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Internationally known vocalist teams up with TRU staff members for a touching concert

December 9, 2019 by TRU Community Care

On December 3rd, TRU Community Care staff and volunteers gathered at the home of Mardi and Jane Byers for an intimate concert performed by Mardi Byers, Hopi Moore-Sargent, and Larissa Gensolin. Mardi and her mother are very grateful for the services they have received from TRU.

Mardi is from Boulder and went to AZ State before traveling to Europe to begin her 22 year singing career. She currently resides in Zurich, Switzerland but has returned home to Boulder to take care of her mother, Jane. Mardi’s father was longtime music professor Charles A. “Chuck” Byers. Chuck spent several decades teaching vocal music at the University of Colorado at Boulder, leaving a legacy of a madrigal singing group now in its 44th year. According to her bio, Mardi Byers is one of the most exciting and talented artists to have emerged in recent years. Hailed by Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung as “world class,’ she is making her mark on international opera and concert stages including the Hamburg State Opera, Bregenz Festival, Moscow’s Bolshoi Theater, New York City Opera, and Finnish National Opera.

Her triumphant opera debut as Tosca at Theater Lübeck in 2003 earned her both critical and public acclaim, prompting invitations from leading opera houses to sing the major roles of her repertoire including Amelia in Simon Boccanegra at the Hamburg State Opera, Marie in Dmitri Tcherniakov’s celebrated production of Wozzeck with the Bolshoi Theater conducted by Teodor Currentzis, Aida at the Bregenz Festival in a Graham Vick production, Donna Anna in Don Giovanni at New York City Opera, Il tabarro and Suor Angelica for New Orleans Opera, Elisabetta in Don Carlo for Theater Basel directed by Calixto Beito, Marietta in Die Tote Stadt, Elisabeth in Tannhäuser, and Prima Donna /Ariadne in a new production of Ariadne auf Naxos at the Nürnberg State Theater, and Aida for her debut with Finnish National Opera. Mardi Byers’ further European credits include Aida under the baton of Daniele Gatti, Elisabetta in Don Carlos in both the French and Italian versions, Amelia in I Masnadieri, Marguerite in Faust, the title role in Adriana Lecouvreur, the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro, and Margarete in Honegger’s Jeanne d’Arc au Bûcher. Equally at home on the concert stage Mardi Byers has performed Strauss’s Vier letzte Lieder in Hamburg, Verdi’s Requiem, and most recently sang the Beethoven Ninth Symphony for the Stuttgart Symphony’s New Year’s Concert. Recitals have taken her to San Francisco, Zurich, Munich and Salzburg, and in November 2010 she sang the Verdi Requiem in Finland’s esteemed Turku Concert Hall.

During a home visit, Mardi, an internationally known opera singer, learned that TRU staff members Hopi and Larissa are also accomplished musicians. She had the idea to put together a performance for the staff and volunteers as a way to give back and thank them for the care they have provided. TRU team members were treated to several duets with Mardi and Hopi, as well as solos performed by each artist. They performed several opera pieces as well as classical and contemporary songs. At one point, Larissa played an entire song by memory! The afternoon ended with a beautiful and touching solo by Jane Byers. It was an honor to share the talents of these beautiful ladies.

Hopi Moore-Sargent is a new nurse at TRU Community Care. She comes from a musical family and has spent many years singing and entertaining. She currently sings in a Baroque Folke Group and is also a member of the Country Swing Band, Misty Way Ramblers. The Misty Way Ramblers are made up primarily of Geology students from CU. They perform at local Barn Parties and Farm-to-Table events. Music has always been an important part of Hopi’s life, and she enjoys sharing her talent and passion with others. You can see more about her band on their Facebook Page.

Larissa Gensolin is an RN at TRU Community Care. Originally from California, Larissa has lived in Ohio, Washington and Nebraska before settling in Colorado about a year ago. In addition to caring for patients as an RN, Larissa is an accomplished pianist. She started playing at the age of two, and began formal lessons at five. Larissa minored in music in college and has performed in many concerts and competitions. Larissa is a gifted pianist and accompanied Mardi and Hopi during their performance, playing at times by memory with the need for sheet music.

