This article is being shared via Eating Recovery Center. All rights to this article belong to eatingrecoverycenter.com. 

With more and more people staying indoors and “social distancing” themselves from others, we’re talking about one important aspect of being quarantined: self-care. This might seem minor, but as the days continue where we are being encouraged to stay in our homes, self-care will be more vital now than ever before.

Whether you are enjoying the time at home or you are starting to feel anxious, implementing a self-care list or calendar to give yourself and your mind some rest could be beneficial for your mental wellbeing. By incorporating self-care activities into each day now, you will likely set yourself up for a healthy future indoors.

Here are 6 ways to practice self-care during COVID-19:

Take a break from the news.  

For many people, it is hard to distance themselves from the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, news. It’s all over: on TV, online, throughout social media and on the lips of pretty much everyone right now. But we encourage you to take a break from the noise of the virus, as it could make you even more anxious about what’s going on in the world.

Although it’s important to stay updated on what’s going on in your state, we recommend at least a 15-minute break. Turn off the television, close down your social media and news apps, and enjoy the silence. You can listen to uplifting music or simply lay down and close your eyes for a few minutes.

Check in with your loved ones.  

Sometimes you need some encouragement from those who know you most. Whether it’s a family member, friend or mentor, reach out to your personal community of people you love to stay connected. Although the CDC still recommends to “social distance,” there are a few ways you can still spend time with your network of loved ones.

If you have FaceTime or other video chatting technology, set up a call! It’s nice to communicate “face-to-face,” even if it’s digitally. Write your loved ones an email, and encourage them to continue the chain of conversation. Writing a letter sometimes helps ease stress. Start a book club with friends or family members! You can have a weekly virtual check in to go over what you read.

Put on some relaxing music. 

If you are feeling overwhelmed by the noise of the news and social media, some soothing music could relax you. In this time you should be certain to validate your feelings; you have the right to feel overwhelmed and anxious. Use relaxing music to cope with it in a constructive way. You know the type of music that allows you to destress, but there are many different playlists out there via music streaming services that are meant to calm your nerves or even help you sleep.

Want to make your music selection interactive? Ask your friends and family members what they’re listening to. There might be some genres or new albums that you haven’t heard that will keep your brain occupied.

Make a list of your favorite indoor activities.  

Accepting that the stay-at-home precaution might last weeks or even months can be mentally challenging. That’s why we’re recommending that you plan ahead. There are many activities to take part in at home and indoors.

Now is the perfect time to start a new puzzle or to play a board game – even virtually with your friends. You can also do activities like coloring, painting, cooking, reorganizing your closet or writing in your journal. By making a list, you’ll remind yourself what you can do when boredom starts kicking in.

Do some stress-reducing meditations.  

If you are new to meditation, know you are not the only one. But this calming activity can be a great way to destress and give yourself some much-needed self-care. There are thousands of meditations online that can direct your breathing and thoughts into positive directions.

Nourish your body.  

During this hectic time, it is important to ensure you are taking care of your health. If you are working with a nutritionist or medical expert regarding your diet, you should talk to them about how to continue these guidelines for food.

If you aren’t working with a nutrition expert, we recommend a balanced diet with good proteins (such as meats or legumes), fresh or canned fruit and vegetables (depending on what you have on hand), and drinking plenty of water. Keep your body nourished to help it stay healthy!

For more self-care tips, visit eatingrecoverycenter.com.

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While COVID-19 has brought many changes to our nation, some things are still as important as ever. One of those is taking the time in May during Memorial Day to remember loved ones no longer with us, cherish moments with our friends and family, and honor those that have made an impact in our lives.

We want to take a moment to remember your loved ones as well as honor those who hold an important place in your heart whether that be a friend, family member, frontline worker, or community member. Help us remember and honor them by listing their name on the line below, and we will include them on our memorial signs outside each of our offices in Greenville, Coldwater, Portland, and our Care Center. This year we are adding an “In Honor” section on our signs to feature those that you would like to recognize for helping you or making a difference in your life.

Each Memorial Day many of you choose to honor your loved one with a gift to our agency to help us continue our mission in serving our patients and their families. This year we ask for your continuing support, as it is needed now more than ever as we navigate the new normal during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We are committed to providing the best care to our patients with dignity and compassion, and that has not changed through these times of uncertainties. Your gift allows us to continue to do this. We understand that this year may be more challenging to give for some and want you to know there are other ways you can help make a difference. You can help lift the spirits of our frontline healthcare workers, not just in our agency, but also in our communities. You can share words of encouragement, inspiring quotes, or even a simple Thank You.

If you are able and would like to provide a monetary donation, please click here to donate online. 

