Show: Insight Station: KNCO File: 10:28.mp3 Air date: 2026-10-28 Source: OpenAI whisper-1 · shrunk from 98.6 MB to 12.3 MB --- transcript --- Welcome to KNCO Insight, Nevada County Action, KNCO's local issue talk show. This is your chance to gain insight into issues affecting Nevada County. Be a part of the show. Call with your questions or comments. The number, 477-5626, that's 477-KNCO. The opinions expressed are those of the hosts and callers and do not reflect the opinions of the advertiser, staff, or ownership of Nevada County Broadcasters. Now here is your host, Tom Fitzsimmons. Okay, NCN news time, just about 907, 48 degrees. Beautiful blue skies out there. It's still kind of chilly to get the day started, but it'll warm up, get about mid-60s today. All in all, not too bad. We're just going to ride a little bit of a rollercoaster with some clouds coming in every other day. It should be fine for trick-or-treating this weekend for the little ones, both on Friday and downtown Grass Valley, where it's going to be partly sunny skies on Halloween itself. Of course, kids are out of school on Saturdays, so it makes it kind of extra special to do some of those events and get out there in the neighborhoods and stuff. Should be nice. I don't think any rain is going to happen. And excited about our monthly visit with Foothills Compassionate Care. It is exciting to have Miranda Orenchuk, do I have that right, Miranda, your last name? Yes. She is brand new to Foothills Compassionate Care, been there a couple of months, and somehow got assigned to come in here to talk to me on KNCO Insights. So I'm always wondering, Miranda, how did that happen? How did that discussion happen? Was it your boss that said, you're going on the radio, congratulations to you? Kind of. It was the marketing team said, hey, you know, it's Emotional Wellness Month, and you're a therapist, and you run our Department of Social Services, so why don't you go and do the spot this month? All right. It's Emotional Wellness Month. All right. So what does that mean? What is Emotional Wellness Month? So how do you kind of take part in that? Yeah. So Emotional Wellness, if we're thinking about like social workers, we are really focused on whole person care and looking at how are people doing with their emotional well-being. Our nurses do a fantastic job, like taking care of the physical needs, but our social worker and spiritual care and our bereavement department that I oversee do the other side of things. And we really look at who the people are, what their other needs are, and how we can support them in the difficult times of this journey through hospice. All right. Now, is this something you wanted to do, be a social worker when you were growing up, or how did you get into being a licensed social worker? No. I did a lot of different majors in college. I kind of bounced around, and then I had a son with autism and did a lot of work with him, a lot of work with the school districts, a lot of work trying to figure out systems that really helped him thrive, and then the other kids in his schools thrive. So I joined committees and was way too involved, if you ask my husband, in helping everyone. And so then I went back to school. I thought social work would be a great opportunity for me to continue to be involved in the lives of other people. Well, God bless you for that. A lot of times, we have talk radio on, and some of our hosts kind of poo-poo people that take majors in social work and stuff, as if it doesn't pay the bills and things like that, but it's making the world a better place. Is that part of it, too, that experience working in the schools, just to kind of reach out to people? Yeah, absolutely. There was a time when I could do whatever I needed to to make sure my son was okay, but it never felt like enough to me to make sure just my child had what he needed. I wanted to make sure the other kids in the school also had what they needed, and I needed a degree, a licensed authority to be able to do that and to advocate for those needs. Absolutely. It is about wanting to make sure that the resources that can really help people get access to things that will make their lives better is available. Social work is instrumental in that advocacy, that support, and then mental health social work. Licensed social workers can also provide therapy and other interventions, and so that's the path that I ended up on. All right. Were you from this area? How did you find Grass Valley? I am from Sacramento originally, but I married somebody from this area, and so I've been in the Colfax area for 17 years now. I raised my kid up there, and it's a beautiful place to raise a family. And then Foothills Compassionate Care kind of fell into my lap, the hospice. Heidi, our executive director, reached out to me and said, your background could really help us grow and develop new programs, and so that's how I ended up here. Wow. How did you guys meet? Were you at a convention or just see each other? How did that work? No, she found my resume online. She likes to troll the LinkedIn boards and look for amazing people to help her organization grow. All right. Now, I always wonder this, because you seem relatively young, okay? And a lot of people think, okay, I'm working at Foothills Compassionate Care. Of course, it's known being a hospice place, hospice of the foothills is part of the umbrella there, that it could be a depressing place to work, just because you're dealing with people that are towards end of life and stuff like that. Was there any hesitation that way, or did your husband say, hey, that's a different type of place to work? No, I started in children, youth, and families, so I've spent 10 years as a mental health therapist with kids, and I helped run a nonprofit in Sacramento, and I really wanted to grow and expand my own education and population and help different people. I had worked as a caregiver in home prior to going back to school, so I had worked with the elderly population and helped with some end of life transitions that were pretty life-changing to sit with somebody in their last moments and be able to hold their hand and help the family process through that really changed me as a person, and so transitioning back to end of life care seemed like a natural progression for me. All right, so you're in charge of this team. I have in front of me, you handed me this little picture with yourself and five, I guess, team members here. So what positions, are there different positions on your team, or are they all social workers? There are different positions. We have three social workers who provide daily patient care and support. We have