Volunteer Sue Samuels and Ginger the Golden Doodle

November 21, 2019 by Elizabeth Neufeld

Volunteer, Sue Samuels, has been volunteering with TRU Community Care for around ten years. She has volunteered with various programs such as Comfort Touch, 11th-hour, and Pet Therapy visits, which support individuals in their final moments struggling with illness.

Sue’s golden doodle, Ginger, visits the Care Center every Monday. Ginger is a specially trained therapy dog and one of many that visit the Care Center in rotation. A TRU Care Center nurse had asked Sue and Ginger to visit a patient who was showing signs of actively passing and had been unconscious for a few days. Sadly, the woman’s sister had arrived after the patient was no longer conscious, but was present for Ginger’s arrival and pet therapy visit.

Ginger was brought around the patient’s bed and near her side by Sue. She placed the patient’s hand on Ginger’s head for comfort and then heard an audible gasp by the patient. The patient’s eyes opened and she asked for water and a cup of coffee! From this point, the patient asked to go to the bathroom and was assisted to walk. She was conscious for two more days while she and her sister visited until her last breath.

One of Sue’s favorite parts of volunteering with TRU Community Care is being able to support individuals in their final hours. The additional support to the patients and their families is what sets TRU Community Care apart from other hospice care centers. This is one of those stories that we strive for and hope for, to bring people together in life’s most vulnerable moments, and we are thankful for all of our volunteers who support this vision.

To learn more about our programs and volunteering, please visit trucare.org/volunteer for more information.

PACE Home Care

November 7, 2019 by Elizabeth Neufeld

TRU PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) coordinates and provides care for older individuals so they can continue living safely in their community and receive care directly in their home through our PACE Home Care program. Many of these individuals receive their care at the TRU PACE Day Center, which includes social space and programming, as well as a medical clinic and a rehab gym. At least 60% of PACE participants also get a CNA and home visit.

TRU PACE provides initial assessments for all participants in order to determine which services are needed and where they will best be served. An individualized plan of care is developed, and participants who will be better served at home will receive care where they live, within their community. Home care can include light housekeeping, grocery shopping, meal preparation and delivery, personal care, and medication reminders. It can also include physical therapy, occupational therapy, medical care, and more! The PACE patient community is very diverse, made of individuals from different backgrounds and with a variety of health issues.

Recently, a team from PACE Home Care visited a gentleman to assess his needs and health status. The man clearly takes pride in his appearance with freshly ironed clothing and his home immaculate and clean, but unfortunately had very poor living conditions. Doing the best with what the man had, he still could not afford the copays required from his benefits. When asked why he was continuing on this way the man replied, “because there is no one to help”.

Enter PACE. From the moment that PACE Home Care visited, the man has been a part of the PACE program. Their home visit assessed the man’s living situation and was able to determine the best support for his future health and overall quality of life. Everyone who comes into the program gets assistance, regardless of their ability to pay.

The overall goal of PACE Home Care is to keep individuals safe at home for as long as possible. PACE Home Care works to ensure that each person gets the right care at the right time. Things we often take for granted, such as the ability to bathe, grocery shop, and go out in public, are returned to PACE Home Care participants through simple actions of support such as installed shower chairs, meals on wheels, medication reminders, and dental care.

Kyle Engstrom, the Home Care Coordinator for PACE, shared this story saying,

“Our home care nurses get to see participants in their homes, in their own environments where they spend their lives outside of the Pace Day Center. Our nurses make sure they’re getting the assistance they need to be at home safely. The home care aides are very much the unsung heroes. They see our home care participants weekly, sometimes daily, and help prevent accidents in the home and improve the participants’ overall health and outlook on life. I think it’s cool. These are things we take for granted and are the fundamentals of health.”