We also invite you to send a message to a healthcare worker who may hold a special place in your heart for the care they provided to your loved one. A small note from you can make a huge difference in giving the gift of hope and motivation to those who need it most!

If you’re interested in leaving a motivational and heartfelt message for a healthcare worker, click here.

We will personally share your uplifting notes with our frontline workers and healthcare partners on our social media and our website. Please, help support our agency and spread positivity and hope to those working in the healthcare field who are true superheroes during this difficult time. If you have any questions on how you can help support our agency, please contact Erica Wood at ewood@ stateoftheheartcare.org or 800.417.7535.

Stay well, and remember we are #InThisTogether!

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2020 marks a very exciting milestone for State of the Heart Care’s Camp Encourage – its 20^th year of camp!

State of the Heart Care’s grief camp, first known as Camp BEARable, started in 2000 with 15 campers. It has since been renamed Camp Encourage and has helped over 800 total children on their journey through grief. We wanted to reflect on how camp has transformed over the years, so I recently spoke with Pam Pohlman, Social Worker at State of the Heart Care for 30 years, on her experiences while helping with camp through the years.

Pam’s Story with State of the Heart’s Grief Camp

Pam began helping at camp about 18 years ago as an adult buddy. Each child is paired with a buddy during the weekend to offer one on one support and encouragement. She then became a group leader, and now serves as camp social worker. When speaking with Pam I could see the passion she has for camp as her eyes lit up with the many memories she wanted to share. I asked her why she was first interested in helping with camp, and she said, “As a social worker I spent time with children during the dying process of their loved ones and could see such a need for that kind of bereavement follow up after their loss. As time has gone on, participating in camp has also become a way to honor my mother.” Pam’s mother knew the importance of bereavement care, as she lost her own mother (Pam’s grandmother) when she was only 7 years old.  She often told Pam that there were no bereavement programs for children back then, and always encouraged Pam to continue her work at camp and to “help as many children as possible” because she could see how great a benefit it would have been for her and knew how helpful it was to all the children now.

New Activities. Same Life-Changing Experience.

Pam shared that many aspects of camp have remained the same over time, including a traditional camp song, as well as a campfire night which Pam said, “is very peaceful as we sit together and watch the fire. This often leads to the kids opening up and expressing their feelings.” There have been changes over the years in some activities, but they’ve all been very helpful in accomplishing the mission of Camp Encourage. Different activities over the years have included trust exercises, nature hikes, fishing, jumpy houses, caricature artists, creating cookbooks, and having water balloon competitions.  Some activities have become tradition, such as the classic car clubs that come and visit. One of Pam’s favorite moments is when the kids get to ride in the cars because she “loves seeing the huge smiles indicating pure delight in every face, which represents a respite from their current life challenges.” Another tradition of camp is a takeaway item that the children can treasure as a memento of their time at camp. These include crafts the children make, such as calming jars and memory boxes. Volunteers also have made special items for the children each year. In the beginning, they sewed handmade teddy bears. Last year, a group called The Blanketeers made enough blankets for each child to receive one for use during camp and to take home with them.

Along with the purely fun activities are more serious exercises designed to offer guidance and healing through grief the children may be experiencing. This includes a session called the panel of experts. The panel is usually comprised of a physician, chaplain, and funeral home employee, and gives the children a chance to speak with and ask questions to these professionals. Pam has been a moderator at the panel for a few years and shared that the campers are very insightful and ask amazing questions. Another important exercise is the letter release. Each year campers are encouraged to write letters to the loved ones that they have lost. There have been different ceremonies held with the letters over the years, including a balloon launch where the letters were attached to balloons and then released outside. More recently, they’ve done a water letter release ceremony. The children still write a letter to their loved one and come forward individually to drop their letters in a bowl of water, dissolving the letter. These ceremonies offer closure in a safe place for the children to express their feelings where they won’t be judged.

Shared Grief and Loss Experiences Provides Powerful Healing

Pam reflected that one of the most healing and powerful activities occurs on the last day of camp each year. The camp memorial service is held before the campers are picked up by their loved ones. The children’s caregivers come early for a session providing education on what their child has experienced at camp, encouraging them to use this information at home as they interact with them. The caregivers then attend the memorial service, where each camper walks forward in the group and says the name of the loved one they have lost. Pam shared that this benefits the child and also the child’s family members when they hear the name as “it validates their shared grief and loss experience.”