a spiritual care, so spiritual care, we have one person who does that, Norman, and so he goes out and he is able to just connect with people. He can offer prayer. He can offer different types of support. Sometimes he just plays the ukulele and sings songs with people, but it's just that non-professional person-to-person comfort. And then we have Amy, who's part of our bereavement team. She's our bereavement coordinator, and she oversees the kind of after the death transition, and so we provide bereavement support for families up to 13 months, also for community members, so you don't even have to be part of our hospice team. If you have lost somebody and need some additional support, you can still contact us and we'd get access to that bereavement support, which could be individual sessions or it could be our support groups. So we offer like a wide array of different services throughout the different transitions of hospice. This whole end-of-life subject, it's a tough subject because people are hesitant to talk about it. People are hesitant to get a kind of a handle on it and stuff. Do you see that a lot when you're dealing with, you know, people, support people as well as the person that's an end-of-life as well? Absolutely. I think there's something very culturally in America where we try to avoid death as much as possible. We try to live as long as possible, and we don't want to talk about it. We don't want to talk about it even when it's like right in front of us. Even my own husband, because like I talk about death every day now because I work in hospice and I'm like learning so much about it and engaging in just the process, and so I come home and I'll be like, hey, like, what do you want to do when you die? Like, where do you want to be? Like, do you want to be cremated? Do you want to be buried? And he's like, please stop talking about death every day, and I'm like, no, but it's really important. Like, what are your wishes? Also, like, where should we go? Like, what do you want to be buried? Like, do you want to go out to sea? Like, he's like, please stop talking to me about death every day. Like, I'm in my 40s, honey, like, I don't want to worry about that. So I think as like a culture, we just avoid it. And so even people who are on hospice, like you've had the hard conversation, you have heard it from your doctors, and we still don't want to talk about it. Or families like, not my mom, like, it'll be maybe another 10 years, and so it's really difficult sometimes to get to the reality of where we're at. And that death doesn't have to be scary, like, it can be done with care and comfort, and the family has an opportunity then to say goodbye in a way that's meaningful, to make sure that their loved ones die in a way that, like, honors the life that they lived. You can build those connections intentionally during those last few months. But that's hard to do if we avoid it. Yes, I totally agree. You know, it's kind of funny, you were saying that with your husband. I don't know if you watch Ted Lasso at all, which is a show that's on Apple TV. But two of the main characters had a whole discussion about that in one of the seasons, just because they were dealing with somebody that died in the organization. And the, I think it was boyfriend, actually, didn't want to talk about it at all. Just like you said, the young lady wanted to. And it was really a source of contention, because this guy was young, kind of an athlete, and says, hey, I want to deal with that right now. Looks like it's well into the distance. Yeah, and it'll happen to all of us. So, I mean, it doesn't serve to avoid it. All right, now, did they warn you, Miranda, about me, about me hosting the show or anything like that going on here today? I was told you would be really nice and take it easy on me. Oh, yes, but I'm like a special case. I could be a walking case for this show, because I'm actually battling, as you saw, I had Kathy Anderson Myers come in and said hi. She gave me a hug, because I'm battling kind of serious cancer issues right now, new treatment and all that stuff. So I'm kind of preparing for different things, too. So I'm kind of like a walking case. And heaven knows, emotional wellness, I kind of struggle with it, just because of dealing with stuff. So it's a perfect time to have Miranda on, talking about emotional wellness month, how Puddle's Compassionate Carer works with people, and maybe she could work with me going through a couple of things. I'm sure you have similar things going on in your life. So we're going to take our first break, we'll be right back. Why suffer through slow, spotty internet, or worse, no internet at all? At Smarter Broadband, we believe fast, reliable internet isn't a luxury, it's essential. Whether you're working from home, attending online classes, streaming for your favorite shows, you deserve the service that actually works. That's why we deliver dependable, fiber-fed, line-of-sight internet to the places big companies tend to overlook. Right here in the Sierra foothills, with speeds up to 200 megabits per second, and plans starting at just $49 a month. You can stream without buffering, Zoom without freezing, and keep the whole family connected without negotiating who gets the Wi-Fi. And because we're a local company, based right here in Nevada County, where our customers voted us best of the best, you'll always get real customer service from neighbors who actually answer the phone. No robots, no runaround, just real people who care. Don't miss out on high-speed internet just because other providers can't find your road. Call Smarter Broadband today at 272-4000, or click Request New Service at smarterbroadband.com. Smarter Broadband, internet built for rural living. Navo & Sons is more than a plumbing and septic service. They're part of the community. For generations, their family has provided reliable service with a personal touch. With Navo & Sons, you get the best of both worlds, hometown care and the expertise to handle any job, big or small. For all your septic and plumbing needs, trust Navo & Sons, a company that treats you like family. Call 530-273-2964, or visit navo.com today. Hi, this is Ryan Valdez with Rock Rose Risk. Like many Californians, I've watched homeowners face rising insurance costs, policy cancellations and growing uncertainty, especially in wildfire-prone areas. That's why we created Rock Rose Risk. We work with homeowners, ranchers, farms, HOAs, multifamily and businesses to better understand and reduce wildfire risk, and help insurance companies recognize the mitigation work being done. The result? Many of our clients save an average of 21-35% on