News from Agrace HospiceCare - Winter 2011

Agrace HospiceCare's Valentine Surprises
Healthcare Moves Toward Relaxing Hospice Eligibility
Poker Players Ante Up for Agrace HospiceCare
VP of Clinical Services Named
We Remember Richard Botham
A Remarkable Evening for Butterfly Gala
Don Turns 90
Increase Your Cash Flow with a Gift Annuity
IRA Charitable Rollover: Making Giving Easy and Tax-Free
Kids Make Quilts, Too
Agrace HospiceCare. Hosts Sips & Sounds on March 5
Upcoming Events

Agrace HospiceCare's Valentine Surprises

As Valentine’s Day approaches, Agrace HospiceCare might not be the fi rst thing that springs to mind. But we would like to
share with you a few of the remarkable and touching love stories we are privileged to be a part of year round.

Agrace HospiceCare patient John George married his girlfriend of 19 years, Ernestine Jones, in the Agrace HospiceCare chapel in Madison. The couple met in a Minneapolis homeless shelter and had stayed together ever since. They had always wanted to marry, but things seemed to get in the way. By the time they took their vows, they had already weathered good times and bad. But John’s last wish was to make their marriage offi cial. They wed on August 6, 2010.

Agrace HospiceCare patient Scott Schweke and his wife Melissa were nearing their fifth wedding anniversary, but Agrace HospiceCare staff were
not sure Scott would make it. So staff tracked down the owner of the couple’s favorite restaurant. Sole Sapori Ristorante Italiano in Mt. Horeb was closed that day, but owner Ann Zweifel (pictured) didn’t hesitate. She went in, prepared a meal and delivered it personally.
“She went above and beyond,” says Melissa. “It was extremely special. It was our last dinner together.”

These two couples met in our grief support groups, but dating was the furthest thing from anyone’s mind when they started.

Steve Miller and Lucy Wall had both been happily married to the spouses they lost to cancer, and their journey through grief was slow. Even after their support group ended, a core group continued to meet monthly to socialize. About a year later, Lucy began to think, “OK, if I don’t want to live the rest of my life by myself, I better get busy.” As she completed her personal profi le for an Internet dating site and thought about what kind of man might be a good match, it hit her: “I think I know somebody like this.” That’s about the time Steve got an e-mail from Lucy asking if he wanted to see a movie! They’ve been married to each other for over a year.

Doug Van Essen had lost his wife and Vicki Hellenbrand had lost her mother. After eight weeks of sharing their lives, the members of their grief support group became close so Vicki and Steve didn’t think twice about stopping for a drink after the last session. But that evening, something changed for Doug. He walked away asking himself, “Why was this so wonderful?” Now happily married to Vicki, he says simply, “I was surprised by joy.”

John George and Ernestine Jones	Ann Zweifel	Lucy Wall and Steve Miller	Doug Van Essen and Vicki Hellnbrand

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Healthcare Moves Toward Relaxing Hospice Eligibility

In the future, patients may be able to get curative treatment and hospice services simultaneously, thanks to a provision of the new healthcare reform law. The law calls on the Health and Human Services secretary to run several pilot projects testing the “concurrent care” model to determine whether it helps patients and saves Medicare money.

Currently, many patients and families struggle with a dilemma: They must give up curative treatment to receive end-of-life counseling and care. It’s a major reason many people resist entering hospice, sometimes until just days before they die.

This diffi cult trade-off would seem to make fi nancial sense, but a program funded by Aetna Inc. proves otherwise. Aetna is one of the few private insurers that already allows patients to seek both aggressive treatments for life-limiting conditions and hospice services at the same time. The results?

After Aetna began its so-called “concurrent-care” program in 2004, the number of patients who decided to use hospice services nearly tripled, while their use of acute-care services, such as trips to the ER, dropped signifi cantly. The company’s costs went down, and patients felt better.

While we await the results of Medicare’s concurrent-care pilots, parents of pediatric patients who are covered by Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program no longer have to choose between treatment and hospice. The “Concurrent Care for Children” section of the healthcare reform act allows children receiving curative treatment to have hospice services at the same time.

Pediatric Medicaid Patient Receives
Hospice AND Curative Treatment “Typically with pediatric patients, the biggest struggle is that parents feel like they have to give up on their child,” says Carrie Cowan, Rock In-home Team Leader, describing the diffi cult choice between curative treatment and comfort care. “Parents cannot do that.”

Carrie’s team recently served a 9-year-old patient who’d been receiving care through UW Children’s Hospital for about 7 years. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act of 2010, the patient was able to continue receiving curative treatment
while also having hospice services (see article above). The patient’s father accepted hospice services because he didn’t have to give anything up—his daughter’s UW doctors, her place on the transplant list, her treatments and full-code status. It gave him something to hold on to as he made the transition from curative treatment to hospice.

