Hospice House 2.0

09/22/2025

It’s been five years since Campbell County Health ended inpatient services at the Close to Home Hospice House.

09/01/2025

08/31/2025

One of the hardest lessons in palliative care and hospice is learning that our role is not always to do, but often to be. Families will come to us in moments of deep fear, uncertainty, and heartbreak, and the instinct to “fix” things is strong, after all, most of us entered this field because we wanted to help, to ease pain, to solve problems. But there are times in this work when there is nothing to fix, and trying to do so can leave families feeling unseen in their grief.

Silence can feel uncomfortable, can’t it? We are trained to explain, to comfort, to try and ease the pain with words. And when a family is hurting, our first instinct is often to fill the space with something, anything, that might help. But the truth is, in palliative care and hospice, silence can be one of the most healing gifts we offer. It’s not emptiness. It’s not absence. It’s a space where care, compassion, and presence quietly live. And sometimes, it is exactly what is needed.

We don’t always have to have the right words. We are not here to fix anyone or solve every problem. What matters most, what families need most, is us being fully, quietly, present. There’s incredible power in sitting still, in taking a pause, in simply breathing together. Silence says, I am here with you. You don’t need to respond, to explain, or to perform. You are safe to just be. That alone is enough. And sometimes, when we remind ourselves of that, we realize that we are enough too.

Silence gives families the room to find their own words, or to find none at all, and that is a gift. It gives permission to rest without the weight of questions or expectations. It gives us, as caregivers, the chance to witness, to honor, to hold space for life’s most fragile moments without rushing in to “fix” what cannot be fixed. And in those moments, we may notice something subtle but profound: just by being there, we are giving something irreplaceable. Our presence is a gift, and it matters.

Being fully present in silence requires courage. It asks us to trust ourselves, our instincts, and our humanity. Sometimes we worry that we are not enough, that our gifts are too small, or that we should be doing more. But the truth is, what we offer is not measured in words or actions, it is measured in our willingness to be there, fully and without apology. It is in the steady hand, the quiet breath, the unhurried willingness to simply remain. That is enough. Always enough.

Families may not remember every word we say. They may not notice the perfect sentence, the clever explanation, or the reassurance we offered. What they remember, what they carry long after, is the sense of being deeply accompanied, of being seen and held. And that, our presence, is one of the most profound gifts we can give. Sometimes, the most compassionate thing we can “say” is nothing at all.

xo
Gabby

A poem I wrote, “Presence” can be found here: https://www.thehospiceheart.net/post/presence

You can find this blog here:
https://www.thehospiceheart.net/post/silence

05/28/2025

“What happens when we die?”

This is a question I am asked often. I think that we each have our own thoughts and beliefs about this and should not tell someone else how to think or feel about it.

I believe people with a strong faith have a deep sense of confidence in what happens and where they will go. I believe people who do not have a strong faith practice have more curiosity and uncertainty. I also believe that there are people who feel that when their last breath is taken, life is over, and nothing else happens, and you don’t go anywhere or see anyone.

I cannot tell someone else what to think or feel, and I never will.

I would like to believe that wherever I go, if I am to go somewhere, it will be where the people I love who have died will be, and we can meet again. I often say, “where I go, they will be.” This comforts me. I would also like to believe that I will see my favorite pets again, who I continue to grieve for.

One thing I am absolutely certain of, because of what I have witnessed at the bedside… moments before the last breath is taken, there is this sense of peace that comes over them, a calmness, perhaps relief, and the complete removal of pain, or suffering… but also everything else they have carried with them that causes struggle… fear, regret, guilt, anger, and sadness. It goes with the last breath and all suffering physically, emotionally, or mentally, is gone.

I do not believe that we will be punished for things we have said or done after death, because I believe that when the last breath is taken, all of that is gone. I think we do enough of that to ourselves when we are alive. It is why I am working so hard to let things go… I do not want to spend the rest of my life dragging that weight around with me. I have made mistakes, I am human, but I have learned from them and will do differently and better moving forward.

I believe that when I die, I will be at peace. And I will take with me the feeling that I lived my life well, that I did the best that I could, and those who were in my life know how deeply loved they were by me. And if I happen to go somewhere and see the people I love who have died, or even my dog Jack, that is a bonus. And if not… that’s okay too, because I was gifted them when I was alive.