insurance premiums while making their properties safer and more resilient. We believe people who invest in protecting their property should have better options. If you're frustrated with wildfire insurance, let's have a conversation. Visit rockroserisk.com to learn more. That's rockroserisk.com. Uh-oh, I'm late for a birthday party and I need a gift, but Foothill Mercantile will help me out. Located in the heart of Mill Street Plaza, downtown Grass Valley, Foothill Mercantile has been family-owned and operated for 50 years and have something for everyone. They have the most amazing toy selection in Nevada County and have been voted best toy store for 17 years in a row. The stuffed animal selection is dazzling, ooh, should I get the Copybara or the Narwhal? And they have games, puzzles, art and science toys, building kits, toy vehicles, dolls, squishies, and more classic toys. They also have greeting cards, candy, gifts, housewares, Department 56 Village Houses, seasonal merchandise, and more. If I can't make up my mind, I can purchase a gift certificate for any amount I wish. After I have picked something, I went with the Narwhal, they will beautifully gift wrap it for free, and I'm off to the party. Thanks, Foothill Mercantile! All right, KNC Newstime, 921 50 Degrees. Welcome back to KNC Insider, our visit with Foothill's Compassionate Care Monthly Visit has Miranda Orenchuk here. She is in charge of the social services, she's social services director, is that the best way to put it, Miranda? Yes. All right, for Foothill's Compassionate Care. She has the, what's your maiden name? Ditto. Ditto? Mm-hmm. Ditto? Yes. That's pretty funny. Now, a guy like Orenchuk, what type of name is Orenchuk? Ukrainian. Ukrainian. That is a strong name. It sounds like he should be a hockey player or something like that. Your husband. Yeah, it is Emotional Wellness Month, so we're highlighting social services with hospice because I think you correctly put, Miranda, when you were talking about hospice services, a lot of people think about the nurses because they're kind of front line and they're giving pain medication and comfort that way, but the whole support staff, right, when people are at the end of life and going through this, it is kind of taxing on everybody. So how does it work when people, is it an automatic thing that there's going to be social services involved or is it something that gets requested? It's an automatic thing. So every person who comes to hospice has a social work evaluation essentially within the first week. So there's different levels of need that families have, but social work will come in and we're really assessing for, does everyone have what they need in terms of resources? Sometimes family members may need to take FMLA so that way they can take time off of work, still get paid, be able to be in the home and help. The other thing may be access to insurance. Maybe we're not signed up for Medicare or Medi-Cal or maybe something has lapsed and social services can come in and kind of help navigate some of those systems. But maybe there are different family dynamics going on sometimes, especially when we're dealing with like parents who are aging and they're adult children. There's a difference in ideas of what should be happening. There's sometimes family dynamics to navigate through and so social work can come in and give people space to talk about these things. They can sometimes mediate family differences or just provide support. This can be really stressful and overwhelming for families and you're so caught up in the I have to take care of this person and I love them and it's really important and I'm not really thinking about the toll of what this is meaning or doing for me as an individual or a caregiver. And so just having a person you can call and say, hey, this is really hard today. Watching my parent not be able to walk anymore, watching my parent not be able to like eat or they're like not seeming like themselves and how do I like navigate that without putting the burden of my own emotions on them? And so just having somebody that you can call and will listen to you or show up to the house and hold your hand is really meaningful in a different way. Is it tough to get those family members to be honest? Because I could tell that's going to be a tough thing for me. I'm dealing with stuff and it's I've really kept it quiet with my family back east. I'm originally from the New Jersey area and there's recently something that's come out and I'm going to be leaving here. So they saw something online now they're upset that I haven't really talked to them about, but I didn't want to burden them with anything. And I don't know if that's a common thing that you find with some people. Absolutely. Like you already feel that what you're going through is heavy, like the emotions of like I'm going through an illness, I'm going through this change. I feel the heavy and the weight of it and I don't want to transfer that to somebody I care about. And I think a lot of people struggle with that feeling like I don't want to be a burden. I don't want somebody to have to give up things to take care of me. And I think that is so common anytime there's an illness or somebody is going on hospice or they may be an accident and they have to rely on someone for the first time in their lives because as adults, typically we get pretty good at just taking care of ourselves. And then when we're not able to do that in the way that we have in the past or the way that we would like to continue, one, it's really hard to admit that out loud that I can't do the things that I used to do or want to do or have worked really hard to be able to do. So even saying that out loud feels so invalidating to us as people. So like that's hard to ask for help. And then on top of it, you don't want to put struggle on somebody you care about. So people often will like hide how they're feeling or what they're going through. I see a lot of patients who don't want to admit that they're in pain because they don't want their family to worry about them. So they like sit in discomfort so that they don't have to like ask for medication or ask for things because it's just that look in somebody's eye when they're like, oh, the person I love isn't doing OK. And so absolutely, we hide and we avoid because we don't want to burden others. But caring for somebody you love isn't a burden. Like caring for somebody you love is what you like to do. Like I want to get back to my family just like if something happened to me, they would want to be there for me. And so we don't want to deny them the opportunity to show up for us. Yeah. And I've