The team’s goal was to educate the father so he would make good decisions. When faced with his daughter’s final crisis, her father chose comfort over treatment. “He knew the treatment would have been painful for her and that she would not have gotten better,” says Carrie. “My hope is that, at the end of the day, he will know that he was a good advocate for his daughter.”

Poker Players Ante Up for Agrace HospiceCare

For a first-time event, Phil Hellmuth’s Hold’em with Agrace HospiceCare poker event was a spectacular success. Local poker legend Phil Hellmuth Jr. played host to more than 400 participants who contributed to the final fundraising tally of over $140,000. Participant C. Joseph Anderson of Madison won a seat at the 2011 World Series of Poker (a $10,000 value), Art Luetke of McFarland won a two-year lease on a Zimbrick Honda Accord and Darren Berg of Fitchburg took home a custom-made poker table signed by the celebrities in attendance. Mark “Poker Ho” Kroon took home the title of the Phil Hellmuth Hold’em with Agrace HospiceCare Champion. Our special thanks to major event sponsors Baker Tilly and Ultimate Bet. Plans for the 2011 event are already underway. Check the Agrace HospiceCare website for details, coming soon!

The excitement builds around Mike “Wisco” Murray (pictured above) during the final game. He may have lost the round, but he’s a winner at Agrace HospiceCare: As a Agrace HospiceCare volunteer, Mike exercises his talents as a concert pianist at the Madison facility. Standing with microphone is poker champion Phil Hellmuth.



VP of Clinical Services Named

 

Julie Slattery has been named vice president of clinical services. She comes to Agrace HospiceCare from Chartwell, one of our local healthcare partners, where she led clinical operations for the past six years. She has more than 20 years of clinical ranging from acute care to home health. Her master’s degree in nursing is from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

We Remember Richard Botham

Dr. Richard “Dick” Botham died on November 17, 2010. A physician at Dean Medical Center for more than 30 years, Dick will be remembered as a Agrace HospiceCare champion. In 1998, Agrace HospiceCare turned to Dick and his wife Maggie to lead our fi rst Promises to Keep Capital Campaign to build the Don & Marilyn Anderson Agrace HospiceCare Center. It was their fervent belief in the idea of hospice that led to a successful campaign and ultimately to an acute-care hospice facility for this community. His great spirit and deep
compassion will be missed.

A Remarkable Evening for Butterfly Gala

Agrace HospiceCare’s Butterfl y Gala raised over $82,000 to support end-of-life care for patients and families. More than 250 guests enjoyed the fabulous food and the great music of the Eddie Butts Band. We thank all of our sponsors, including Platinum sponsors Dean & St. Mary’s and UW Health, as well as our partners, committee members and volunteers who made the evening possible. Mark your calendar now for the 2011 gala, to be held on Saturday, November 12.

Pictured left: Nancy Lynch, Suzie Wilkinson, Katie Reuhl enjoy themselves at the Gala.

Don Turns 90

Don Anderson (third from left), namesake of the Don & Marilyn Anderson Agrace HospiceCare Center, celebrated his 90th birthday at the Agrace HospiceCare facility in December. He is joined in this picture by his children (from left): Martha Van De Ven, Kathy Switzky, Don, Susie Ruedisili, Karry Anderson and Ron Anderson.

Increase Your Cash Flow with a Gift Annuity

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you’d like to support the mission of Agrace HospiceCare and receive steady payments during your retirement years, a charitable gift annuity may be right for you.

Here’s how it works: You make a donation to Agrace HospiceCare and in return you receive a fi xed amount for the rest of your life. The annuity payout rates are based on your age at the time the gift is made—the older you are, the higher the return. The rates are designed to ensure that at least 50 percent of the initial principal of your gift will be available to Agrace HospiceCare upon your death.

Charitable gift annuities can also help lower your taxes. You receive a tax deduction in the year you set up the gift annuity when you itemize on your taxes. Your annuity payments are also partially incometax–free throughout your estimated life expectancy.

Charitable gift annuities can be established for one ortwo people, allowing you to provide for a spouse, an elderly parent or a friend in a tax-advantaged manner.

Cliff Voegeli is a long-time Agrace HospiceCare volunteer. “I want to do whatever I can to make sure that Agrace HospiceCare’s services remain available and strong … now and in the future. Because I’m retired and money market rates are so low, a guaranteed, steady, fixed-rate income seemed too good to be true. When Agrace HospiceCare offered their charitable gift annuity, I jumped at the chance to invest. Now every time I receive a check, I am reminded of what a great opportunity this was for me.”

