Bluegrass Care Navigators, in partnership with UK HealthCare, is relocating its inpatient hospice unit to a new home within UK HealthCare’s Good Samaritan Hospital. The move to the new location — scheduled for April 30 — reflects a continued commitment to providing high-quality, compassionate end-of-life care in a space that is more accessible and comfortable for patients and their loved ones.

Randy Conn is not your average patient. After suffering a migraine induced stroke at age 32 that left him legally blind, Randy learned to live with pain by focusing on what he could do rather than his limitations. He became an excellent wood worker, making beautiful pieces, like Adirondack chairs, tables and blanket chests for family and friends. After his diagnosis with Lewy Body Dementia (LBD), a condition causing severe cognitive decline, behavioral changes, mood and sleep disorders, and ultimately death, Randy resolved to live with dignity and preserve his quality of life.

1. Reflect and remember Relive experiences in your thoughts. Allow the details and the emotions that come with them to be fully expressed. Explore memories as they come up. Trust that your system is bringing up these thoughts as part of your healing process. The repetition of painful memories helps flush out the strong emotions attached to them. 2. Share stories Talking about your loss provides a great deal of release. You may need to tell the same stories over and over as part of your healing. Support groups provide a place where you have the opportunity to be heard and can continue to talk about your grief in a supportive environment. 3. Write it down Keeping a journal is not for everyone, but it can be a powerful tool for healing. Writing about feelings and events can help you to identify emotions. Words help constructively channel these emotions and show a record of your progress. 4. Don’t be afraid to cry Tears can relieve a lot of pressure and tension. Learn to trust your body’s need to cry or not. Individuals grieve differently. Tears are not a sign of weakness and do not mean that your emotions are out of control. 5. Make space for your loss People commonly fall out of their routines after the loss of a loved one. Because of this, they may feel they have too much unstructured time in which to grieve. It is OK to take time to sit with a loss. Other days, you may feel the need to be as busy as possible. Make time to create quite moments to work through your feelings. Respecting your needs for healing and creating opportunities to grieve is important. 6. Take care of yourself Do your best to nourish your body and rest. Get outside and enjoy the fresh air. Exercise can release a surprising amount of tension, anger and frustration. It is important to make self-care a priority. Our grief care services are for anyone in the community who has experienced the loss of a loved one. Discover how our team can help you and your family by contacting us through our website or calling 855.492.0812 .

Build a memory box Use a cardboard box and decorate all the sides with markers or paint, drawing memories, messages or pictures in memory of your loved one. Place items like mementos of special times or add notes or drawings for your loved one. Have a balloon release ceremony Choose a special time, like your loved one’s birthday or anniversary for the ceremony. Pick a place like a park, beach, field or burial site, to release the balloons. Use helium-filled balloons and have family members write words of remembrance on them. You can talk about how loss and change are a natural part of life, play music or read verses as the balloons are released. Plant a tree or flowers Tending to a growing plant is a symbol of an ongoing relationship and provides many chances to grieve a loss. The life cycle can help you reflect on the memory of your loved one. Read a children's book about grief There are many age-specific children’s books that address grief. Books are a great way to help children open up and begin sharing feelings after a loss. Create memory pages Use fun scrapbooking paper and include Information about your loved one, such as their name, birthday, date of death, favorite food or activities, words to describe them, or things they enjoyed. Phrases like "I remember you when..." or ''I feel closer to you when..." can help provide inspiration. Draw with sidewalk chalk art Decorate your sidewalk or driveway with pictures or words honoring your loved one. Creativity is a great way to help express your feelings and emotions. Make a bracelet Use a variety of beads with different colors, shapes and letters. Pick out beads that represent a special memory or detail about your loved one. Decorate a jar or bottle Apply paint, decoupage or other materials to a jar or a bottle. You can write messages and place them inside the bottle. These messages can be something that you did not get a chance to say, something that you wish you had done or said differently, a favorite memory, or a life update. Alternatively, you may wish to place a small candle or light inside and use it at times you wish to remember your loved one. Utilize a journal You can use a journal to write about or draw special memories of your loved one. Add photos or mementos to make it feel special. Make a playlist Create a list of your loved one’s favorite songs. Listen to this when you want to think about them. Recreate a favorite recipe Prepare a meal or dessert that your loved one enjoyed or made frequently. While you are making it reminisce about memories associated with the food and favorites that you enjoyed together. Our grief care services are for anyone in the community who has experienced the loss of a loved one. Discover how our team can help you and your family by contacting us through our website or calling 855.492.0812 .

Volunteering isn’t just something I do; it’s who I am. My name is Rich Haley, and for me, service is a way of life. I’ve spent years helping others. Even now, as a current hospice patient at Bluegrass Care Navigators (BCN), I continue to find my purpose by volunteering as an 11 th hour volunteer, offering companionship to patients in their final moments when no family is nearby.

Bluegrass Care Navigators is pleased to announce its board leadership and welcome new members for 2025.

Saint Joseph Hospital and Saint Joseph East have awarded Bluegrass Care Navigators (BCN) $50,000 to support grief services and integrative medicine programs. This funding will help BCN provide essential care to more than 1,000 diverse individuals across Lexington, Frankfort, and Cynthiana and address significant health challenges in 2025.

For almost 20 years, Paige Prewitt has embodied the spirit of selfless giving as a volunteer with Bluegrass Care Navigators. From therapy dog visits with Lilly to sewing masks during the pandemic, Paige has consistently found ways to meet others’ needs and give back to her community. Recently, she volunteered her time to handcraft 28 stoles to honor and celebrate our chaplains at Bluegrass Care Navigators.

Ron Reaguer has devoted his life to helping others, but in 2016, the tables turned when his wife, Joyce, suffered the first of three falls that left him needing help to care for her.