Hospices fight rising turnover during pandemic

Staff turnover and burnout have been higher since the coronavirus pandemic first hit the nation. Hospices are adopting strategies to stem the tide, with providers increasingly working to build career paths for nurses and other hospice staff.

VNH partnered with the VNA Health System of Northern New England to offer registered nurse graduates a one-year nurse residency program as a way to address the ongoing home health care nursing shortage. “Together we recognized the increasing demand for nursing within our region, the increasing competition for recruitment of experienced nurses in our environments,” Beliveau told Hospice News.

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Lending a Helping Hand to a Veteran in Need

John Allen, a Veteran and Upper Valley resident since the early 90s, was one inspection away from being removed from his apartment due to his hoarding-like tendencies. Help at Home, a service of Visiting Nurse and Hospice for Vermont and New Hampshire (VNH) that offers affordable private-duty personal care services, was there to lend a helping hand.  Gloria, the Personal Care Specialist assigned to John, though overwhelmed and hesitant she would be successful after seeing the condition of his apartment, was ready to accept the challenge.

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Delivering Generations of Care

Preparing for the birth of your first child and bringing home a newborn can be a scary time for some parents. In 1999, Tammy Pregent found she was not alone when she gave birth to a healthy baby girl named Taylor. Visiting Nurse and Hospice for Vermont and New Hampshire (VNH) and registered nurse Missy Carpenter were there to provide skilled nursing care, advice, compassionate support, and practical help as she navigated being a single, first-time parent.

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Road to Recovery: Life After Coma

Safely navigating your home, getting dressed, preparing and eating a meal, keeping your balance, even getting up from a chair are things most people take for granted. When illness, injury, or the effects of aging diminish your abilities, these routine tasks become challenging. When illness struck New Hampshire native Paula Stone, Visiting Nurse and Hospice for Vermont and New Hampshire (VNH) was there to help get her on the road to recovery and reach functional independence.

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Planting Seeds of Kindness

At 77 years old, Barbara strongly values her independence and describes herself as having a gypsy soul. She has a deep spiritual appreciation for nature and has lived successfully in the woods of southern Vermont for much of her life. Barbara lives alone, without family, and suffers from chronic lung disease.

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Come home to excellent care, even on vacation!

I want to share my story about an experience that my husband Kevin and I had with Visiting Nurse and Hospice for Vermont and New Hampshire (VNH) recently. What we had planned as a relaxing four-day holiday at our vacation home in Vermont turned into an extended stay that was stressful and scary.

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