To establish a charitable gift annuity with Agrace HospiceCare, you must be at least 60 years old. The minimum gift is $10,000. For more information, please visit the Agrace HospiceCare website or contact Donor Services at (608) 327-7143.

 

IRA Charitable Rollover: Makes Giving Easy and Tax-Free

Good news … the IRA charitable rollover has been reinstated for 2011. This simple form of charitable giving lets you make direct gifts
from an individual retirement account (IRA) to a qualifi ed charity—without increasing your taxable income.

If you are over age 70 ½, you can directly transfer money from your IRA to Agrace HospiceCare. without generating more income or paying any additional tax. Your tax-free gift can be any amount you choose, up to the $100,000 annual limit. And, your gift will qualify toward your required minimum distribution.

The law expires on December 31, 2011, so you will want to act this year if you are looking for ways to reduce your taxable estate.

To find out whether the IRA charitable rollover law can benefi t you, please contact your personal financial advisor and ask about the extension of the IRA Charitable Rollover. To receive the forms necessary to complete an IRA charitable rollover, or for further assistance, please contact Agrace HospiceCare Donor Services at (608) 327-7143.

Kids Make Quilts, Too

 

 

Creating a quilt square in memory of a loved one has a long tradition at Agrace HospiceCare. “In planning the most recent Kids Grief Support Group, I thought it would be a cool idea to have the kids do a quilt just like the adults,” says grief counselor Jessie Shiveler. By the end of the five-week group, each child—ages 6 to 9—created a square in honor of their person, and then the quilt was dedicated at an event they planned. “You could tell how meaningful the ceremony was—not only for the kids, but for the families that attended,” she added. Thanks to donor support, Agrace HospiceCare is able to offer a variety of support groups at no charge to community members, whether they’ve used Agrace HospiceCare or not.

Agrace HospiceCare. Hosting Sips & Sounds on March 5

 

 

Sips & Sounds is Agrace HospiceCare's premiere wine-tasting event. Join us on March 5, 2011 and enjoy an evening of wine, food, music and friends. Enthusiastic support for this event has pushed attendance to over 300 community members throughout the area. The event is being held at the Pontiac Convention Center, 2809 North Pontiac Drive in Janesville. Cost is $50 per person.

To make a reservation or for more information visit the Agrace HospiceCare website or contact Donor Services at (608) 314-2910.

Events

February 8: Q&A Seminar – The Top Five Questions to Ask Your Doctor
March 5: Sips & Sounds – South central Wisconsin’s premier wine-tasting festival at the Pontiac Convention Center in Janesville
March 8: Q&A Seminar – Help for Your Aging Parents … and You
March 21: Q&A Seminar – Making the Agrace HospiceCare Choice; optional building tour to follow
March 26: Memorial Quilt Dedication Ceremony – Janesville
April 12: Q&A Seminar – A Gift to YourFamily: Advance Care Planning
April 13: Living with Grief Conference –Spirituality at the End of Life
April 16: Memorial Quilt Dedication Ceremony – Madison

 

View our full event calendar.

View some of our past issues.

Visit us on Facebook and Twitter.

Julie Slattery has been named vice president of clinical services. She comes to Agrace HospiceCare from Chartwell, one of our local healthcare partners, where she led clinical operations for the past six years. She has more than 20 years of clinical ranging from acute care to home health. Her master’s degree in nursing is from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

We Remember Richard Botham

Dr. Richard “Dick” Botham died on November 17, 2010. A physician at Dean Medical Center for more than 30 years, Dick will be remembered as a Agrace HospiceCare champion. In 1998, Agrace HospiceCare turned to Dick and his wife Maggie to lead our fi rst Promises to Keep Capital Campaign to build the Don & Marilyn Anderson Agrace HospiceCare Center. It was their fervent belief in the idea of hospice that led to a successful campaign and ultimately to an acute-care hospice facility for this community. His great spirit and deep
compassion will be missed.

A Remarkable Evening for Butterfly Gala

Agrace HospiceCare’s Butterfl y Gala raised over $82,000 to support end-of-life care for patients and families. More than 250 guests enjoyed the fabulous food and the great music of the Eddie Butts Band. We thank all of our sponsors, including Platinum sponsors Dean & St. Mary’s and UW Health, as well as our partners, committee members and volunteers who made the evening possible. Mark your calendar now for the 2011 gala, to be held on Saturday, November 12.

Pictured left: Nancy Lynch, Suzie Wilkinson, Katie Reuhl enjoy themselves at the Gala.

