- [Michael] Tonight on "WPBS Weekly: Inside The Stories", we sit down with the director of Community Relations and Marketing at Jefferson County Hospice to myth bust hospice care and discover what's new at the facility.

And how do your social channels look as you prepare to find that perfect job.

Canadian job coach M. Michelle Nadon shares tips.

Plus, taking the fresh sounds of Ontario indie rock band, A Short Walk to Pluto.

Your stories, your region, coming up right now on "WPBS Weekly: Inside the Stories".

(theatrical music) - [Announcer] "WPBS Weekly: Inside The Stories" is brought to you by: The Watertown Oswego Small Business Development Center; The J.M.

McDonald Foundation; The Estate of Grant Mitchell; and The Dr. D. Susan Badenhausen Legacy Fund of the Northern New York Community Foundation.

Additional funding from the New York State Education Department.

- Good Tuesday evening everyone and welcome to this edition of "WPBS Weekly: Inside The Stories".

I'm Michael Riecke.

We kick off tonight with discussion around the common misconceptions of hospice care.

Hospice focuses on palliative care for patients at end of life, including managing pain and symptoms as well as attending to their emotional and spiritual needs.

Too often, misconceptions surround this kind of care turning the benefits and truth of hospice inside out.

Our Joleene DesRosiers sat down with Kathy Ardent, director of Community Relations and Marketing at Hospice of Jefferson County and resource nurse Andrea Paratore to bust the myths surrounding this powerful healthcare option.

(light music) - Thank you, Michael.

Yes, a conversation about what hospice is and busting any myths out there is crucial for the population at large.

And to help us with this conversation tonight, we're here with Kathy Ardent.

You're the director of Community Relations and Marketing at Hospice of Jefferson County.

And Andrea Paratore, you're a resource nurse, a hospice resource nurse.

First of all, ladies, thank you so much for joining us.

We appreciate it.

- [Kathy] Thank you for having us.

- We're gonna bust some myths, and it's very, very important that we do this.

Before we dig in, tell us what Hospice of Jefferson County is, how long have you been around?

Give me a little history lesson.

- Okay.

Hospice of Jefferson County was founded by community leaders and some RNs.

They decided that there was no hospice for the people of this community.

So they started in 1985 with a home care service.

So hospice nurses would go to the home.

They had a little home over on Washington Street in Watertown, and it blossomed from there.

And they saw that there was a real need in the community.

In 2011, they decided that they needed a hospice residence because a lot of community people could not afford to stay home.

They didn't have a caregiver.

They needed a place to be and taken care of.

So they wrote a grant and they got the money to put in a beautiful residence on Ellis Farm up in Gotham Street across the way from Thompson Park.

They put in eight patient beds and it's an absolutely beautiful five-acre residence.

In, I think it was 2018, they decided that we needed more patient rooms due to the fact that we always had a waiting list for the residents.

And unfortunately on hospice care, they can't wait very long.

- [Joleene] Right.

- So we wanted to do our best to put more rooms on, which we just did.

We have four more patient rooms now.

That's 12 total.

And we have some other ancillary rooms that are just absolutely beautiful to add to the beauty of our campus.

- Yeah, we're gonna touch on that and show the newness of it.

For folks who may not fully understand, what is hospice?

- Hospice is a service that delivers expert, compassionate comprehensive care to those facing their end of life journey.

And that would mean a terminal diagnosis of six months or less.

The most important thing to remember about hospice care is that we offer comfort care to the patient, but we also care and support the family members and the caregivers with emotional and spiritual support.

We have a wonderful group of nurses and social workers that make sure the entire family is taken care of.

- That was something I wasn't aware of when we started working with you folks, doing different stories, shedding some light on hospice.

And it brought up myth busting, which was there's so many myths around hospice care that it's misunderstood.

Andrea, talk to us about some of those myths so folks at home understand there's more to this than they may think.

- So, with the myths of hospice, let's start at the very beginning.

One of the myths is that my doctor will talk to me about hospice.

With hospice referrals, they can really be generated and initiated by anybody, patient, family, friend, hospital, nursing home, or the physician themselves.

The physician isn't always the primary person that's initiating that referral.

It can be initiated by anybody.

Once that call's made to initiate that referral, we work with the patient and the family and the doctor to pull all the pieces together so that we can help them and figure out where the hospice services will happen, when will they happen, and give people an information and help them make informed decisions, knowledge-based decisions on when is hospice right for me and the timing of it.

So we'll bring all those pieces together.

