Healing Connections
Consumer Survey: CD Beats National Average
Resources from Care Dimensions’ Grief Support Program
Results of the 2023 Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Hospice Survey (https://www.hospicecahpssurvey. org/) show Care Dimensions topping the national average in all eight categories and improving all its scores from 2022. The CAHPS Hospice Survey focuses on experiences of care from the caregiver’s point of view. The 47-question survey is composed of the following measures: Communication with Family; Getting Timely Help; Treating Patient with Respect; Emotional and Spiritual Support; Help for Pain
and Symptoms; Training Family to Care for Patient; Rating of this Hospice; and Willingness to Recommend this Hospice. According to Abbie O’Grady, Care Dimensions director, quality & patient experience, caregivers of prospective hospice patients often check CAHPS scores when researching a hospice. “The 2023 results reinforce what we’ve been seeing in our staff members’ ongoing commitment to caring for our patients and their family members,” O’Grady said.
Making Healing Connections in Support Groups By Bob Hagopian, M.Div., Greater Boston Bereavement Coordinator and Mary Beth Grimm, Greater Boston Bereavement Associate
Care Dimensions offers many in-person and virtual bereavement support groups and workshops for our hospice families and our community through the Bertolon Center for Grief and Healing. These include sessions for people who have experienced a specific kind of loss, such as a spouse, parent, adult child, or loved one who died by suicide. We have noticed that participants in these groups have made amazing healing connections that extend far beyond the sessions. New friendships have been forged out of the sharing of their common losses. These grieving families have come together to inspire and encourage each other. Many gather for coffee following the sessions and plan dinners together during each month. We often hear support group participants say things like, “My family and friends don’t know what I’m going through,“ or, “I feel like I am burdening my friends with my grief.” They need a safe place where they can share their feelings with others who are experiencing similar circumstances, and we provide it for them. They know that they are not alone in their grief journey. “There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.” ~ Edith Wharton
2023 Care Dimensions Score
Current CMS National Average
0 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
90.0%92.3% 90.0%92.2%
85.7%
84.0%87.2%
81.0%
81.0%81.8%
75.0%77.0% 74.0%74.8% 77.0%77.1%
As support group facilitators, we help participants find solutions to their challenges and the healing that they seek from within themselves and each other. In addition, we learn from the participants and enhance our own abilities, knowledge, and approaches to helping the bereaved heal. We all have the power to heal ourselves and each other. When we are drawn together by our common loss, our healing power is amplified. We have seen this phenomenon first-hand in our support group participants. We encourage you to explore the healing power you have within yourself and to share it with others.
Would Recommend
Rating of Care Getting Hospice Care Training
Getting Help with Symptoms
Getting Timely Care
Hospice Team Communications
Treating Family Member with Respect
Providing Emotional & Religious Support
Care Dimensions Team Honored for Palliative Care Training
The End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) has selected a group of three Care Dimensions staff members as a winner of its 2023 Excellence in ELNEC Award.
Congratulations to: Mary Crowe, director of professional and community education; Catherine Duffy, APRN team manager for palliative care; and Susan Lysaght Hurley, senior scholar, for their commitment to providing palliative care training to health professionals in our service area, and for promoting this work to improve the care of those who are seriously ill. The team is one of a small number of winners from around the country.
Camp Stepping Stones, Care Dimensions’ annual one-day summer event for grieving children and families, will be held this year on Saturday, September 14, at the Glen Urquhart School in Beverly Farms, Mass.
Camp Stepping Stones
Registration information will be released in the spring. If you have any questions or would like to be added to our mailing list, please email Camp@CareDimensions.org.
Mary Crowe, LICSW, ACHP-SW, C.D.S., CDP
Catherine Duffy, ANP-BC, ACHPN
Susan Lysaght Hurley, PhD, GNP-BC
Care Dimensions offers grief support groups and other resources for anyone in the community who is grieving a loss. Visit CareDimensions.org/Grief for a list of workshops and support groups. For more information, email Grief@CareDimensions.org or call 855-774-5100. 4
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