11th Hour Volunteer Provides Comfort During Life’s Final Moments

November 26, 2024

Connie Miller began volunteering with Bluegrass Care Navigators in the Frankfort region just over a year ago while completing her certification as an end-of-life doula. Initially seeking volunteer hours, Connie quickly realized that this work was her calling and decided to continue volunteering long-term.

“I see dying as being born into spirit,” she reflects, “and I want to help people not be afraid.”


Connie’s role as an 11th-hour volunteer is to provide a compassionate presence for patients in their final moments, offering support when family cannot be by their side. Recently, Connie sat with a patient in her final hours, talking with the woman and playing soothing music. Using gentle touch, she reminded the woman that she wasn’t alone and that she was going to be okay as she transitioned.


For Connie, volunteering is about honoring her mother’s memory and giving back to her community.


“Being able to do this for other people makes me feel that I’m repaying the good things that have been given to me,” she said.


Bluegrass Care Navigators is committed to providing expert care with compassion. Our team of clinicians and volunteers work together to ensure that each person receives the care they would want for their own family members. Your generosity today will help us continue to serve friends and neighbors in our communities and ensure that no one passes alone. 



Make a Gift to Support Patients and Families
June 29, 2026
Bluegrass Care Navigators has partnered with God’s Pantry to provide food boxes to patients experiencing food insecurity across its service lines. In the first month alone, team members and volunteers delivered 50 boxes to medically frail older adults. By addressing barriers like transportation, mobility, and limited income, this collaboration extends patient care beyond clinical needs to better support overall health and quality of life.
Caregiver testimonial
June 11, 2026
For the women holding it all together—until it’s too much.
Grief support for Father's Day
June 4, 2026
For many, Father’s Day can be particularly challenging day after the loss of a father or paternal figure. This day often brings back waves of grief—even if you thought you had already worked through those feelings. Everyday moments, like passing by Father’s Day displays in a store or participating in one of your father’s favorite activities, can unexpectedly trigger emotions and memories. As you navigate this difficult day, it is essential to give yourself permission to grieve. Take time to reflect on the joyful moments and cherished traditions you shared with your father.
From Medically Fragile to Safely Housed: How BCN Provides New Beginnings
May 26, 2026
For many individuals experiencing homelessness, medical hardship and housing instability are deeply intertwined. BCN’s Medical Respite Program bridges that gap by providing a short-term, hotel-based recovery program that offers compassionate care to unhoused individuals who need a safe place to heal and receive medical care.
May 26, 2026
Supported by a grant from the CommonSpirit Health Community Health Improvement Grants program, BCN’s Integrative Medicine created memory-making kits now used by social workers and volunteers to support patients and families in hospital settings.
Mother's Day flowers on pink backdrop
April 30, 2026
For many, Mother’s Day can be a particularly challenging day after the loss of a mother or maternal figure. This day often brings back waves of grief—even if you thought you had already worked through those feelings. Everyday moments, like passing by Mother’s Day displays in a store or seeing flowers, can unexpectedly trigger emotions and memories. As you navigate this difficult day, it is essential to give yourself permission to grieve. Take time to reflect on the joyful moments and cherished traditions you shared with your mother.
March 24, 2026
Marla Sowers was never defined by titles though she held many. A pianist and Miss Morehead State University, a valedictorian, a beautiful singer, and an excellent writer, she carried the practical wisdom of her farming family into everything she did. As a public school elementary music teacher, Marla shaped hearts by inviting students to see kindness as strength. When a dementia diagnosis altered the rhythm of her days, her husband Richard cared for her at home and then with the help of an assisted living facility for as long as he could. After several years, the facility referred her to Bluegrass Care Navigators (BCN) for hospice services.
Bill Papania's mother
March 24, 2026
When Bill Papania thinks about Bluegrass Care Navigators, he doesn’t just remember the end of his mother’s life, he remembers the time, comfort, and connection Team BCN made possible.
The Coleman Family
March 19, 2026
In 2024, the Coleman family’s world was shattered with a devastating cancer diagnosis and unexpected loss of Jessica, devoted wife and mother. Kyle and his three daughters were overwhelmed by grief and the daily reminders of life without her. They connected with Bluegrass Care Navigators’ (BCN) grief team whose compassionate support and counseling helped the family find comfort, connection and the tools to heal together.
Bluegrass Care Navigators Expands Bluegrass Transitional Care Program with Grant Award in Partnershi
March 17, 2026
Expansion will improve access to care and chronic disease management for high-risk patients across Laurel, Jackson, and Whitley Counties