According to Pam, perhaps the most important aspect of camp over the past 20 years and continuing into the future, is that it normalizes the children’s grief experiences and they realize they are not alone. They see that other kids are experiencing similar feelings and concerns and can relate to one another. “I am always amazed at the strength and resilience shown by the kids after experiencing such a traumatic and life-changing event of losing someone special.” When asked what her favorite memory from camp has been, Pam shared that it would be regarding two seven-year-olds, one who lost their dad and one who lost their mom-both in tragic accidents. Pam was the group leader that year and remembers that both were very quiet in the beginning; they didn’t feel comfortable sharing their stories. At one point during the weekend they had an opportunity during an activity apart from the larger group to open up and support one another through their losses. That created a wonderful bond throughout the rest of their camp experience. And when they returned the following year, they remained friends.

Pam hopes to continue her work at camp each year and wants others to know what a meaningful and fulfilling experience it is, highly recommending it to others who would like to volunteer, as there is always a need for adult buddies who have a heart for supporting children during their grief journey.

Camp Encourage at Home – 2020 Virtual Grief Camp

This year’s camp will look a bit different. In the best interest and safety for our families, volunteers, and staff involved with camp, we are hosting Camp Encourage virtually this year! “Camp Encourage at Home” will be July 10-12 and our camp staff are hard at work preparing activities for the campers, ensuring they still have a special camp experience! Camp Encourage accepts children ages 6-15 who have experienced the death of a loved one, no matter their affiliation with our hospice care.

For more information or to register click here or contact our Camp Director, Ashlee Slavin at aslavin@stateoftheheartcare.org.

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State of the Heart Care hosted another successful weekend of Camp Encourage July 10th-12th, marking the 20th year of camp! We had high hopes for our first-ever virtual camp this year. Thank you to our volunteers and campers for making our dreams and visions come true. In the few days leading up to camp, each camper received a care package in the mail full of camp goodies and activities they would participate in throughout the weekend.

On Thursday, July 9th, we hosted a support session for parents with the help of Brittany Scheer and Living Music, LLC to offer guidance and support to parents who have grieving children. Camp Encourage at Home officially started on Friday night with our campers and volunteers meeting virtually; the energy and support was present right from the start! Our campers and staff all admitted to feeling a little nervous and hesitant at first because of the sensitive nature of grief while meeting new people on a computer screen. However, in true Camp Encourage form, the kids warmed up and felt more comfortable with their buddies by the end of the night.

Saturday was our big day of events – we met with a Panel of Experts consisting of one of our hospice nurses, Deb; one of our chaplains, Jacque; and a funeral home director, Scott Hogenkamp from Hogenkamp Funeral Homes. The kids had prepared some of their toughest questions for the experts, with the experts sharing their insightful and knowledgeable answers. By the afternoon, the campers were all participating in music therapy from State of the Heart Care’s Music Therapists while bonding with their groups and expressing their feelings to us in a trusted space.

By Sunday, the kids were opening up with their feelings and becoming more comfortable talking about their loss. In our closing ceremonies, State of the Heart Care’s chaplain David shared a message of hope and encouragement that we are never alone. Even when grief or feelings seem overwhelming, we always have hope and helpers.

While we prefer to host camp with the kids in person, we were so thankful to be able to host it virtually and give the kids and families support during these difficult times. We look forward to next year and to continue this amazing program for our communities!

If you would like more information on the bereavement services State of the Heart Care offers for adults or children, please call 1-800-417-7535 or email our bereavement team at bereavementservices@stateoftheheartcare.org.

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State of the Heart Care to Open Office in Winchester!

State of the Heart Care is excited to announce they will be opening a new office location in Winchester, Indiana in September. Upon much time and consideration by their internal directors and board of directors, it was decided that it would be in the best interest of the agency to move from their Portland, Indiana office to the new location in Winchester, Indiana.

Kristi Strawser, Executive Director at State of the Heart Care shared some factors that led to the decision to move. “State of The Heart Care has been a part of the Portland community for many years, and we look forward to continuing to serve the community and Jay County. Over the years, technology has changed, and our staff no longer are dependent on an office setting to provide our exceptional hospice care. We no longer needed a large office setting and decided to downsize our office. We are moving our office location to Winchester; however, nothing will change regarding our care and services in Jay County. It will continue to be our mission to provide exceptional hospice and palliative care to those in the Portland and Jay County communities, while also taking a more active role and presence in the Winchester community that we have served for many years. This move from Portland to Winchester will allow our hospice and palliative care organization to serve Indiana from a more centralized location.”

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact State of the Heart Care at 800-417-7535.

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National Senior Citizens Day is Friday, August 21st.  In recognition of this day on which Senior Citizens are honored, we created a word search that we hope will be enjoyed by all!  If you’d like to mail in your completed puzzle (no matter your age!) by September 4th, you will be entered to win a gift basket.

