TRU

Caring For Our Community Since 1976.

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TRU Community Care Partners with Vivify Health for Launch of TRU Tele-Care

January 30, 2020 by TRU Community Care

Palliative care and hospice provider will enhance real-time data capture, education and communication with patients and families through telehealth and remote patient monitoring

TRU Community Care (TRU), a non-profit healthcare organization providing a continuum of care for individuals living with advanced illness and loss, announces partnership with Vivify Health, the developer of the nation’s leading connected care platform for holistic patient care and engagement, to implement Vivify’s remote patient monitoring (RPM) and telehealth solutions as the foundational technology of its new TRU Tele-Care program.

The goal of TRU Tele-Care is to enable more real-time data exchange between TRU Community Care and the patients and families it serves. The program will enhance TRU’s ability to proactively manage a patient’s disease progression over time.  It will also make it easier for patients and families living with complex and chronic illness to communicate with the organization and take advantage of its clinical expertise and educational materials. This virtual care approach is in keeping with TRU’s philosophy of enabling patients to remain comfortably in their homes while receiving the care they require.

“Our mission is to affirm life at every step of patients’ and their families’ journey through illness and loss,” said Michael McHale, president and CEO of TRU Community Care. “That mission can be difficult to accomplish when care is provided in the home setting and we want to be available in real-time 24/7.  We wanted to create an ability to monitor vital data about our patients on a daily basis, visualize their disease progression without having to dispatch personnel to their homes each time, and communicate visually as well as verbally on-demand. The Vivify Pathways platform was the only solution we saw that gave us the comprehensive, two-way capabilities we required in a single package. We believe it will help us advance our mission exponentially.”

TRU Community Care entered the test phase for the solution in December 2019 using tablets supplied by Vivify Health. The tablets are used for visual and verbal communication and to provide education to patients and families.

“We see remote patient monitoring (RPM) and telehealth not as a replacement for our in-home visits but as an extension of our services,” McHale said. “It allows us to be there when the patient needs us most. Getting ahead of health events through data monitoring and virtual visits gives us the ability to provide better care which we believe will improve the patient experience.”

“TRU Community Care is bringing real comfort and dignity to patients and families who are facing advanced illnesses,” said Eric Rock, founder and CEO of Vivify Health. “They understand that care is more than data on a chart, although that is an important element. It’s also about being there for the patients and families on a human level. We are proud that the Vivify Pathways platform is giving them the means to humanize the patient experience and help these families through some of the most difficult times they will face.”

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: tele-care, tele-health, vivify, palliative care, hospice care, tele-monitoring, telehealth, tru community care

Care Shawls for TRU Hospice Patients

January 17, 2020 by TRU Community Care

Sue Samuels at home crafting a Care Shawl

In 1998, Janet Severi Bristow and Victoria Galo, two graduates of the 1997 Women’s Leadership Institute at The Hartford Seminary in Hartford, Connecticut, created Prayer Shawl Ministry. Compassion and the love of knitting/crocheting have been combined into a prayerful ministry and spiritual practice which reaches out to those in need of comfort and solace, as well as in celebration and joy.

Many blessings are prayed into every stitch. Whether they are called Prayer Shawls, Comfort Shawls, or Care Shawls, the shawl maker begins with prayers and blessings for the recipient. The intentions are continued throughout the creation of the shawl. Upon completion, a final blessing is offered before the shawl is sent on its way. Some recipients have continued the kindness by making a shawl and passing it onto someone else in need. As a result, the blessing ripples from person-to-person, with both the giver and receiver feeling the compassion and care put into each shawl.

The shawls can be crocheted, quilted, woven or machine knitted as well. Shawls are given to TRU Patients either at home or in the care center to provide comfort. “Shawls … made for centuries universal and embracing, symbolic of an inclusive, unconditionally loving, God. They wrap, enfold, comfort, cover, give solace, mother, hug, shelter and beautify. Those who have received these shawls have been uplifted and affirmed, as if given wings to fly above their troubles…” Written in 1998 by: Janet Severi Bristow

TRU’s Care Shawl Program

A group of TRU Volunteers began making Care Shawls in 2007 for TRU patients, and there have been over 25 volunteers who have contributed to the program since then. A current volunteer, Sue Samuels, has been making Care Shawls for 9 years. Her husband, Mike, has a knitting machine and has been making them for about a year. One sweet story Sue remembers, “We had a young mother of four at the Care Center. She was given 5 shawls, she wore one and gave one to each of her children.”