been trying to work through that. So is that something I should do is just kind of turn that thing around? Like if my sister Annie was ill, that I obviously would want to be there and do anything I could. Absolutely. I think for for us, it's important to look at like what is support, what would be supportive. So taking a look at like what could we ask somebody to do that would allow them space to show up for us in a way that feels helpful. Sometimes family also comes in and then they do too much and then it feels very invalidating. And so we really want to make sure we're very clear on like what could be helpful and what's within the scope of your family's ability to show up. So we don't want them to like quit their job and move across country and like stay on your couch for the rest of their lives. Like that's probably not functional for everybody. But what ways could they show up and what ways could they provide support that would feel good for them and for you? It's like a gift both ways. How do you find these social workers? I mean, does it take a special social worker to work in this field, the hospice field? Yeah. So just like death is uncomfortable for the average person, like death can be uncomfortable for social workers, too. And so it takes a special kind of person to sit in that grief process and to hold someone's hand and to sit in that sadness. Like we often will get calls from families who have just lost their loved one and the grief that's coming through on that other line is so heavy. And to be able to do that day in, day out, you have to have like really good boundaries. You have to not be uncomfortable with the end of life transition. I think death can be, I don't want to say a beautiful thing, but it kind of can be a beautiful thing when somebody has been suffering or somebody is ready to go. And like when you really talk to the patients and you get a sense of their life and what they've accomplished and sometimes they are have already lost like a loved one and they're like waiting to get back to that person and the end of life doesn't feel scary for them. And so it's almost this beautiful transition to the next stage for them. And so if you're able to like think about it in those ways and not feel so heavy by it, this can be a beautiful career, but it's not for everybody. Yeah. Do you get a reading on who would work best for certain people? I imagine there's obviously my personality. It is what it is from back east, but I'm a nice guy, right, everybody? Yeah, so far. But there's some people might be boisterous, might be angry, things like that. Do you adjust to get the right social worker that can work with that person and family? Yeah, you can. I would say for the most part in social services, mental health therapy in general, oftentimes we adjust for the patient that's in front of us. Like we're very trained to be almost like chameleons, right? Like so whatever you need, like I should be able to put my own biases and my own opinions about things aside and show up for you in the way that would be supportive for you. But we do have different personalities. I have a social worker who's very kind, very sweet, very loving, will bend over backwards. And I have one social worker who will find every resource available, but she will hold you to your commitments. And she's a little firmer. And I've watched that work really well with certain people who need that little push to get things done. Family often will have a hard time making those end of life arrangements. And we really try to make sure everything's in place. So that way, when something does happen, you're not scrambling to find a funeral home and make arrangements because you're in that midst of grief. And so sometimes people need a little push, you know, to get things done. And so it's nice to have a team with a different array of experiences, a different array of personalities. And so we can really meet people where they are. Yeah, that is one of the things I was going to work on. You know, I'm going to be leaving work, believe it or not, this week and going on leave to take care of myself because I have some more intense therapy, I guess you could say, or treatment plan for my cancer. But I was going to go and look into that, you know, arrangements as far as end of life and funerals and things like that. That is something I can do by myself, right, if I want to. Yeah, absolutely. You can call around, you can find a place that feels like it would be a good place for you. You can prepay for things, you can have it all set up. So that way, if something were to happen, like all the arrangements, all the plans are made and nobody has to think about it or worry about it. Yeah, I think that I know in my family that was a great gift. I had a sister, my sister, Joanie, my younger sister died years ago, complications from AIDS, and she knew she was going to get sick. So she had everything prearranged. It was an incredible gift from my mother, who years later was in hospice care and had the same thing done for us kids to take care of her. And it was a great gift. And so I figured I'd pass that on. Hopefully it'll become like a family tradition in our family. But I think it's good for everybody. And I don't know if that's why my husband thinks I'm morbid, but like, I think it's just one of those things that if you can think about, like what you would like your end of life to look like, even if it's 40 years from now, like you can still start to plan out. Some people have like little binders or folders of like when I die and it's like all the passwords and all of the like important documents. My in-laws, perfectly healthy. They have that. They have all of their arrangements pre-made there. They're like, this is where we're going to be buried. And like no, no end of life in sight for them specifically. But it's just this thing that when it does happen, we won't have to think about it or worry about it. I'm trying to get my husband on board to do that, too. But it's one of those gifts that you can give to people no matter if you're sick or not. Like just to know what you would like and know what would be important to you is such a relief to your family so that they're not trying to figure it out in the midst of all the crying and feelings and all the things that are going to come up. Yeah. All that stuff that comes up when it's yeah, it's all it all is so new every time it happens. And even if people are sick when they pass, it's a whole new thing to deal with if you've never done it before. So that's for sure. Well, this is a great tradition. Miranda, I'm about three minutes late for my news break. So, but that's nothing new