TRU PACE serves seniors from all walks of life. Our program can enroll individuals who meet the following eligibility requirements:

At least 55 years old
Living in our PACE service area
Certified by the State of Colorado as needing nursing-home-level care, and
Able to live safely in the community with PACE services at the time of enrollment.

Learn more about the PACE program by visiting the National PACE Organization.

TRU PACE participants must receive all needed healthcare, including primary care and specialty physician services (other than emergency services) from TRU PACE contracted providers. TRU PACE participants may be fully and personally liable for costs of any unauthorized out-of-network services. TRU PACE participants may disenroll at the end of any month.
TRU Community Care is a Colorado-licensed, Medicare and Medicaid-certified, nonprofit health care organization serving the greater Boulder, Broomfield, Adams, Jefferson, and Weld Counties. We rely on the support of our donors, sponsors, and community to provide the services necessary. To learn more about how you can support TRU Community Care, please visit www.trucare.org/donate

The Community of TRU PACE

October 23, 2019 by Elizabeth Neufeld

TRU Community Care’s PACE program is devoted to providing medical, communal, and preventative support to PACE participants, enabling them to live as independently as possible. PACE’s day program is filled with daily meals, activities, and laughter, building a community for an often overlooked demographic in the greater Boulder community. We are proud to provide the services to fill the needs of individuals 55 and older and their families. Our staff and participants often form friendships that are mutually beneficial.

Nataly is a Day Center CNA at TRU PACE. She, along with all of the staff, is very warm, kind, and caring with the PACE Participants. She loves working for TRU PACE, saying, “it is like a family” and “the best job I have ever had”. Nataly also enjoys creating bonds with the participants. The feeling of family is tangible in the PACE Day Center. Nataly states, “TRU cares about you, how you’re feeling, and what you’re doing” in life and professionally. Staff and PACE Participants are often learning and growing from each other. Nataly, pictured with PACE Participant, Bobbie, is honored to serve TRU PACE with her expertise and generous heart of service. Her relationship with Bobbie has grown over time and often feels like family.

Bobbie, like many participants, attends TRU’s “wrap-around services” with weekly events and check-ups, and enjoys the companionship that TRU Community Care provides for all PACE Participants. When asked how she feels about the staff of TRU PACE, Bobbie replied, “They are so loving and kind. There is always room for a joke.” Bobbie is a big hit in the Day Center and enjoys the welcoming feeling every day she arrives as she does a classic “Miss America” wave. Bobbie said she “feels comfortable here, like home”. That is the TRU goal and mission of the PACE program.

TRU PACE allows the participants to live independently within the community so they are not isolated in their homes. If interested in learning more about TRU Community Care and the TRU PACE program, please visit https://www.trucare.org/our-services/tru-pace/ .

TRU Thrift Shop Moment Brings TRU’s Mission Full Circle

October 10, 2019 by Elizabeth Neufeld

With the large range of services offered by TRU, our programs often affect one another and are integral components in cultivating the community of TRU Community Care. All of our services are created to support families and individuals in our community who are coping with illness and loss. Even our TRU Thrift Shop began with the hopes of providing an outlet for people to give and receive one-of-a-kind items that someone once held dear.

It is not every day that TRU Thrift Shop stories come full-circle back to the mission of TRU Community Care, but recently, a customer saw a beautiful, affordable dining room table that she knew her friend would love. She quickly messaged her friend, Anne, and had her come to the shop to check it out. With no idea that TRU Thrift Shop existed, she came in to see the table, immediately fell in love, and bought it on the spot!

At that moment, Anne looked up, saw the TRU Thrift Shop logo, and realized that it was a part of TRU Community Care. She could not believe it! Anne’s father, Gary, received TRU Hospice Care for 6 months, and that day was the one year anniversary of her father’s passing. Her whole family had benefited from the services TRU Community Care provided. When her father passed, Anne participated in an 8-week grief support group through TRU Grief Services.