Sue also talked about a patient who has begun crocheting lap blankets as a result of their conversations. Sue was able to give a Care Shawl to another patient who snuggles up under it every night.

Sue Samuels created the beautiful maroon and green shawl on the left. Mike Samuels made the shawl on the right on his knitting machine.

For more information on the original Prayer Shawl Program please visit shawlministry.com

Want to learn more or get involved?

The Care Shawl Project allows us to create a shawl with beautiful blessings and intentions for our patients and families.

Join us to learn more on Friday, February 28th from 1pm-3pm.

WHERE:    Sue Samuels Residence

                  2165 Pinon Circle, Erie 80516

                  RSVP to Sue at 302-545-3315

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: TRU, volunteer, tru community care, TRU Hospice, TRU Hospice Care Center, Care Shawl, Prayer Shawl

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/ .

Filed Under: TRU PACE Tagged With: TRU PACE, care, compassion, service, community, tru community care

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/

Filed Under: Uncategorized, Volunteer Tagged With: volunteers, thrift shop, tru thrift sho, tru community care

In a Word, Hospice is “Comfort”

September 13, 2019 by TRU Community Care

Rella Riding a Motorcycle at Age 98

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.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: hospice, tru community care, comfort, TRU Hospice, TRU Hospice Care Center, Rella

Perfect Peaches 2019

August 27, 2019 by TRU Community Care

Unloading at 5:00 am!

Thank you to everyone who participated in our 1st Annual Perfect Peaches fundraiser! On August 17, 25 TRU staff and volunteers spent a fun morning greeting customers, loading cars with fresh Palisade peaches, and sharing stories about our connections to TRU Community Care.

So many peaches!

The summer tradition of enjoying peaches from the Western Slope brings support to TRU, Colorado’s first hospice, from across the state with a truckload of peaches from White Orchard in Palisade. 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.”

Thank you to our sponsors!

Local businesses also rally to support our mission. Superior Towing donates 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 pick-up drive-thru. Our printing partner, MailGraphics, even lent us a pallet jack. Event sponsors, Ewing Leavitt Insurance Agency and Boulder Community Health, provide 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!

You never even have to get out of your car…

We’ve heard from several people (and know from the countless peaches we’ve consumed ourselves in the past week) that we made the right decision to push back pick-up by one week to allow the peaches more time to ripen. We’ve also been pleased to receive glowing feedback about how organized, streamlined, and seamless our pick-up process was. It takes a village!

  • Peach with an attitude…
  • Great customer service!
  • We love our mascots
Even our CEO loads peaches!

Here is a link to some of our favorite pictures from the morning on Facebook. Thank you to volunteer photographer Gregg Lowrimore for coming out at 5:00 a.m. to capture the entire morning!

Best volunteers ever!

We are so glad that so many people took time out of their day to be with us. If you were unable to participate, we missed you and hope you can make it next year!

Filed Under: Uncategorized, Events Tagged With: perfect peaches, tru community care, peaches, volunteers

2018 Annual Report Now Available

August 21, 2019 by TRU Community Care

TRU Community Care is pleased to share with you our 2018 Annual Report. This publication captures TRU’s 2018 accomplishments and milestones, and it highlights how our staff and volunteers support our community members throughout their journeys with illness and loss. We appreciate this opportunity to reflect on our impact and hope that you enjoy the information and stories we have compiled.

We invite you to view our 2018 journey where you will learn more about:

  • TRU programs and history
  • Stories highlighting powerful TRU moments
  • Financial summaries 
  • Details about TRU’s Veteran program
  • Impact of TRU volunteers
  • TRU Thrift Shop’s new look
  • Event recaps and few dates to save for 2019

From all of us at TRU, we offer you sincere thanks for being a part of our community.

Please consider making a donation today in support of our work!

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

View Annual Report
Donate Now

Filed Under: Uncategorized, Community, Reports, Giving Tagged With: TRU, tru community care, annual report, 2018 annual report, journey, highlights

Compassionate Care

July 19, 2019 by Elizabeth Neufeld

TRU Community Care provides services that affirm life at every step of your journey with illness and loss. Often times it is not an easy task to know which service will best support you and your loved one’s needs. TRU is devoted to providing not only excellent care but also the consultation needed to choose the best service possible.