here. You got KNC Insight as we're talking Foothills Compassionate Care. So we're going to news break, weather forecast and we'll be right back. Good morning, I'm Paul Haas with the KNCO local news update just in time for the start of its new five year rate increase plan in January. The new and long planned NID customer portal is also launching. Assistant General Manager Greg Jones says they're upgrading their billing system that's designed to bring everything that's needed into one and easy to use place. After signing up, you'll be able to view and pay your bills and access your account from your desktop, tablet or mobile device for auto pay and paperless billing. You can still receive a bill by mail if that's how you want to do it. People can still mail in a check. They can still bring in cash to our business center. But a customer portal will be particular to that individual account and that individual account holder and they can look at their past bills, check water usage and understand a little bit more about their water bill. Jones says the portal will also be more efficient and time saving for staff. Customers can also manage multiple accounts from a single login and request new service or transfer service. NID will be hosting public workshops to help customers get started and to answer questions in January and February. And a plan to improve and expand pedestrian and bicyclist connectivity in Grass Valley is being developed. It's called Future Paths Grass Valley. Everyday mobility connecting people and places. The city council was expected to approve an agreement with a consulting firm at their meeting last night. Deputy City Manager Taylor Wittingslow says it's through a half million dollar grant the city applied for and received from the California Air Resources Board. She says the primary component of the plan will be finding ways to close connectivity gaps in the local trail system. And Wittingslow says the board considers a lot of involvement from residents and stakeholders to be essential in the process. So our sub applicant is Berry Ubaland Trust. With all the school systems we are working with the Nisenan tribe as well to kind of come up with informational signs to put along these trails. We also have a community partner in the food bank to see where are there gaps missing and if somebody doesn't have a car how can they easily access food and those types of needs. Nevada County Transportation is another partner of ours. Wittingslow says examples of gaps include the Lytton trail system and where it ends. Wittingslow also mentions better development of public trails along the NID canal system. Join us for our next local news update at the bottom of the hour for news traffic and weather. Anytime visit KNCO.com. I'm Paul Haas, KNCO News Talk 830. No tricks, just treats at Reflection Skin Oasis. It's time for their annual spooktacular sale and the savings are so good they're almost scary. For one day only, Friday, October 30th, enjoy 30 percent off one skin care item of your choice and or one facial treatment of your choice. Or choose one of their fabulous skin care kits at 20 percent off. It's the perfect time to stock up on your favorites. Get a head start on holiday shopping or treat yourself to a little well-deserved pampering, but don't let these savings vanish into thin air. The spooktacular sale is Friday, October 30th only from 9 to 6. Pre-orders are welcome, too. Visit Reflection Skin Oasis at 138 Colfax Avenue, Suite 2 in Grass Valley. Call 530-274-9053 or visit ReflectionSkinOasis.com. Where beautiful skin is always a treat. This from the KNCO B&C ACE Home and Garden Center Weather Center. ACE is the place. Here is your forecast on KNCO News Talk 830. Sunny with today's high in the low to mid 60s. Our wind will be light out of the east. Clouds move on in tonight to a low near 40. Then mostly cloudy throughout the day on Thursday with a high in the low 60s. Cloudy Thursday night to a low 44. And for Friday, partly sunny and cooler with a height near 60. For weather any time, click on the weather center at KNCO.com. I'm meteorologist Dan Holliday on KNCO News Talk 830. All right, KNCO News Time, 937.51 degrees. Welcome back to KNCO Insight as we're highlighting Foothills Compassionate Care with Miranda Orenchuk here. She's the director of social services for Foothills Compassionate Care, including their hospice services and the like. And I was just checking out the website, Miranda. It's a great website, by the way. I don't know who's in charge of that, but I was just kind of glancing on the front page. Moonlight Magic is coming up. Of course, that's a big event and stuff. But then down below, I saw a woman with a horse dressed in red. It says above and beyond a princess, a horse in the community that said yes when Kim called Foothills Compassionate Care about her daughter, Shari. And I guess is this a therapy horse that they have by chance? So it's a horse that they were able to get access to to provide provide we like to provide joy where we can. And so it was one of those joy moments where somebody wanted to spend some time with a horse and we got a horse. And so I think that that's something that the team is really good at. Like if we can connect people, especially people in the community. And I think Foothills does an amazing job, like networking in the community and really finding access and resources and people. They do. And so we had somebody who needed a plumber and we were able to find a volunteer who was a plumber and just send them to the house. We had a woman who loved Dolly Parton. And so we were able to find this beautiful Dolly Parton book and just sat with her and looked at pictures of Dolly Parton. And somebody wanted Christmas. And so we found a little mini Christmas tree and decorated their room. So it's just how do we bring joy and moments of connection in times where we're so focused on health and wellness and just getting through the pain and the experience. So the horse was one of those joy moments. It looked joyful. I mean, I just saw that and it just looked fabulous. So that really kind of popped on the website website, by the way, foothills-cares.org is for Foothills Compassionate Care. We talked a little bit about the different departments, I guess, that are under you. One of those, that spiritual care that I think Norman does. All right. How do they know? Well, let's see, there's different people have different beliefs and all that stuff. Is it something that's very fluid, though, when you get towards end of life, that what the needs are for people if they're trying to. Oh, I don't know, maybe catch up for lack of better terms or try to