Don Turns 90

Don Anderson (third from left), namesake of the Don & Marilyn Anderson Agrace HospiceCare Center, celebrated his 90th birthday at the Agrace HospiceCare facility in December. He is joined in this picture by his children (from left): Martha Van De Ven, Kathy Switzky, Don, Susie Ruedisili, Karry Anderson and Ron Anderson.

Increase Your Cash Flow with a Gift Annuity

If you’d like to support the mission of Agrace HospiceCare and receive steady payments during your retirement years, a charitable gift annuity may be right for you.

Here’s how it works: You make a donation to Agrace HospiceCare and in return you receive a fi xed amount for the rest of your life. The annuity payout rates are based on your age at the time the gift is made—the older you are, the higher the return. The rates are designed to ensure that at least 50 percent of the initial principal of your gift will be available to Agrace HospiceCare upon your death.

Charitable gift annuities can also help lower your taxes. You receive a tax deduction in the year you set up the gift annuity when you itemize on your taxes. Your annuity payments are also partially incometax–free throughout your estimated life expectancy.

Charitable gift annuities can be established for one ortwo people, allowing you to provide for a spouse, an elderly parent or a friend in a tax-advantaged manner.

Cliff Voegeli is a long-time Agrace HospiceCare volunteer. “I want to do whatever I can to make sure that Agrace HospiceCare’s services remain available and strong … now and in the future. Because I’m retired and money market rates are so low, a guaranteed, steady, fixed-rate income seemed too good to be true. When Agrace HospiceCare offered their charitable gift annuity, I jumped at the chance to invest. Now every time I receive a check, I am reminded of what a great opportunity this was for me.”

To establish a charitable gift annuity with Agrace HospiceCare, you must be at least 60 years old. The minimum gift is $10,000. For more information, please visit the Agrace HospiceCare website or contact Donor Services at (608) 327-7143.

 

IRA Charitable Rollover: Makes Giving Easy and Tax-Free

Good news … the IRA charitable rollover has been reinstated for 2011. This simple form of charitable giving lets you make direct gifts
from an individual retirement account (IRA) to a qualifi ed charity—without increasing your taxable income.

If you are over age 70 ½, you can directly transfer money from your IRA to Agrace HospiceCare. without generating more income or paying any additional tax. Your tax-free gift can be any amount you choose, up to the $100,000 annual limit. And, your gift will qualify toward your required minimum distribution.

The law expires on December 31, 2011, so you will want to act this year if you are looking for ways to reduce your taxable estate.

To find out whether the IRA charitable rollover law can benefi t you, please contact your personal financial advisor and ask about the extension of the IRA Charitable Rollover. To receive the forms necessary to complete an IRA charitable rollover, or for further assistance, please contact Agrace HospiceCare Donor Services at (608) 327-7143.

Kids Make Quilts, Too

Creating a quilt square in memory of a loved one has a long tradition at Agrace HospiceCare. “In planning the most recent Kids Grief Support Group, I thought it would be a cool idea to have the kids do a quilt just like the adults,” says grief counselor Jessie Shiveler. By the end of the five-week group, each child—ages 6 to 9—created a square in honor of their person, and then the quilt was dedicated at an event they planned. “You could tell how meaningful the ceremony was—not only for the kids, but for the families that attended,” she added. Thanks to donor support, Agrace HospiceCare is able to offer a variety of support groups at no charge to community members, whether they’ve used Agrace HospiceCare or not.

Agrace HospiceCare. Hosting Sips & Sounds on March 5

Sips & Sounds is Agrace HospiceCare's premiere wine-tasting event. Join us on March 5, 2011 and enjoy an evening of wine, food, music and friends. Enthusiastic support for this event has pushed attendance to over 300 community members throughout the area. The event is being held at the Pontiac Convention Center, 2809 North Pontiac Drive in Janesville. Cost is $50 per person.

To make a reservation or for more information visit the Agrace HospiceCare website or contact Donor Services at (608) 314-2910.

Events

February 8: Q&A Seminar – The Top Five Questions to Ask Your Doctor
March 5: Sips & Sounds – South central Wisconsin’s premier wine-tasting festival at the Pontiac Convention Center in Janesville
March 8: Q&A Seminar – Help for Your Aging Parents … and You
March 21: Q&A Seminar – Making the Agrace HospiceCare Choice; optional building tour to follow
March 26: Memorial Quilt Dedication Ceremony – Janesville
April 12: Q&A Seminar – A Gift to YourFamily: Advance Care Planning
April 13: Living with Grief Conference –Spirituality at the End of Life
April 16: Memorial Quilt Dedication Ceremony – Madison

 

 

View our full event calendar.

View some of our past issues.

Visit us on Facebook and Twitter.