To all Senior Citizens, we offer our thanks for all you’ve done and continue to do! Click here to begin your word search to be entered to win a gift basket.

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Our team is looking for feedback on bereavement services and would love it if you would take a few minutes to fill out this short 6 question survey. Surveys can be printed out or taken online using the links below – whatever is most convenient for you.

Online Forms Can be Found Here:

• Adults: Click here to fill out the adult survey.
• Children: Click here to fill out the youth survey.

Printed Forms Can be Found Here:

• Adults: Click here to print the adult survey.
• Children: Click here to print the youth survey.

Your opinion matters to us and we appreciate you taking the time to help us make our bereavement services the best that they can be for our local communities.

If you have any questions about the forms above or our bereavement services, please give us a call at or 937.548.2999 click here.

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(September 18, 2020). State of the Heart Care recently received a generous donation in the amount of $400 from The Union City Browns Backers.

The Browns Backers Worldwide (Union City Browns Backers) is considered to be one of the largest organized fan clubs in all of professional sports with members and clubs established throughout the world. Browns Backers Worldwide exists as a non-profit organization to actively support and positively promote the Cleveland Browns.

Continuous Support Throughout the Years

The Union City Browns Backers have chosen to donate funds in support of State of the Heart Care for the past several years during their club meetings and viewing parties, raising over $3,000 in the past three years. Scott, Founder and President of the Union City Browns Backers since its start in 1987, shared:

“Even though our club may face some challenges in finding a meeting place due to the current Covid-19 pandemic, we are still pleased to be able to continue to support our local community.”

When asked why they chose to support State of the Heart Care, Scott stated:

“State of the Heart Care is a very important organization. I work for Kaup Pharmacy and come in contact with a number of employees from State of the Heart Care. They are extremely gracious, caring people that truly care for their patients. They are a great benefit to our community to have available for those that need it.”

Interested in Joining the Union City Browns Backers?

Scott shared that The Union City Browns Backers have more raffle items this year and, “We will overcome our challenges and continue to support the Cleveland Browns and local businesses and organizations like State of the Heart Care in 2021.” The Browns Backers meet at 6:00 PM on the first Thursday of every month during the months of July through December, at the Pizza Hut in Union City. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Union City Browns Backers, you may contact their President, Scott, at 937-414-9772.

For more information on the hospice, palliative care, and bereavement services State of the Heart Care can offer to you or your family, please click here or contact 800-417-7535.

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We are very pleased to present to you our first annual Community Report for our fiscal year 2019-2020. We were blessed at State of The Heart Care to serve our communities with hospice and palliative care. Over the past year, we reflected on what it truly means to provide hospice care to our communities. We turned to our partners and community to offer feedback about our organization and our services. When completing a survey and answering what one word describes our organization, they responded with the words “compassion, professional, caring, and excellent.” We used this feedback to help us to reshape our mission and adopt organizational values. 

Those who choose State of The Heart Care for end of life care can trust that we understand what a vulnerable and important time this is for not only the patient but also the family. We have received feedback from families who state they expected great care for their loved one; however, they were not prepared for how our organization would wrap our arms around the whole family of the patient we are serving. We understand that this is an end of life experience and it must be approached with care, compassion, professionalism, and excellence. 

As 2020 approached, and the COVID-19 pandemic occurred, we quickly developed strategies of how to continue to provide excellent hospice care safely as we faced many challenges. In the third week of March, as we navigated the pandemic, our family at State of The Heart Care experienced the loss of one of our staff members. This member of our work family exemplified our values and mission of our organization. We are blessed with employees that believe so deeply and are dedicated to the important work that we do at State of The Heart Care. Our commitment to providing excellent end of life care and serving our mission is unwavering even during a pandemic and the grief that our work family experienced. How amazing it is to have the opportunity to honor and respect another person’s life and journey. 

“We cannot change the outcome, but we can affect the journey.” Ann Richardson 

Kristi Strawser MSN, MBA, MBA, RN, CHPN, NE-BC
Executive Director

Click to View the Report

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A Time of Remembrance 2020 – Luminaria Memorial Drive Thru

You are invited to share in a time of remembrance to honor and memorialize your loved
one. This year we are also honoring those lives lost during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Join our drive thru luminaria memorial for a time to reflect on cherished memories of
your loved one. You will have the opportunity to purchase a personalized
luminaria that will be placed along the lighted path.

November 18th from 6:00pm to 8:00pm
State of the Heart Care
1350 N. Broadway St.
Greenville, OH 45331

View and Download Event PDF

Online Payment and Personalization

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