In Anne’s words, “it was such a meaningful moment when I found that table on the anniversary of my father’s passing. I felt so close to my dad and his memory on that day.” These are the heartfelt moments we are honored to take part in through life’s ups and downs. It was truly a one-of-a-kind moment that connected TRU Thrift Shop with TRU Hospice and TRU Grief Support services. And like all TRU Thrift Shop sales, Anne’s purchase will help support other families in need of TRU’s care.

To learn more about TRU Community Care’s services, please visit https://www.trucare.org/our-services/.

To learn more about TRU Thrift Shop, please visit https://www.trucare.org/truthriftshop/.

Fall News!

October 4, 2019 by TRU Community Care

The leaves are changing, the temperature is dropping, and we are looking forward to the fall season! Read more about what’s happening at TRU Community Care in our 2019 Fall Newsletter. A few highlights are included below:

Care for Everyone in Our Community

TRU Community Care believes that everyone in our community deserves to be supported throughout advanced illness and at end-of-life with compassionate, high-quality care. By providing a continuum of care that includes PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly), palliative care, hospice care, and grief services, it is our hope that more community members will be aware of and utilize our services as soon as they are needed. Access to care remains a prevalent burden that we seek to ease by providing community outreach and education as well as access to our services, regardless of an inability to pay. TRU offers “indigent patient care” for patients with an inability to pay for services. TRU seeks to reduce potentially avoidable physical, emotional, psychosocial, and spiritual suffering, regardless of one’s socio-economic status.

In one recent case, a young female facing advanced-stage cancer was torn because she desperately needed help getting her pain under control, but she was still thinking about pursuing treatment in the future. She became frustrated with another organization that she felt had too many restrictions. Our team approached her with the attitude that “we will take this walk with you, day by day.” She was admitted to the TRU Hospice Care Center where our team could focus on managing her pain and addressing her current concerns, so she could get back home to her young children. At that moment, she needed our expert hospice care. Regardless of what the future may hold, TRU is committed to doing the right thing for our patients and families each and every day as we walk with them on their journey.

Butterflies “Take Flight”

On June 22nd, TRU hosted our1st Annual “Take Flight” Butterfly Release and Memorial, serving as a celebration of life and an important step in the grief process for loved ones coping with loss. Approximately 200 hundred people gathered at this year’s ceremony to share memories, relay personal experiences with grief, read poems, and to be surrounded by others who might understand on a deeper level. The rain cleared and the sun came out just in time to release the butterflies in the labyrinth behind TRU PACE – a representation of the transition of one life form to another.

Next year’s “Take Flight” Butterfly Release and Memorial will take place on June 13, 2020.

“The butterfly event was beautiful. I loved watching my friend fly away from me. It was a beautiful visualization of what happened. Thanks for all you do to bring peace to people in grief.”
– TRU Volunteer and “Take Flight” attendee

TRU Grief Services

TRU Grief Services are available to everyone in our community. These services include extensive support and resources for people of all ages and throughout all phases of the grief process. We are honored to serve families and individuals who are grieving the loss of a loved one.

Kathy F. completed our 4 and 8-week grief groups in the Spring of 2018 after the unexpected passing of her sister and brother-in-law earlier in 2017. Her sister was her “best friend in the whole world” and Kathy knew she needed additional support to offset the burden on her family. When she reached out to Reta Morrisette with TRU Grief Services, Kathy was comforted by how calming and supportive Reta was as she walked her through all of the available Grief Services options.

The grief groups provided a place for Kathy to navigate her feelings and be accepted without judgment. After completing both programs, Kathy continues to meet with members of one of the groups once a month. Inevitably, they have become her friends on a deep level. Kathy’s advice to anyone thinking about TRU Grief Services is, “At least give it a try. It’s not always easy, but every minute counts and it is 100% worth your time.”

In addition to our free group offerings for the community and one-on-one support provided to families who have experienced a loss through one of TRU’s programs, TRU Grief Services is excited to announce a fee-based one-on-one support program for grieving community members starting this fall.