As far as physicians go, another myth is that people will have to give up their primary care doctor, and that's not true.

The primary care doctor is actually part of the care team.

And it's really important that they remain part of the care team.

They're a voice to help advocate for the patient.

They know the patient very well.

They're gonna assist the hospice team in symptom management, physical support, emotional support, and really helping us to guide the patient through their end of life journey.

Third myth is that hospice is expensive and that I can't afford it.

Medicare, Medicaid, and many private insurances do cover hospice care, whether you're in the home, in our facility, or in a nursing home.

Looking at someone's insurances will help us determine what level is covered, whether it's home, our facility, or in the nursing home.

There's other aspects of coverage that come into play there, but most insurances do cover hospice at a 100%.

The fourth myth is kind of a big one and we hear it a lot, is that hospice is gonna take away all my medications.

That when they come under service, all their medications go away.

That's not true.

So, with patients medication regiments, there's a couple of things that happen when we look at their medicines.

Number one is sometimes the patient says, "I don't wanna take all these pills anymore.

I don't wanna do this anymore."

Other times we work with a physician and we say, "What's the most important medication for you to continue taking?"

You know, risk and reward.

So, if this is helpful to manage their symptoms, we'll continue it on.

Other times we look at disease progression.

Sometimes the progression of disease outpaces the benefit of continuing a certain medication.

With some medications, you know, patients can continue to take them, but they lose the ability to swallow or they just don't tolerate them well in their systems.

And that's also telling us that it's time to change the medication, which goes back to having their primary care doctor as part of the team, because then we can work together to really find the best regiment for them.

So speaking of medications comes the conversation about morphine.

A lot of people think that when they come on the hospice that they have to start morphine right away.

That morphine will hasten death and speed up the process, and that's not something that it does.

Our comfort medications, one of the medications including morphine, helps with shortness of breath and it can help with pain as well.

It's also very easily administered to patients who are unable to swallow and unable to take pills.

Comfort medications, we have other ones that also help with nausea, sleep, anxiety, again, the pain symptoms that come in.

So that's where the comfort medications are.

The patients are our guides, and really through this working with their primary care doctor and their symptoms, we're adjusting the medications to find the right fit for the patient.

And everybody's different.

One of the other myths about hospice is waiting until the very end to make that hospice referral.

That hospice is for those final days, those last days when that patient is unable to get up and move and they're actively dying, per se.

And again, this is another myth that we like to educate people about.

The hospice really comes in when the treatment stops, not when someone is in their final days.

The hospice benefit enables somebody to have hospice for six months, give or take, depending on their prognosis.

Some go a little longer, some go a little shorter.

But really, when the timing comes in and that's where we look at the referral process and working with the families to determine the right time, hospice can benefit them for that final six months of life, not those final six days or six hours.

Some of the benefits are preventing repeat hospitalizations.

People that are under hospice care, nurses and social workers are going into the home to manage their care at home so that patient doesn't have to go to the hospital.

They don't necessarily need to go to their primary care doctor anymore.

That doctor's part of the care team and we're the middleman for them.

So we're maintaining and managing all their care at home.

A lot of times hospice patients when they first come on service, they feel better.

Their medication regiments are streamlined, their symptoms are managed, and their shift in focus has changed.

So their perspective isn't going back and forth to the doctor's office and treating and treating and using the energies for that.

They're using the energy to have a barbecue with family, sit on the back porch, spend time with a grandchild, watch their favorite show on TV, or listen to some music.

Maybe having some friends from church come over.

You know, that's where having the hospice support sooner can keep them out of the hospital and keep them home so that they can enjoy those days and months that they have left.

- The family is very much involved in this experience.

Can you talk to me a little bit about that, and Kathy, you mentioned it earlier.

I think that's important to recognize.

It's not something where someone goes to hospice or is cared for solely in their home.

Their family's involved.

- And they're part of the care team, too.

You know, we talk about interdisciplinary that, you know, there's all different people and different family members, friends, physicians, nurses, social workers, all different elements that really bring something to the table.

You know, when we talk about caregiving and you think about caregiving as in the hands-on care at home, it's not a one person job.

So, you need all these different people to come in to make that person be comfortable.

And everybody brings something different to the table.

And that's really where the family members can come in and offer something.

Some are gonna do hands-on care, some are gonna be running to the grocery store.

Everybody gets a job in this and everybody's job is really, really important.

And we rely very heavily on family and friends to support.

There's also support for family and friends after someone passes away.

