If you look up the word "community" in the dictionary you learn it is about a shared experience, a common purpose, attitudes and goals. As we get older, it is important to know there are places to turn to in our community when life is at its cruelest and our need for community takes on new meaning.

Fortunately, for those in the Tri-Valley, people can turn to Hope Hospice when they are facing an illness in the family. Hope Hospice is the definition of community because it offers a caring environment with a sole purpose of taking care of people who are terminally ill.

Hope Hospice has provided comprehensive comfort care and support to terminally ill patients and their loved ones since 1980. Hope Hospice was founded by a group of local residents to provide support for families who needed to care for their declining loved ones in the comfort of their homes. Since then, Hope Hospice has always cared for patients wherever they reside, whether in a family home or a senior residential complex. There is no space limitation to the number of patients they can serve and they never deny requests for care.

"We match our resources to referrals which come to us by the local medical community or by friends and family who are aware of our service," says Natalie Brown Hope Hospice Director of Development.

Their Mission Statement is "helping patients and families find comfort and dignity" with end of life. Their goal is to ease physical pains, soothe emotional sorrows, smile with you and dry tears. Hope Hospice is part of a journey that is very private and offers support with a shared purpose.

Hope Hospice is Medicare and Medi-Cal certified, and is accredited by The Joint Commission. They have also achieved a rating to be a part of the "We Honor Veterans" hospice program, as well as being members of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and the National Partnership for Hospice Innovation.

"Receiving a doctor's prognosis which limits life can feel overwhelming. At Hope Hospice, we provide compassion, guidance, and support during this difficult time. We're dedicated to helping patients and loved ones live each day to the fullest and enjoy the moments that matter most," says Bob Boehm, Hope Hospice CEO.

According to a University of California San Francisco report, seven out of 10 Americans say they would prefer to die at home, yet only 25 percent actually end life this way. Even those who may be eligible for hospice care might not realize the full benefit of the comprehensive services available to them and their families.

Hope Hospice provides advance-care planning and other options to help determine what type of care best fits someone's personal wishes, as well as the wishes of family and physicians.

Another part of community is helping others and contributing to the community and Hope Hospice has an active volunteer program that makes contributions to both the community and patients receiving hospice care.

Hope Hospice also annually organizes a feature community function, The Hike for Hope, which will be held this year on May 6. This event is a memorial and fundraising hike that celebrates the joy loved ones have brought participants while raising funds for Hope Hospice.

You can learn more about Hope Hospice's programs and services by visiting their web site: www.hopehospice.com.