Visit trucare.org/grief for more information about our expanding grief services.

Palisade Peaches in Lafayette

Our 2019 “Perfect Peaches” Community Peach Sale fundraiser was a success, with White Orchard in Palisade providing a truckload of peaches from the Western Slope to help support our efforts. Farmer Ray White, a long-time hospice supporter, says, “Working with hospice keeps the peaches rolling out the door and helps people receive the care they need. It’s been a great experience to work with TRU and to see how the community pulls together to make it happen. I’m proud to provide quality peaches each year.”

Local businesses also rallied to support our mission. Superior Towing donated the tractor-trailer and driver to transport the fruit from Palisade to Lafayette. AAA Barricade provided the cones that allowed us to create our peach pickup drive-thru. Our printing partner, MailGraphics, even lent us a pallet jack. Event sponsors Ewing Leavitt Insurance Agency and Boulder Community Health provided generous underwriting for the event, which raises funds to support TRU’s mission to affirm life at every step of your journey with illness and loss. We’re grateful to our many 2019 Event Series sponsors, too!

Next year’s “Perfect Peaches” Community Peach Sale Pick-Up will be held on Saturday, August 15, 2020.

TRU Gives Back

TRU Community Care is dedicated to giving back to the community, not only locally, but also abroad. In 2006, TRU approached the Foundation for Hospices in Sub-Saharan Africa (FHSSA), an arm of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, and was paired with Bumbuli Hospice. Bumbuli is located in Northeastern Tanzania near the Kenyon border which is about 6 hours from Kilimanjaro. Currently, they serve 972 patients with just 6 full-time staff members and 43 volunteers! Over the years, TRU has helped to support Bumbuli Hospice with donations totaling over $100,000. The majority of this contribution has come from employee efforts such as bake sales, potlucks, craft fairs, and donations through payroll deductions. TRU has participated in exchange visits, hosting members of the Bumbuli team in Boulder and deploying multidisciplinary teams to Bumbuli to learn, conduct training, and offer services.

TRU staff give back in so many ways. More than 30% of TRU Community Care staff donate either to Bumbuli, TRU’s Employee Education Fund, TRU’s General Operating Fund, or in support of a TRU event. TRU employees donate their time by volunteering at our “Take Flight” Butterfly Release and at our “Perfect Peaches” event. Staff volunteers help in all aspects of the events. Our community of TRU employees and volunteers are engaged in community service beyond their efforts in support of TRU. They volunteer for and donate to countless organizations throughout the region.

“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” — William Shakespeare

TRU’s Community of Volunteers

Each year more than 300 volunteers give their time and effort to assist TRU Community Care’s mission to provide patients and families with the best emotional, spiritual, and practical support available so they feel affirmed at every step of their journey with illness and loss. TRU volunteers worked 34,048 hours in 2018, providing patient care and clinical support or working at the TRU Thrift Shop.

In 2019, we expanded our volunteer program to include volunteer support for our growing palliative care patient population. Holly M. started volunteering at the beginning of the program, providing companionship for a patient twice a month at her home. The volunteer program has allowed Holly and the patient to share life’s experiences, such as work, family, and travel. Overall, the palliative volunteer program has left Holly feeling enriched by learning about the palliative patient’s life and blessed by a volunteer relationship that is now growing into a friendship. Holly would suggest volunteering with TRU Palliative Care Services because there is so much to learn from another person’s experience, even if they’re in a different stage of life.

Another exciting program at TRU is our TRU Heroes program, through which our veteran volunteers help honor and care for patients who are also veterans. One aspect of this program is our Veteran Pinning Ceremonies. These ceremonies often include a veteran patient’s family members and loved ones who recognize and wish to honor the memorable and historical efforts and sacrifices made by the veteran. TRU offers and produces these ceremonies to honor an individual’s service to the United States Military. These ceremonies give veterans the opportunity to share more of their story in a safe space as they near the end of life.