I think I would rather focus on my life now; being alive, appreciating all my blessings, finding joy in every single thing, feeling love, experiencing new things, savoring each moment, and even one day falling in love. For me, it is not “what happens when we die?” For me… it is, “How will I appreciate each day I am alive?”

xo
Gabby

You can find this blog here:
https://www.thehospiceheart.net/post/what-happens-when-we-die

05/21/2025

Things I hear often…

“My mom started hospice and she died.”
“When you start hospice they give you morphine and you die.”
“Hospice is a death sentence.”

I am a hospice nurse, and I can only speak for myself, and how I provide care. My goal is to be there for both the patient and family, to truly listen to them about what they need and what matters most to them, and let them know that they have been heard, and to remove symptoms that are causing suffering of any kind.

If someone has been given a diagnosis with six months or less to live, they are already dying. Starting hospice will not speed up the process. Starting hospice can sometimes give you a little more time, simply by reducing pain and suffering. It doesn’t always happen, but sometimes it does.

I always want people to start hospice sooner because I truly believe their end of life journey will be gentler, and those who are preparing to say goodbye will have the tools, resources, and support that they need to be there for the person they love, knowing that they are not doing this alone.

My goal with my blogs, classes, books, and social media posts is to help educate about death and dying in such a way that it removes fear and uncertainty, and offers tools and resources to anyone who is dying or providing care for someone who is dying. I want to help improve the way people are cared for when they die, and when they grieve.

❤️
xo
Gabby
www.thehospiceheart.net

Here is a blog I wrote about hospice and what it offers:
https://www.thehospiceheart.net/post/hospice-is-not-a-diagnosis-it-is-a-plan-of-care-for-the-diagnosis

Here is a link to my hospice master class, which Is packed full of very valuable information:
https://www.thehospiceheart.net/masterclass

Here is a link to my book “End of Life Tips”:
https://www.amazon.com/Life-Tips-Gabrielle-Elise-Jimenez/dp/B0C9G8PZZ5

04/09/2025

You can find this poem in my new book “It Never Gets Easier to Say Goodbye,” which is a book of poems I have been writing for about four years.

They are about life, love, death, and most especially… about grief. 🌷

You can find my book here:
https://www.amazon.com/Never-Gets-Easier-Say-Goodbye/dp/B0DY4VJLFM?

xo
Gabby
www.thehospiceheart.net

03/10/2025

“Gabby, what do you think happens with our regret and guilt when we die, do we take it with us?”

The woman who asked me this question was worried that she would have to take all of her past mistakes and bad choices with her when she died. She couldn’t make peace with dying until she was certain that she would not be punished after her death the way she punished herself with it her whole life.

I did a special candlelighting ritual with her, offering forgiveness of self, helping her to release everything she had carried with her for so many years. I told her that I believe that when you die, you don’t take all of that with you, and it is forgiven. She needed to hear that, but more than that, she needed to believe it.

After the candlelighting ritual, I watched her take a deep breath and release it slowly as though everything she was feeling left with that breath.

I went to see her the next day and she told me she was ready to die. She thanked me for the ritual, and for sharing my thoughts on what I think happens after we die. She looked at me and said, “I have let it all go… thank you.”
She died four hours later.

I am not speaking for everyone when I share what I believe, and I would never force my beliefs on someone, but sometimes people need permission to let things go and give themselves some grace... so they can die in peace.

xo
Gabby
www.thehospiceheart.net

11/08/2023

Dear Gramma,
After a long 3 years the promise I made to you is moving forward. I wish you were here to be a part of it but I know you are in a way. Love you and miss you!
Love,
Your sassy hard headed granddaughter 😉❤️

More than three years after Close to Home Hospice and Hospitality House stopped offering inpatient hospice care, one of its original partners has decided to move forward with building a

10/18/2023

❤️❤️ right there in my heart ❤️ ❤️

10/02/2023

Tate and I helped with the annual Black Cat Ball on the 23rd. It was a great night and the best part of it all was our President of NEW Community Health Foundation announcing a new hospice facility is on the horizon for our community. A lot of hard work to come as we determine the hows, but our feasibility study gave us a green light to make the dream a reality. 💛

09/22/2023

I know I share a lot of her writings, but they are so beautiful and real ❤️

I have always been attracted to hummingbirds and dragonflies. Someone once told me that if you see a hummingbird soon after someone has died, it means they have successfully made it to the other side. I have also been told that dragonflies only live 24 hours and their one very important job is to ca...