What is the difference between Hospice and Palliative care? What is the right choice for a situation? When and how can you get a Palliative care consultation? Our expert speakers will address these and other questions during our April 8th seminar.

Gwen Harris, MA, FT, Geriatric Care Manager, Palliative Care Program at Seniors At Home, and Chris Ritzo, RN, Outreach Nurse at Mission Hospice & Home Care will bring their years of experience to this presentation, with the goal to eliminate the myths of hospice and palliative care, and provide resources and information that each of us will need.

ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS

Chris Ritzo, RN, Outreach Nurse, Mission Hospice & and Home Care

Chris has been an RN for 35 years and has experience working with everyone from newborns to those at end of life.

As part of the Outreach team at Mission Hospice, Chris works with patients, families, hospital discharge planners, and physicians in need of information about our Transitions and Hospice programs. Chris’ work with families supports their making the right choice for their loved one, while helping them understand the hospice medical benefit, while providing education about resources, and programs, that can support people in the last year of their life. You may see Chris at Mills-Peninsula Hospital, or speaking at a case manager’s meeting, or sitting with a family navigating some of the most difficult decisions of a lifetime. She is happy to offer this opportunity for people to understand hospice, palliative care, and community resources before actually needing them.

Gwen Harris, MA, FT, Geriatric Care Manager, Palliative Care Program at Seniors At Home, a division of Jewish Family and Children's Services

Gwen has an MA in Gerontology and an FT in Thanatology, the study of death and dying. As a member of Seniors At Home’s Palliative Care Team, Gwen specializes in helping individuals who are suffering from a long-term illness and their families. In addition to working with clients, she co-teaches “Caring for Those You Care About” classes to adult children and spouses of older adults, and trains Palliative Care Program volunteers. Gwen recently co-authored a chapter on Death and Dying in the book Care Managers: Working with the Aging Family and served as a guest editor for the Journal of Geriatric Care Management: End of Life Care.

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATIONS

Mission Hospice & Home Care serves patients and families in the San Mateo and Santa Clara County area with quality, compassionate end-of-life care and education. Founded in 1979, our local, independent nonprofit has supported thousands of patients and their families through illness and bereavement. Donations from the community support our exceptional care and educational programs, and help us to serve people regardless of their medical coverage or ability to pay.

Seniors At Home serves San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma, San Mateo and Northern Santa Clara counties to provide help to seniors with respect and dignity in order to live safer, healthier, and more independent lives. Our experts provide home care services, as well as overall care management, dementia care management, palliative care, skilled nursing, grief counseling, and fiduciary services to all seniors in our communities.