Jennifer (Nurse Practitioner), Michael (Patient Care Consultant), and Cynthia (Palliative Nurse), and Chad (Director of Access and Palliative Services), among other TRU Community Care employees, recently had the opportunity to assist a couple through their decision over whether palliative care or hospice care would be the right choice for the husband. At an already challenging time, the couple was actually homeless when the husband was referred to TRU Palliative Care. He was considering his options and trying to decide if he wanted to continue to seek treatment, wavering back and forth between palliative care and hospice.

The TRU team collaborated to find ways to best serve this patient and his wife. They spent hours working on identifying resources to help the couple get back on their feet and make the best choice possible. During this time, the patient made the decision to be admitted to hospice the following Sunday. 

The team worked hard to provide the additional support needed to give the patient a few more days to connect with resources to find a permanent housing solution. This enabled the couple the time and space to make the decision between admitting him to TRU Palliative Care versus TRU Hospice Care without the additional burden and concern for housing.

Chad, Director of Access and Palliative Services, relayed the story, concluding, “Ultimately,  the patient decided on Sunday that he still wanted to seek treatment and enrolled with TRU Palliative Care. We look forward to continuing to serve him and his family.”

At TRU Community Care, we pride ourselves in engaging our communities with innovative, resourceful, and meaningful care for those living with illness and loss. We are a Colorado-licensed, Medicare and Medicaid-certified, nonprofit health care organization serving the greater Boulder, Broomfield, Adams, Jefferson, and Weld Counties.

Learn more about TRU Services by visiting our website at https://www.trucare.org/our-services/.

Read more TRU Community Care blog posts at https://www.trucare.org/blog/.

Filed Under: Community Tagged With: hospice benefits, care, service, community, tru community care, palliative, hospice

“Take Flight” Butterfly Release and Memorial Event Recap

June 26, 2019 by TRU Community Care

Approximately 200 people gathered Saturday at TRU PACE in Lafayette to remember lost loved ones, many of whom received hospice care from TRU Community Care. Hoping to be an annual tradition in the community, this celebration of life is an important part of the grief process for many family members coping with a loss. To view all pictures from the event, please visit the Google Photos album or the Facebook album.

CEO of TRU Community Care, Michael McHale, welcomed guests, spoke about the importance of coming together with others experiencing grief, and shared a poem called A Symbol of Hope.

American Legion Post 111 Lafayette posted the colors and led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance in honor of our veterans.

TRU Grief Counselor, Richard Mercer, shared a personal story of friendship and loss and encouraged community members to share their own stories during their journey with grief.

Janie Blakely, TRU Chaplain, facilitated a time for sharing of memories. Attendees took turns standing up and vocalizing something special about the people they lost.

The weather cleared just in time for everyone to adjourn outside and release their butterflies in the TRU Labyrinth. Representing the transition of one life form to another, the butterflies were released into the air.

Participants enjoyed music from flutist Laurie Rugenstein and snacks made by our volunteers throughout the morning. Everyone present shared in a sense of community and many expressed how meaningful the event was for them.

“The butterfly event on Saturday was beautiful. Thank you for bringing it to us. 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

Thank you to everyone who took part in this special day.

To learn more about other upcoming TRU Community Care events, please visit our 2019 Events page.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Grief, hospice, butterfly release, memorial, take flight, tru community care, shared loss

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About TRU

TRU Community Care (TRU) affirms life at every step of your journey with illness and loss. Our vision is to lead a healthcare transformation by engaging with our communities and offering innovative, meaningful care for those living with illness and loss.

Founded as Boulder Hospice in 1976, TRU is a Colorado-licensed, Medicare and Medicaid-certified, nonprofit health care organization serving Boulder, Broomfield, Adams, Jefferson, Arapahoe, Denver, and Weld Counties and beyond. With a focus on providing a continuum of care for members of our community living with advanced illness and loss, TRU’s programs include TRU Hospice, TRU PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly), TRU Palliative Care, Landmark Memory Care, and TRU Grief Services.

TRU Hospice is proudly accredited by The Joint Commission and is a five-star-level hospice in NHPCO's We Honor Veterans program created in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). TRU is a member of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI), the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC), Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders (NICHE), and the National PACE Association (NPA).

Our Services

TRU Grief Services
& Administrative Offices
2594 Trailridge Drive East
Lafayette, CO 80026

TRU Hospice Care Center
1950 Mountain View Avenue
4th Floor South
Longmont, CO 80501

TRU Thrift Shop
5565 Arapahoe Avenue
Boulder, CO 80303

TRU PACE Program
2593 Park Lane
Lafayette, CO 80026

TRU Denver Office
1415 Park Avenue West
Denver, CO 80205

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