"Stories at Sunset" From Hospice of Michigan.

From PRNewswire, an awareness campaign from Hospice of Michigan to better familiarize the public with end of life care and hospice experiences:

Hospice of Michigan, one of Michigan's leading providers of hospice and palliative care, will engage the public in a 52-week awareness campaign about end-of-life issues called "Stories at Sunset." The campaign, which begins the first week of January 2010, will draw upon the true stories of husbands, wives, sons, daughters, sisters and brothers who have helped loved ones at the end of life. It also will feature first-hand stories from Hospice of Michigan nurses, doctors, social workers, volunteers and donors.

The stories will be aired on radio stations in Southeast Michigan - one story each week for 52 weeks, and on the Hospice of Michigan website: www.hom.org.

Hospice of Michigan President and CEO Dottie Deremo said, "We think "Stories at Sunset" is a powerful way to shed light on end-of-life experiences, and help dispel some of the fear that people feel when people they love are dying. We know from 30 years of providing hospice care that families are often transformed by their hospice experiences, and are comforted by talking about them."

Though hospice care has been available in Michigan for 30 years, it is still not widely understood. Only 30 percent of eligible patients access hospice services at the end of life.

Hospice of Michigan has been providing service in Michigan for 30 years. Here are some things you should know about hospice care:

• Hospice care is a widely-accepted health-care service that is regulated by the state and federal government.
• Hospice provides a holistic approach to care that includes addressing the emotional, physical, and social needs of the patient and their loved ones.
• Hospice supports family members and loved ones through the experience and helps them cope with grief afterwards.
• Hospice care is paid for by Medicare, Medicaid, and most private insurance companies.

"During the "Stories at Sunset" campaign, we will share a new story each week. We hope people will come to our website -- hom.org -- each week to hear the stories, or tune in to the radio station in their community that is airing them," continues Deremo. "At some point in each of our lives, we will lose people we love. The universal themes of these stories connect us to each other and help us realize that though our experiences are unique, we are not alone."

About Hospice of Michigan:

Hospice of Michigan is a non-profit organization that provides comprehensive comfort care to people living with a terminal illness and support to their families. The organization serves more than 900 people every day in 56 counties in Michigan. Patients and families may request hospice care for themselves or their loved ones, or they can ask their health care provider to refer them. Hospice of Michigan can be reached 24-hours-a-day at 888-247-5701. Visit Hospice of Michigan online at www.hom.org.

Stories at Sunset logo in high-res .jpeg: http://www.hom.org/media/stories_logo.jpg