amend some things. It can be. I find a lot of people maybe were religious in their youth or they were raised religious from their parents and then kind of lose it. And so their spirituality is a little more fluid. They maybe don't subscribe to a specific religion. But towards the end, they want to like kind of mesh those and like maybe come to terms with some of their religious beliefs. Or they just want somebody to like generally pray with them. And it's non-denominational. There are people who have very specific faith. And we if Norman isn't the right fit for them, then we try to link them with community supports through people who share their same faith and belief. It's all based on people's needs and what will bring them comfort. Yeah. Now, as a group, I was just thinking about that because Norman part of the team and stuff. Do you guys meet on a like a weekly basis or, you know, every other day or something to talk about certain cases and stuff? So we have something called IDT, which is happening right now. IDT happens on Wednesday and it's happening right now. Right now. And you're not there. And I'm not there. The first one I've missed. But IDT happens with the nurses, the social worker in spiritual care, and sometimes our home health aides pop in also. And it's an opportunity for the team. And we rotate every other week. So we have different groups. But they get to talk about all the cases. We talk about any new admissions and kind of what the needs are. We talk about our current cases. We talk about the deaths and the losses. And we take a moment of silence. We also take a moment to really look at what are the bereavement needs for the family, like who has support, who doesn't have support, who might need some additional reach out. So that way we're like continuing to care for the people that we support and serve. But it's a good opportunity for every member of the team to kind of share what is going on. So the nurses will share, the social workers will share, and then Norman will also share from his perspective. And then we make plans as a team. All right. By the way, this is all free services for people. Hospice? Hospice, yeah, it's usually paid out of Medicare. Yeah, it is kind of remarkable how much is out there for people. I know one of the things that we talk about over the years is that people, for whatever reason, maybe it's the type of illness they have or just maybe they look at hospice care as being like, like a better term, giving up, you know, on the fight that they're in and stuff that they wait too long. Can you talk about that a little bit about getting involved? That in some respects earlier, they're better to take advantage of some of these services. Yes, I, I'm a firm believer that hospice, I think a lot of people's fears are you get on hospice, they're going to give you a lot of medication and you're going to die sooner. It's not the case. Hospice provides comfort medication based on what the pain needs are. And so if you're in a lot of pain, you get meds that make you comfortable. If you're not in a lot of pain, we don't just give you meds to give you meds. And so it's not about giving up. It's about having space to think about what this next stage of life will be like. No matter how long it is, you usually need to have that like six months or less kind of diagnosis from your doctor to qualify for hospice. But what we see sometimes is people may get a lot longer than six months because sometimes when you get that level of care that you actually need, like you stabilize a little bit. That doesn't mean that you're still not terminal. It just means that that's going to take as long as it takes. The bodies are magical things and they do whatever they want. And so hospice doesn't progress the illness. Hospice provides support in a way that you can connect with your family, that you don't have to go to a lot of appointments, that you can make some of these final arrangements, that you can have the support to navigate these family like situations, that you can maybe have some joy and some Christmas and Dolly Parton books. So whatever it is that your family needs, I wish it makes me so sad when people come in and they're with us for a couple of days because nobody has an opportunity to really provide that care and support in a way that's actually meaningful. So, yeah, I think there is such misconceptions about hospice and about signing up for hospice. And it means that you're giving up, you're not giving up. You're just accepting that this is your illness and you're planning for that next phase with a team that's going to be in your home and there to help. Also with that, you know, the support that comes for the caregivers and the like as well. Have you guys seen like all of a sudden the dynamic in that house change? It might be very tense and or sad or whatever the atmosphere might be, but change for the better just because there's support there for everybody, not just the person that's, you know, at end of lifetime. Absolutely. It's whole person care. It's whole family care. Like everyone is our clients. I'm actually doing a care without burnout training today at 1230 at our office just to provide some education on what burnout is, what it looks like and how to prevent it. Because caregiving is really hard and it takes a lot of physical sometimes and emotional strength to like show up every day for somebody. And we're not usually prepared for that in the way that we should be. And so making sure that everybody on the team and the family is part of the team has the support that they need is really important. All right. It's interesting you bring that up because I was sharing with Miranda off the air. My daughter, Katie's a MFT, a marriage family therapist, and she works at Eldorado County. She's kind of caretaking her mom to some extent. Her mom's in a, you know, assisted living place right now. But she's totally stressed about that because they don't have the best of relationships and stuff. So they're trying to work through that and stuff. What what happens at this care without burnout? Is there like recommendations you can make or things that even though she's see, that's the thing, she's a therapist, maybe she thinks she might know. But I could tell she's getting burned out. Yeah. I think even a therapist, you know, like there is maybe additional pressure when you're a therapist taking care of because you think you should be able to handle everything well. But there is a difficulty even for us being able to ask for help because we're like, OK, we're going to do all these things and we're going to show up. And this is what I have to do and what I am responsible