Living & Dying: A Hospice Blog

Hospice Care Coordinator Job Opening, 24-32 hours per week Brattleboro Area Hospice is an independent community organization and one of a handful of volunteer hospices left in the United States.   We support community members who are seriously ill, dying and grieving.  We were founded on...

"For there is nothing sweeter than his peace when at rest." ~ Christopher Smart, Jubilate Agno (For I will consider my cat Jeoffry) *********** I took the first week of May off to tackle the yard and whip my gardens into shape, and maybe get to a...

The 25th annual Memorial Planting Service sponsored by Brattleboro Area Hospice will be held Tuesday, June 4, at 5:00 pm at the Brattleboro Area Hospice Memorial Garden, Living Memorial Park, Guilford Street in Brattleboro. Please join us as we gather to plant flowers, create memorial messages...

by Heather Brubaker On the Loss of A Bull I’m on my knees in the entryway of my home, my face level with my six-year-old daughter’s. She’s standing in her socks, still padded in snow pants and a mint green coat sprinkled with tiny stars. I hold...

I went to Ohio last week to see my mother and sister, leaving a day earlier than planned to beat the storm that was brewing. March, it seemed, would go out like a lion. As I drove through the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge on I-90...

Reflections on a Vigil Erica Breen, Hospice Volunteer Coordinator Recently, Brattleboro Area Hospice volunteers completed a vigil with a client who lived alone.  A vigil is when we offer a continuous, comforting presence over the final hours and days of a person’s life, while they are actively...

By Erica Breen, Hospice Volunteer Coordinator Recently, Brattleboro Area Hospice volunteers completed a vigil with a client who lived alone.  A vigil is when we offer a comforting presence over the final hours and days of a person’s life, while they are actively dying.                 In the...

By Jennie Reichman Well, I’ve finally joined the club. After 4 years of avoiding being infected with Covid-19, I came down with it in mid-February. It all started with gastro-intestinal distress, symptoms I’ve never associated with Covid, and after 24 hours of that I decided to...

Bereavement support groups offer a safe, mutually supportive environment for sharing experiences, insight, and encouragement through discussion, handouts, and suggestions for writing. Support groups are free of charge. 2024: The Spouse/Partner group runs in six to eight week cycles. It is currently meeting weekly on Monday...

This group is for family members, friends, and caregivers of folks with dementia. People tell us that sharing their experiences in the company of others who understand their particular situation can provide comfort, strength, validation, reassurance, and hope to endure the challenges and realize the...