If you are interested in becoming a TRU volunteer, please contact TRU Volunteer Services at 303.604.5226 or email volunteer@trucare.org.

Best of Boulder’s TRU Thrift Shop

TRU Thrift Shop is not just a store, but a community. Did you know that our shop partners with over 40 nonprofits, including Boulder Shelter for the Homeless, Boulder Valley Humane Society, and Emergency Family Assistance Association (EFAA), to
ensure that resources get into the hands of those most in need in our community? We are proud to support such incredible organizations through our Giving Room program.

TRU Thrift Shop was recently named the best thrift store in Boulder County for the seventh year in a row. This isn’t just because of our amazing “one-of-a-kind finds” and our incredible volunteer program. It’s also due to the fact that TRU Thrift Shop helps to support Boulder and surrounding communities by funding TRU Community Care programs like TRU Hospice and TRU Palliative Care.

TRU Thrift Shop is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and now features a café with a beautifully shaded patio. We are excited to announce that Huckleberry Roasters of Denver, CO is now our official coffee sponsor! Stop in to enjoy a cup today.

Save the Date!

TRU Cares Fundraising Luncheon
Thursday, November 7, 2019 from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Academy Senior Living in Boulder

TRU Heroes Veteran Honoring Ceremony
Monday, November 11, 2019 from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Louisville Recreation & Senior Center

Go in Peace! Documentary Screening and Panel Discussion
Monday, November 11, 2019 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Dairy Arts Center in Boulder

Lights of Life Holiday Remembrance
Sunday, December 8, 2019 from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Unity Columbine Church in Boulder

Visit trucare.org/events for more information.

How YOU Can Give Back to TRU

TRU Community Care relies on support from friends like you to continue our vital work: providing the best possible care to anyone who needs us, regardless of an inability to pay.
Our programs are funded partly through Medicare, Medicaid, commercial insurance, and private payments, but because we give the same unparalleled care to everyone, we also rely on the generosity of business, foundations, and individuals like to you to help bridge the gap.

When you make a gift to TRU, you make a gift of lasting value. You are ensuring that everyone experiencing advanced illness or loss in our community is treated with respectful and compassionate care they deserve. We thank you for your consideration and generosity.

Visit trucare.org/donate make a tax-deductible contribution today.

TRU Volunteers Serve

September 26, 2019 by Elizabeth Neufeld

This week, TRU Thrift Shop celebrated Morgana Young for her nearly 14 years of volunteer work. TRU Thrift Shop volunteers, employees, friends, and family all gathered at the shop’s cafe to say farewell and show appreciation for Morgana’s years of service to TRU Community Care.

Volunteers are an essential piece of the mission, vision, and values of TRU Community Care. Last year alone, TRU volunteers accounted for over 30,000 hours of work, equating to over $900,000 in value. We could not serve the greater community without the dedicated service of our volunteers. Ultimately, they provide an immeasurable value that goes beyond volunteer hours and represents the dynamic support we are able to provide in TRU Hospice, TRU Palliative Care, TRU PACE, and TRU Grief Services.

Reta Morrisette, the Volunteer Coordinator for TRU Community Care, works with volunteers supporting our Grief Services and those coping with illness and loss. She is amazed by the devoted care and service of these volunteers on a daily basis. In Reta’s words, “It is a true honor and privilege to serve the bereaved in our community. Our volunteers are very compassionate and skilled in bringing a sacred place to our community, offering their time and hearts to serve the bereaved who are coping with illness and loss.”

TRU volunteers are skilled in practice and devoted to the heart and values of our community. Without them, we would not be able to provide the depth of care and compassion that supports our mission and makes TRU not just a service provider, but also a supportive community. Volunteers are at the heart of why we are TRU Community Care.