And that's where our bereavement program, not only is it pivotal when somebody's on hospice services, but after their loved one passes away we're still reaching out to family and friends to help provide that support for the year after that they pass away.

- That's incredible information.

I had the honor to be with some of your patients and knowing the family members, how comforted they were by the experience that was brought into their home and knowing that even afterwards there was still an element that was there.

Before we wrap things up, Kathy, you had a ribbon cutting earlier this year for the solarium.

Talk to me about that and what it brings to the folks there.

- Well, we did.

We added four, as I mentioned, four new patient rooms.

We added a beautiful solarium, new family room, and an activities room.

It's an absolutely beautiful, beautiful building now and we're just very excited that we can have four more patients and their families there.

And we can eat away a little bit at that waiting list.

That's what's we're able to treat more people and that's what it's all about.

- [Joleene] It's beautiful.

We had the opportunity to be there.

You've got a meditation room.

- [Kathy] We do.

- And the glass in the solarium allows them to essentially be outside.

- That's right.

Well, each patient room also opens up to a patio.

So each patient has the ability to open up the French doors and be outside.

They all have screened in porches, and we're on a five-acre property that's absolutely beautiful with three ponds and a fountain.

It's beautiful.

- It is.

It's stunning.

The website for folks at home if they want more information is?

- Is jeffersonhospice.org.

- Thank you so much for your time, your experience, your expertise in sharing all of this knowledge.

We are truly, truly grateful.

We do appreciate it, ladies.

- [Kathy & Andrea] Thank you.

- This interview is part of WPBS' Aging Together in New York project and is produced in association with the New York State Office for the Aging and the New York State Education Department.

For more interviews and stories on senior isolation, visit wpbstv.org.

Meantime, on the job front, job seekers looking to outshine other candidates need to be mindful of how they show up on social media.

M. Michelle Nadon, a job coach out of Canada, shares tips on what platforms to show up on and how careful one should be when posting.

(light music) (upbeat music) - On the subject of young adults and self-marketing, it is critically important.

Obviously, we're all using social media and it's here to stay.

So that part of things isn't gonna change, but you have to be so mindful.

First of all, you wanna really be mindful about what platforms you're actually marketing yourself on.

Some are very definitely better than others and some hold more respect than others.

So that's a good indicator right there about what social media platforms to choose to participate on.

Then when you do, listen.

We all make mistakes, okay?

We all get super excited or possibly totally depressed and let something fly on social media that we shouldn't.

First of all, take it down as soon as possible.

But second of all, forgive yourself because it actually will happen.

But the trick is to be really mindful about how you're presenting on social media.

And please understand that employers are very, definitely checking your social media.

As a matter of fact, it's gotten so much so now that they will check your social media before they actually see your resume or digest your resume, okay?

So you know, you've heard that a resume you've only got six seconds to get a person's attention?

Okay.

On social media, you've got 10 minutes.

An employer will review your social media, on average, for 10 minutes, where they on average look at your resume for maybe two minutes.

So you wanna keep that in mind, and you wanna make sure that how you present on social media as well as your resume is kind of as airtight as it can possibly be.

And don't make the mistake of having any incongruence or differences between what's on your resume and what's on your LinkedIn profile or other social media, but particularly LinkedIn.

If that information doesn't match, it's an automatic reason for a hiring manager to screen you out.

So self-marketing on social media is a huge concept and it's only getting bigger.

So, we have to make really concerted decisions about how we're participating on social media.

Do you have a personal account and a professional page?

Well, the right answer is, it's your call.

And you have to think at the end of the day, how much can you manage?

Like I've been, I'm all over social media.

I have all kinds of different accounts and through the years, it's been a lot of years that I've been on social media.

I have learned to really curate those feeds.

And now, I make really important decisions every year, again, around my birthday, when I'm planning my goals and I'm scrubbing my marketing tools, I take a very good long look at social media and I decide, okay, is this market working for me or not?

Is it worth the time I spend maintaining all of these accounts, or is my time better spent in other ways?

And finally, you need to answer for yourself, do I delete my account in its entirety?

Well again, if you go back and you listen to your instincts, your instincts are gonna tell you.

First of all, if you're asking yourself that question in the first place, then there is an issue, okay?

You're not just being strategic there, but something is tweaking on the inside saying, "Mm, is this okay?"

Well, as soon as you get that hit, you know you need to go back and you need to have a look at your social media.

So, if you think it's worth it at the end of the day, yes, get rid of your personal stuff and choose the platforms that you're gonna operate on professionally and then spend all that time that you would've spent on the personal, which is really kind of a waste of time anyway, when you think about it.