for doing. And then we don't really acknowledge the stress or the burden or especially when there's complicated emotions, I think a lot of families sometimes have those dynamics where maybe relationships aren't so great and we've never dealt with that, but now I'm in a position where your whole life and care is kind of my responsibility, but I have mixed feelings about that and I can't really deal with that because you need me right now. And so like that can create a lot of stress and tension and uncomfortable feelings. And so really being able to look at like what's coming up for me and how do I recognize my own signs of strain and ask for help, whether it's having somebody do like the grocery pickup for you, whether that's like being able to hire a volunteer or other caregivers like we have volunteers that can come sit with your loved one so that you can go get coffee with a friend or do something so that you get a break or a minute. And sometimes that's really hard because you feel like you have to be there every second because what if something happens when you're away, but just being able to trust that somebody can sit in your space for a moment and you can just be you. And we lose sight of ourselves in the caregiving role because we're so focused on this person who has needs in front of us. So I think the caregiver training that I'm doing today is going to talk about what those like signs and symptoms could be. Sometimes it's body symptoms like headaches or stomach aches or we're not sleeping well at night or maybe we didn't eat breakfast for like multiple days in a row because we're so stressed and we're busy and we're doing so many things. But the wear and tear on our bodies is often the signs that like our mental health isn't doing well. All right. All right. So the care with care without burnout that happens today. What time? Twelve thirty. Twelve thirty. Do people go online to sign up or how do they show up? And there's all of our social media, our Facebook page, our Instagram. Everything has an event. Right. But it's at our office down the street. And so it's twelve thirty to one thirty. You don't have to sign up. It's free for the community. So you can just pop over and hear me talk some more. All right. Excited about that. Is this do you do a regular like seminar and stuff or is this something new for you to this is something new for me, but I am a teacher by nature. And so I love to provide education and support. And I think the more we know, the better we can do. So I will probably do lots of these things. Well, you are active. Look at this, Miranda. You're just there. You're on the radio. You're doing the things. The next thing you know, you'll be running the place. Maybe not. Just kidding, Heidi. All right. So we're down the home stretch here of KNC Insights. So a quick break. We'll be right back. Hi there. This is Mimi Simmons, your hometown realtor, along with my wonderful team. We are so excited to welcome Johnny Houlihan back to Nevada County. Johnny, your music beautifully captures the spirit of our community, weaving your childhood memories and the places we love into your songs. Thank you for sharing your incredible talent, your music and your heart with the world. From one local to another. Welcome home, Johnny. I know you'll be embraced by the warmth and spirit that makes our community so special. You can catch Johnny's performance on November 11th at the Miners Foundry in Nevada City. But hurry, as tickets are almost sold out. Go to KNCO.com for your tickets. From all of us at Team Simmons, thank you, Johnny, for coming home to perform for us. You are one of a kind, your smile, your laugh, the way you look at those you love. So when it comes to cancer care, you deserve a treatment approach that's as unique as you. Dignity Health Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital features a comprehensive range of services from advanced diagnosis and treatment through supportive care and recovery. So you get the plan that best fits your needs. Learn more at Dignity Health dot org slash Sierra Nevada Cancer Dignity Health. Hello, humankindness. At Grass Valley Provisions, caring for the community means supporting the people and organizations that make a meaningful difference. That's why Foothills Compassionate Care is their community beneficiary on Sundays in October. Foothills Compassionate Care provides hospice and palliative care for those facing serious illness, along with comfort, guidance and bereavement support for local families during some of life's most difficult moments. Every Sunday in October, a portion of proceeds from Grass Valley Provisions will be donated to help support this important work right here in our community. So when you shop their thoughtfully curated selection of quality products, you're also helping provide compassion, comfort and dignity to local families who need it most. Adults 21 and over visit Grass Valley Provisions at 403 Idaho Maryland Road, open daily nine to nine. Shop Grass Valley Provisions and support Foothills Compassionate Care every Sunday in October. When you're shopping for insurance, you might say, what? I'm so over this. But what you really need to say is something that could actually help. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. When you get a local State Farm agent, they can help make it easy and help you choose the coverage you need. Plus, they're available online over the phone or even in person. I'm so into this. Call State Farm agent Mike Bratton in Grass Valley at five three zero two seven three zero five two one. All right, KNC Newstime, nine fifty two, fifty three degrees down the homestretch here, KNC Insight. Miranda from Foothills Compassionate Care has been here. She's director of social services there. Miranda Orenchuk. And there's never enough time once we start talking about things. There's always so many layers of what happens with Foothills Compassionate Care and the services that they have, how comprehensive it is for those through end of life. When people die, of course, bereavement's a big thing. Heaven knows, I know I'm I'm one of these people that my dad died when I was in high school. So this long time ago, it's like fifty two years this coming January. And I still haven't, I think, gotten through it, you know, because I never had time to grieve. You're in high school. You're still doing things and never quite comprehend. You know, my dad and I had issues like teenage kids do with their parents and never cleaned it up. Is it too late for me to get bereavement care and be part of that? It's never too late. I think a grief process is such a fluid thing. My mom died a few