We are always searching for new volunteers to help us support our mission as they serve our patients and families with the best emotional, spiritual, and practical support possible; lend valuable administrative assistance to the organization; and play a key role at TRU Thrift Shop. Our volunteers are all admiringly devoted and often choose to remain “behind the scenes,” serving in humility. They find joy and contentment in making a tangible difference in people’s lives, giving back to our community, and continuing to learn new skills while meeting new and interesting people.

We cannot thank all of our volunteers enough! We look forward to serving you as you help serve the mission, vision, and core values of TRU Community Care.

If you are interested in becoming a TRU volunteer, please visit: https://www.trucare.org/careers-volunteers/volunteer-overview/

In a Word, Hospice is “Comfort”

September 13, 2019 by TRU Community Care

In life’s crossing points, it’s not always easy to know when it is time for hospice care. TRU Hospice supports individuals and families when one is nearing their final months, days, or moments, and no longer looking for a cure. We recently had the opportunity to support Mary Marcantonia and her mother, Rella Marcantonia, through the last steps and days of Rella’s life and her transition into the next. Like so many of the people we care for, Rella was a remarkable individual who left quite a legacy.

From Mary’s written obituary for her mother, Rella Mae Boon Marcantonio, 99 of Redvale, CO was born July 29, 1919, in a tent atop the Uncompahgre Plateau. Her family moved to Grand Junction, CO in 1922 to settle down into life in Western Colorado. She earned an Associate of Arts degree at Mesa State College, now known as Colorado Mesa University, in Grand Junction, CO and a degree from the University of Colorado School of Nursing in Denver, CO. She continued to nurse during WWII.

Rella had a passion for the arts and for education. A philosophy she lived by and promoted often was: “Get all the education you can get. It’s the only thing ‘nobody’ can ever take away from you.” Her teaching took many forms, ranging from a one-room schoolhouse to all areas of public education and even private lessons at her kitchen table. She never lost her desire to inspire and was always willing to help others acquire knowledge.

When the time came for Rella to enter TRU Hospice Care, her daughter, Mary, had been working with her mother for four months. In-home health care through Medicare had been maxed out, leaving Mary to take on full responsibility for Rella. Rella’s primary physician recommended TRU Community Care for her because of our great rapport and communication with families and physicians. Her physician also assured Mary that she would know when it was time for Rella to be admitted to hospice care. This time came when, one night, Rella began speaking to people that Mary could not see. Mary realized Rella was ready to transition to hospice care. She called TRU Community Care and a nurse arrived shortly after.

Mary’s and Rella’s experience with TRU Community Care is described by Mary with the word, “comfort”. She experienced special care that was attentive and more mindful of emotions than her experience at the hospital. Mary’s personal experience with the hospice services was so strong that all she could say was, “it was just different… it was the only reason I was able to survive during that time.”

A TRU CNA who works at the TRU Hospice Care Center, was profoundly impacted by Rella during her time with her. “This woman was born in a tent, is related to Grandma Moses, and was riding a Harley as recently as January at the age of 98! She was a teacher, a nurse, a painter, and a published poet. She lived an amazing life and I’m so glad I got to meet her.”

Rella’s memory is full of life, color, art, and poems for her family and community. Mary even painted her nails purple, just the way Rella would want them, the day she entered TRU Hospice Care. Rella’s memory lives on through her loved ones, and we are honored to have provided the necessary support and services for Mary’s family and so many others like them.

To learn more about TRU Hospice Services, please visit trucare.org/hospice.

To read previous TRU blog posts, please visit trucare.org/blog.

TRU Community Care and The Conversation Project Join Forces

September 6, 2019 by TRU Community Care

Two local organizations providing important end-of-life resources are coming together to better serve the Boulder County community. Acknowledging that end-of-life planning should be done far in advance of developing a serious or terminal illness, TRU Community Care (TRU) recognized that The Conversation Project in Boulder County (TCPB) approach and materials would be a welcome addition to their community education efforts.

