Showing Category: Stories
When All There’s Left to Say is “I Do”
Blue Ridge Hospice chaplains are available to provide our patients and their families with spiritual care during their end-of-life journey. Our Interfaith Chaplains provide support through presence, counsel, prayer, or religious rituals, but they are also available to provide comfort in other ways. “We do a lot of legacy work,” says Larissa Blechman, who has worked as a hospice chaplain for 14 years, with more than three years at BRH.“Patients often want to look back [...]
Honoring Our Veterans, One Last Time
W]illiam is a volunteer with Blue Ridge Hospice’s We Honor Veterans program, a joint effort of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide specialized veteran-focused end-of-life-care. “I have always felt called to serving those in need,” says William, “and after concluding my ten years in the army, I was looking for a way to continue serving my community.” Since 2020, William has helped coordinate and conduct numerous [...]
Stories from the Front Lines: Stacy Nichols
During the COVID-19 Pandemic the Blue Ridge Hospice team continued caring for patients. Here is Stacy's story. During the pandemic we limited how many staff members could visit a patient in-person to reduce unnecessary exposure. Not only was I working as a CNA, but I also became the face of our music therapists, volunteers, and grief counselors. I happily took on these roles for all of my patients, but I’ll never forget my experience with [...]
Grand Opening for New Thrift Shop in Purcellville
A crowd of excited shoppers, all wearing masks, began lining up at 8AM on Saturday morning in hopes of being the first to see the secondhand treasures at Blue Ridge Hospice’s brand-new thrift shop at 609 E Main St in Purcellville, Virginia. This is their ninth shop in the Northern Shenandoah Valley and the third shop located in Loudoun County. Blue Ridge Hospice, a local nonprofit organization that provides end of life care and free [...]
A Case for Masks from Dr. Flynn
I know it has seemed like years since we have all seen each other in person and these times continue to challenge what our sense of “normal” is each and every day. Just know that all the efforts you have made (and are making) ARE making a real difference in our area. Because of your social distancing, teleworking and mask wearing, our hospitals have been able to care for our fellow residents with COVID-19 effectively [...]
Volunteers Provide Face Masks to Blue Ridge Hospice
(Winchester, VA) Despite early preparation, hospices and hospitals all over the globe are experiencing a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) for the foreseeable future. With masks on back order and patient visits as crucial as ever, volunteers in the community have stepped up to offer their time and sewing skills to help support the urgent needs of Blue Ridge Hospice (BRH). “We are very short on face masks. We are not alone as most [...]
