Beyond Hospice

Blue Ridge Hospice opened its doors on Valentine's Day 1981, and 45 years later, hospice is only part of the story. Janet Michael talks with Ben Weber, Vice President of Business Development for Blue Ridge Care, about how the organization grew from volunteer nurses making home visits into a community care provider, and why it changed its name to Blue Ridge Care.

Ben walks through everything Blue Ridge Care offers today: hospice, palliative and supportive care, free grief support that's open to anyone in the community, eight thrift shops, a growing e-cycling program, and PACE, the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly. He explains who qualifies for PACE, why you don't need a doctor's referral, and how it helps seniors stay safely in their own homes. He also shares a few good stories, including the time he chased people through a parking lot to tell them PACE isn't hospice. If you've ever thought "that's not for us yet," this episode is worth a listen.

LINKS & RESOURCES

Blue Ridge Care: blueridgecare.org · 540-313-9200 (ask for a care navigator) Blue Ridge Care PACE (Blue Ridge Independence at Home): Hope Campus, corner of Hope Drive and Valor Drive, Winchester Ben Weber: bweber@blueridgecare.org Center for Hope & Healing (free grief support, open to the community): blueridgecare.org THE VALLEY TODAY with Janet Michael — A decade of conversations.

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