TRU, founded in 1976 as Boulder Hospice, has been providing hospice care, palliative care, and grief services for 43 years. In 2017, TRU PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) began in order to offer comprehensive care services designed to help people continue to live as independently as possible. The Conversation Project in Boulder County formed in 2013, based on the nationally-acclaimed work of Boston Globe columnist and author, Ellen Goodman, with a mission to foster meaningful and effective conversations around care at the end-of-life, resulting in the appointment of an informed decision-maker.

Over half of us will be unable to speak for ourselves at the end of life. Choosing and documenting your choice of a decision-maker is an important first step. Talking to that person and your family is equally important. Starting the conversation is never easy, but families and health care professionals report that it is a relief when the subject of how we want the end of our life to look is brought into the open and our choices can be honored because of careful forethought and conversation.

TRU Community Care is excited to build on the work of The Conversation Project and to help community members, palliative care and hospice patients, and PACE participants begin to have these critical conversations earlier in their journey. The Conversation Project will retain its name, volunteers, and identity and looks forward to being part of TRU’s community offerings.

According to Michael McHale, CEO of TRU Community Care, “We are looking forward to joining forces with The Conversation Project to better serve our community.” Constance Holden and Jean Abbott, Co-founders of the Project, “welcome this partnership with Boulder County’s leader in end-of-life care.” Michael, Constance, and Jean feel that the organizations’ missions complement one another beautifully.

Jean Abbott, Michael McHale, Constance Holden

TRU Community Care, founded as Boulder Hospice in 1976, is a Colorado-licensed, Medicare and Medicaid-certified, nonprofit health care organization serving Boulder, Broomfield, Adams, Jefferson, and Weld Counties and beyond. TRU affirms life at every step of your journey with illness and loss, offering PACE, hospice home care, inpatient hospice services, palliative care, grief services, and community education and outreach. Visit www.trucare.org for more information.

The Conversation Project in Boulder County fosters meaningful and effective conversations about end-of-life care. It has been fiscally sponsored by The Community Foundation Serving Boulder County since it was founded in 2013. That sponsorship has now been transferred to TRU Community Care. Visit www.theconversationprojectinboulder.org for more information.

A Trip Down Memory Lane at TRU Thrift Shop

August 30, 2019 by Elizabeth Neufeld

Objects relate to memory in their ability to represent a time, place, and emotion. Encountering a familiar object of a distinct time in an individual’s life can be a visceral and monumental experience. TRU Community Care’s thrift shop, TRU Thrift Shop, is continuously providing these experiences for their customers and community.

Items come in daily from various decades and genres of life when families feel it is time to let go of their objects. Donating to TRU Thrift Shop provides a trusted place to let go of items in the appropriate junctures of life. TRU Thrift Shop renders an added assurance to individuals and families knowing they will be providing another individual or family with a treasured object, giving new purpose to old things.

Stephany Precourt, the Senior Development Associate at TRU Community Care, recently purchased a 1966 Singer sewing machine at TRU Thrift Shop. The exact same model she learned how to sew on as a young girl.

She dropped into TRU Thrift Shop with a friend on a whim one Saturday afternoon during a 50% off day. Stephany was on her way out the door when she caught a glimpse of her friend playing around with a sewing machine cabinet. She almost couldn’t believe her eyes. It was the same exact sewing machine that she had learned to sew on and was in pristine condition. All the memories and excitement of learning to sew as a young girl came flooding back.

Not only was the sewing machine in perfect condition, but it was also 50% off and included the original operating manual. It was one of those days when you feel like that specific moment in life was meant for you to encounter. Stephany was taken back in memory to her first experience sewing at 8 years old. She sewed pajamas. What is the first thing she will sew again on her latest 1966 Singer sewing machine? Curtains. From pajamas to curtains, seemingly simple items can provide immeasurable value at TRU Thrift Shop, a “one-of-a-find” kind of place.

To visit or learn more about TRU Thrift Shop, please visit https://www.trucare.org/truthriftshop/.

To read more by TRU Community Care, please visit https://www.trucare.org/blog.

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