years ago. And even this weekend, I watched a movie that I'm like, she would have loved this. And she didn't even know that this movie was coming out because it was a sequel and just hit me. And I found myself sitting on my couch crying with my cat. So I think it just it hits you. There's moments that will come and go. And so, no, it's never too late to talk about your loved one, to get support if you feel like support is needed. But also that's a normal part of the grieving process. And I think sometimes we just need somebody to normalize like what grief actually is and that it's not this like you go through each stage and you're done. It's this very secular thing that like anniversaries and events and things will just kind of hit you and you go through it. So our bereavement department is amazing and we do individual sessions. We do groups. They have so many groups. I recently met with our group leaders and just talked to them about their groups and what's going well and maybe what additional supports are needed. I think being newer to the team, that's like my kind of excitement is like, how else can we provide supports and use some of my background and expertise and mental health care to really make sure that we're meeting everybody where they're at and if not, like how do we add those services? Another thing that we offer is that dying vigil support that's also under our bereavement team. And I got to sit with all of those volunteers and that is an amazing group of people who will literally come and sit with your loved one and they do it on this like two hour increment so that everybody like can sit and dedicate special time. And that way nobody has to die alone. Sometimes we're not able to move across the country and be here for our loved ones and especially people who are in facilities, if we know that they're active and the family is OK with it, we'll send a dying vigil. And so they just sit and they sit bedside and they'll talk to your loved one and they'll hold their hand and just be a presence. And so that way you know that they're with people and OK. And it's been such a beautiful experience just listening to their stories and just how much they care. Yeah, they say what a privilege it is, too, right? Yes. And they are so willing. And so everybody is not excited to do it. That sounds weird, but everybody is so passionate about what they do that it's important to them. It is a privilege and it's an honor to sit with your loved one. Yeah, I never thought about that. But, you know, when we all took turns caring with my mom and she was she did take advantage of hospice, had it for months. So we all took turns. You know, there's nine kids in the family. So the surviving ones, we all took a couple of weeks at a time. And when I said goodbye to her the last time I knew I'd see her alive, you know, she actually died the day that my daughter, Katie, got married. Sounds kind of funny. She's back in New Jersey passing away. And my brother, Jimmy, and my sister, Annie, were there. And I actually almost felt jealous that they were there because it seemed like what a special thing, like a goosebumps just talking about it, how special it was to be there when she passed, because it was great that she had love right to the end and hospice did wonderful things for her care and stuff. It really was a wonderful thing. You know, the end of life was that it was not that it seemed like just end of life. That went well. Yeah, I read a sticker recently. I like stickers. I read a sticker recently and it said, what if we paid as much care and attention to the end of life as we do the beginning of life, and I thought that that was so beautiful sentiment of everybody's born, everybody dies. And this it's a beautiful process if we allow it space to be. Well, it seems like at least Foothills Compassionate Care, you know, takes it on and kind of gets the conversation going. I guess that's step one, right? Just to have that conversation, just like you even with your husband and stuff. Yeah, you have to start at some place, right? You got to start at some place. Absolutely. All right. Again, there's a whole bunch of things going on with Foothills Compassionate Care as well. There's this Moonlight Magic Gala that's coming up very soon, right? It's only about a week or so away. Yeah, next Friday. Next Friday. Are you going to it? I am going to. It's a very fancy thing. Is your husband going to it? He is. Is he going to dance? Is there dancing and stuff? I don't know if there's dancing, but he does have to dress up, which he's not excited about. OK, well, he's an oven chuck or whatever it is. Yeah, let's see. There's also a toy drive. What's that about? There's a toy drive that you guys are doing? There's a toy drive. So you can drop off your toys at any of our gift and thrifts or admin offices. All right. What's this duck hunt thing? Because I had the guy in from the thrift store and I didn't quite get it. Is it that you go to the store and look for ducks? You look for little ducks, yeah, at the gift and thrift. So, yeah, there's like these little miniature ducks and then you can enter a raffle for a chance to win a gift basket. All right. So look for rubber duckies. That happens, I think, on Black Friday. I see here the 27th. So that's the day after Thanksgiving. Perfect day to do it, get that stuff going. And then I see Santa's Village. What's that all about? So we have story time photos with Santa. There's an ugly sweater contest and then all day they have face painting, coloring raffles, so it's just a community event. Well, Miranda Orenchuk, I appreciate you coming in here on such short notice, only there for two months. Two months. All right. You're like a star. I think you're going to be running the joint in about a couple of months here. Well, thank you. Yeah, well, I don't know if Heidi thinks that, but you'll be running my little park. There you go. It's an important part. And again, for people that want to find out more, is the website the best first step to go to? The website is a great place. We have a lot of resources and a lot of ways to access different team members through the website. All right. And if you are a caretaker right now, if you want to go to her seminar, Miranda's seminar, Care Without Burnout, 1230 at the hospice building right off of the Rough and Ready Highway. For those compassionate care is the place to be. Miranda, thanks to you. Thanks to you to everything you do to make the world a better place. Appreciate it. Thank you. All right. That does it for us. We got ABC News coming up, followed by Swap Shop and the Shopping Show here on KNCO News Talk 830. --- end of transcript ---