are and what matters to them,” Crystal says. “This work has had a great impact on me personally.”

“My job is all about knowing who my patients are and what matters to them.” Meet Crystal Downs, an RN case manager in Massachusetts.

12/12/2025

📬 Stay in the know with HopeHealth! Want helpful tips, dates for support groups, community events, and meaningful hospice and palliative care stories straight to your inbox? Our monthly newsletter has all that and more — especially resources for patients, caregivers, and families navigating serious illness.

Sign up today: https://www.hopehealthco.org/hopehealth-e-newsletter-sign-up/

Get HopeHealth updates you can use — right when you need them! 💫

12/10/2025

Every other month, a group of HopeHealth volunteers gathers around a long table covered in colorful fabrics, ribbons, buttons, and soft textures. There’s laughter, shared stories, and the steady rhythm of hands creating something meaningful.

Piece by piece, they craft activity blankets — simple, beautiful sensory tools that bring comfort to our patients, especially those living with dementia. What looks like a small handmade blanket becomes so much more: a way to ease anxiety, engage restless hands, spark memories, and offer moments of calm.

Our care teams see the difference every day. A patient’s breathing slows as they explore the textures. A smile appears when a familiar color or pattern catches their eye. Families tell us these blankets help their loved ones feel grounded and safe.

And it all starts with our volunteers — people who choose to show up, give their time, and use their creativity to bring comfort to others.

If you’ve ever wondered whether small acts of kindness can ripple outward… they do. They absolutely do.

🧵 Become a HopeHealth volunteer and help us continue this meaningful work:
HopeHealthCo.org/Volunteer

12/09/2025

Hospice and palliative care have a lot in common: Both offer extra care for serious illness, and draw on everything from medical tools to practical support to improve quality of life.

But each also has its own distinct place in a patient and family’s health journey. And knowing the difference is crucial — because it can mean getting the support you need right when you need it.

“Palliative care and hospice both support people with serious illness,” says Jennifer Ritzau, MD, HopeHealth’s VP of Medical Staff. “But they support people at different points in the journey.”

Here’s what every patient and family should know.

When does palliative care end and hospice begin? Where do their services differ? And how does insurance factor in? An expert explains all this, and more.

12/08/2025

We’re proud to share that our Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Edward Martin, was featured in a recent article from Hospice News — “The Complex Quandary Over Hospice-Relatedness.” The piece dives into the critical challenges that come with defining which care services are considered “related” to a patient’s terminal diagnosis under hospice care.

Dr. Martin’s contribution helps shed light on how these decisions impact patient care, regulatory compliance, and ultimately — the comfort and dignity of those we serve. We believe conversations like these are essential as we navigate an increasingly complex healthcare environment.

Read the article here:

Questions over which services are deemed related to patients’ terminal diagnosis in hospice care are crucial, and physicians’ determinations of those

12/03/2025

We’re so grateful for our amazing employees who generously donated to our recent canned good drive. Thanks to your kindness, we delivered a large donation last week to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, dropped off by Javone Duarte, MBA, (pictured left) and Wilson Hood, MDiv (pictured right).

Your contributions make a meaningful difference for local families facing food insecurity.

Thank you for supporting our community and for always leading with heart. 💙

12/02/2025

This Giving Tuesday, we’re kicking off the celebration of nearly 50 years of compassionate care — made possible by you.

Your generosity helps HopeHealth continue its legacy as one of the nation’s top hospice providers and Rhode Island’s only freestanding hospice center.

Give today to help us bring comfort, care, and hope into our next 50 years:

11/28/2025

In today’s Moments That Matter story, we’re proud to highlight Patient Clinical Manager, Brittany Medeiros, RN — someone whose “why” began long before she joined HopeHealth.

When Brittany was twenty, she experienced two very different goodbyes. Her father passed away without hospice, leaving her and her mother overwhelmed and without guidance. Just months later, her grandfather passed peacefully at home with hospice — surrounded by a team who supported not only him, but Brittany and her mother as well.

That compassion stayed with her. It shaped her path. And it inspired her to become the kind of hospice nurse she once needed.

Today, Brittany’s role has evolved into supporting the dedicated HopeHealth teams who bring comfort, reassurance, and dignity to families across our community. Her journey reminds us how deeply hospice can transform not just end-of-life care, but the hearts of those who experience it.

We’re grateful for Brittany and for all who help make these moments matter. 💜