The mission of the Hospice Memorial Fund is to honor the passing of loved ones by sharing the caring hospice spirit among those who need assistance. Often, the families of terminally ill patients do not have the means to cope with everything in their lives that is affected by the approach of death. The dying process is a taxing one - both emotionally and financially - and many patients and their families find themselves unprepared to deal with the significant burdens that this process entails.

Donations to the Hospice Memorial Fund help support a wide variety of hospice-related services that provide much-needed assistance to patients and their families. The Fund also supports research and education programs that strive to improve the quality of hospice care and the comfort of terminally ill patients. In this spirit, a donation to the Hospice Memorial Fund is more than a name-only tribute to your departed loved one. Rather, the advancements and comfort your donation make possible serve as a lasting, living homage to your loved one's memory.

Assistance from the Hospice Memorial Fund can be allocated for:

• Bereavement activities.
• Grief camps for children, teens and adults.
• Financial assistance for terminally ill individuals and their families who are experiencing financial distress and are unable to be self-sufficient due to the circumstances of their terminal diagnosis.
• Professional bereavement programs and education for hospice families.
• Public awareness campaigns that promote the importance of hospice care to the community.
• Memorial services for underprivileged families who have lost a loved one.

Recommendations for assistance through the Hospice Memorial Fund are coordinated on a local basis by our Heartland Home Health and Hospice offices around the country.