Take all that good time in your life and put it into representing yourself professionally online, on social media, and you will be much better for it.

And you will be actively managing your own messaging and actively representing yourself appropriately for others to receive in a positive way.

When it comes to social media and employers, we all want to be kind of letter perfect if we can.

But the bottom line is is that you can't be perfect and you can't please every audience.

So the real answer for social media is, is it pleasing you?

Are you comfortable with you?

Are your instincts telling you that, "Yeah, my feed is pretty clean.

My feed is fun.

It's entertaining.

It doesn't have any negative hits.

It doesn't have any big parties or bad behaviors," or whatever else you might be involved in, questionable communities.

It doesn't have any of those things so I'm pretty good to go.

But you cannot second guess what an employer is looking for.

All you can be assured of is the fact that the employer is looking.

And so at the end of the day, it is your professional responsibility to curate your feeds and make sure that they are as strongly representative of you as a professional as they possibly can be because everybody out there, employers and family, friends, et cetera, they're all subject to making assumptions about you, okay?

There's a reason why there's a concept called the fundamental attribution error.

It's a fundamental error that people make all of the time.

Employers, regular humans alike, and that error is making assumptions.

So if you know that about your social media out of the gate, you will train yourself to be more circumspect and more cautious with what you're putting out there so that no one can take your message and run down the field with it.

So, curation for social media, trust your instincts, and stay on top of it.

It's really important.

(air swooshes) - We wrap things up tonight with A Short Walk to Pluto.

Didn't know you could get there by foot, apparently you can.

It's a Toronto-based band offering alternative rock with catchy hooks and rhythms.

Let's listen.

Here they are with their original tune, "Give Me Grace".

(drum rolling) (light bright music) ♪ And so begins a day ♪ ♪ Born with the sun in a frozen sky ♪ ♪ Her face held high but not quite seen ♪ ♪ To see you there ♪ ♪ Where time stands still ♪ ♪ As I will ♪ ♪ And as you were ♪ ♪ With time before you ♪ ♪ You, ooh, ooh ♪ (light bright music) ♪ Across the field a man ♪ ♪ Patiently waiting for wind to blow ♪ ♪ He's sure he knows the hearts of those he's seen ♪ ♪ You're on your own ♪ ♪ Hopeless too ♪ ♪ Hide yourself ♪ ♪ All alone ♪ ♪ But I will hold you ♪ ♪ Give me grace ♪ ♪ Or love at least ♪ ♪ And I ♪ ♪ I'll find my way ♪ ♪ Your winter queen ♪ ♪ It's falling in your arms ♪ ♪ The weight of the world ♪ ♪ To care for another ♪ ♪ Is only cruel ♪ ♪ To hope for a lover ♪ ♪ There's only you ♪ (light bright music) ♪ Give me grace ♪ ♪ Or love at least ♪ ♪ And I ♪ ♪ Just this once ♪ ♪ My autumn dream ♪ (light bright music) (light music) - That does it for us this Tuesday night.

Join us next time for a fresh look inside the stories.

Girls Inc. in Kingston provides life skills and mentoring for girls no matter what gender they're born.

Discover how this nonprofit empowers them.

And join Johnny Spezzano in the kitchen as he plates up scallops and pumpkin risotto with Paddock Club Chef Robert Dalton.

Plus, meet a young author eager to change minds about the environment.

Jenna Audlin inspires children of the North Country to explore more.

Meantime, if you have a story or idea you'd like us to explore, we'd love to learn more.

Drop us an email at wpbsweekly@wpbstv.org and let's share it with the region.

That's it for tonight, everybody.

Have a safe evening and we will see you next time.

(theatrical music) - [Announcer] "WPBS Weekly: Inside The Stories" is brought to you by: The Watertown Oswego Small Business Development Center, a free resource offering confidential business advice for those interested in starting or expanding their small business.

Serving Jefferson, Lewis, and Oswego Counties since 1986.

Online at watertown.nysbdc.org.

Additional funding provided by: The J.M.

McDonald Foundation; The Estate of Grant Mitchell; The Dr. D. Susan Badenhausen Legacy Fund of the Northern New York Community Foundation; and the New York State Education Department.

(theatrical music) (light bright music) ♪ Across the field a man ♪ ♪ Patiently waiting for wind to blow ♪ ♪ He sure he knows the hearts of those he's seen ♪ (light bright music) (light music)