198 Hospice Explained: Eric Horwith on End-of-Life Planning and Navigating Grief

198 Hospice Explained: Eric Horwith on End-of-Life Planning and Navigating Grief

Host Marie Betcher, a registered nurse and former hospice nurse, interviews Eric Horwith, a social worker and UPMC regional director of business development who focuses on improving timely access to hospice, palliative care, and home health services and teaches at the University of Pittsburgh. Eric shares how his father's unexpected death forced urgent end-of-life decisions without advance planning, reinforcing the need for earlier conversations and legal documents. He describes his mother's peaceful death at 83 and his subsequent intense grief, which led him to write the Amazon-available guide, "Grief Exists Because Love Persists: Navigating Life After Loss," emphasizing grief as individualized and something to move through while honoring a loved one's legacy. Eric outlines his university course covering hospice, palliative care, organ donation, autopsy, cultural considerations, and advance care planning. He advises researching hospice providers, noting hospice is a benefit regardless of ability to pay and highlighting publicly reported quality metrics.

00:00 Welcome and Disclaimer

00:41 Meet Eric Horwith

02:33 Eric's Story and Calling

04:56 Sudden Loss and Planning Ahead

07:41 Mom's Peaceful Passing

09:23 Why He Wrote the Grief Guide

10:06 Grief Exists Because Love Persists

12:28 Grief Nuggets and Marathon Metaphor

15:37 Honoring Barbara's Legacy

16:42 Teaching Death and Dying