Resources
We're here for you along with dozens of local and national organizations trained specifically for your needs.
Below are both local and national resources. Click the buttons below to see both lists.
LOCAL RESOURCES
337 Stephens Ave, Missoula | (406) 728-7682 | missoulaagingservices.org
Missoula Aging Services provides a wide range of programs and services for older adults and those who care for them. Resource Center and Call Center staff help community members connect with the help they need. Family Caregiver Support, Meals on Wheels, Money Management, and Veteran Directed Care empower older adults to continue living independently in their own homes.
405 South 1st S West, Missoula | (406) 541-8472 | www.tamarackgrc.org/ | info@tamarackgrc.org
Tamarack Grief Resource Center strengthens and honors individuals, families, and communities throughout their journey with grief. With offices in Missoula, Kalispell, and Browning, we help individuals and communities navigate grief and loss through counseling, grief camps and retreats, school-based programs, support groups, community workshops, and professional education.
(406) 285-1655 | www.creative-connected-aging | betha.md@creative-connected-aging.com
Provides individualized assessment and support of frail elders, elders with dementia, and caregivers
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Education, advocacy, and co-creation of care goals
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In-person and virtual consultations
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Collaborative care with your Primary Care Provider
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Coaching for emotional health and meaningful relationships
(406) 214-5575 | thymecounseling.com
Bio: I approach grief and loss with Stroebe and Shut's Dual Process Model perspective (and apply this model to other issues that you may be facing such as job loss, pet loss, divorce/separation, loss of a relationship), focusing on moving through our grief experiences while attending to life matters that don't stop while we are grieving. I also specialize in group work, and hope to bring support groups for all kinds of losses to the Missoula area.
(252) 202-4143 | www.GoBeyondTheMeadow.com
Hayley Ingram is an end of life doula from North Carolina who believes that there is an inherent sacredness to existence as well as death. Her end of life work is rooted in presence, compassion, and meeting people exactly where they are. Much of the work she offers is tailored to an individual's or families specific needs. This can range from planning a celebration of life, vigil mapping, advanced directives, or simply offering a listening ear. When a loved one passes, she is the one who puts on the tea kettle, lights a candle, and straightens the house so that families can be present and tend to their needs. Hayley is guided by the wisdom of her grandmother. Her work as an end of life doula is in dedication to her grandmother's spirit and the teachings that she left behind.
(406) 298-4969 (call or text!) | www.YogaHappiness.us | Burg@YogaHappiness.us
Bio: Call me Burg. I grew up in Columbus, Ohio, went to Ohio State University, did a lot of things, and moved to Missoula when I was 43 because of the mountains and rivers. Working with my clients/students/patients is about building a relationship so we can work together to create a plan for healing and relaxation. Both healing and relaxation come in many forms. My hope is to use my background in yoga (meditation, movement, breathing) and massage (Thai, traditional, gentle, etc), along with my own life experience, to help ease pain and anxiety for both patients and caregivers. Life is hard but I've seen beauty even in the worst of times. Each time we meet, I'll customize our session for what's going on with you in that moment, which means I'll ask you about your life!
NATIONAL RESOURCES
- AGING -
(888) 5-WISHES (594-7437) | AgingWithDignity.org
Our mission is to help you and your family plan and receive the care you deserve. Something is terribly wrong: The majority of Americans want to die at home surrounded by family and friends, but most end up dying in the hospital or nursing home, cared for by strangers. Half of Americans die in pain that could have been treated. Sick people have come to fear losing their dignity or burdening their families more than they fear death. And this is all happening in a country that is meant to prize the rights of individuals and champion respect for personal wishes. The non-profit Aging with Dignity was established because you and your family deserve better. We provide you with the practical information, advice and legal tools you need to ensure your wishes and those of your loved ones will be respected. By helping you improve your own quality of care, we can bring about dramatic change, one person at a time. The Five Wishes document helps you express how you want to be treated if you are seriously ill and unable to speak for yourself. It is unique among all other living will and health agent forms because it looks to all of a person’s needs: medical, personal, emotional and spiritual. Five Wishes also encourages discussing your wishes with your family and physician.
(800) 677-1116 | eldercare.acl.gov
The Eldercare Locator is a free public service that connects older people and their families to valuable information on services and resources for senior citizens through state and local agencies as well as community-based organizations. The Eldercare Locator is a public service of the U.S. Administration on Aging administered by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging.
- GENERAL INFORMATION ON HOSPICE & END-OF-LIFE CARE -
(800) 854-3402 | HospiceFoundation.org
The mission of Hospice Foundation of America is to provide leadership in the development and application of hospice and its philosophy of care with the goal of enhancing the U.S. health care system and the role of hospice within it.
(651) 789-2300 | CaringBridge.org
A free website that helps loved ones share information and support throughout a patient’s significant health challenge.
(703) 837-1500 | nhpco.org
As the leading organization representing hospice and palliative care providers, NHPCO works to expand access to a proven person-centered model for healthcare—one that provides patients and their loved ones with comfort, peace, and dignity during life’s most intimate and vulnerable experiences.
(866) 374-2472 | HospiceCare.com
They serve as a global platform to inspire, inform and empower individuals, governments and organizations to increase access and optimize the practice of palliative care.
- END OF LIFE PLANNING -
Dedicated to helping people talk about their wishes for end-of-life care.
MyDirectives® is the first completely digital emergency, critical and advance care planning platform. Recognized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, MyDirectives allows individuals to easily, quickly and securely download their electronic healthcare records, MyDirectives is also the only advance care planning platform to receive meaningful use certification from HHS. MyDirectives MOBILE™ is found exclusively in the Apple App Store® and lets consumers place critical emergency health information in front of the lock-screen on the iPhone in conjunction with Apple Health.
- CARING FOR A LOVED ONE -
(415) 913-7682 | Zen Caregiving Project
Zen Caregiving Project is a non-profit organization based in San Francisco, California with over 30 years of experience in practicing and teaching mindfulness-based, compassionate caregiving. We offer courses, workshops, and training for professional, family, clinical, and volunteer caregivers. Through our work, we provide a context for public discussion of caregiving, loss, and death.
(800) 445-8106 | Caregiver.org
Supports and sustains the important work of families nationwide caring for adult loved ones with chronic, disabling health conditions.
The Elder Helpers program strives to safely and conveniently connect these dedicated, passionate volunteers with elders in their local communities. Education and Consultation in End of Life Care.
- DEMENTIA & ALZHEIMER'S -
(800) 272-3900 | alz.org
Mission: To eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Has newsletter by email or printed copy.
- CHILDREN'S HOSPICE CARE -
(703) 684-0330 | chionline.org
Children’s Hospice International (CHI) is an award-winning non-profit organization established in 1983 that has pioneered and promoted the idea that critically ill children should have access to hospice/palliative care along with curative care from the time their life threatening illness has been diagnosed. Back in 1977, when CHI was conceived, there were no hospice care programs available in the world. In 1983, when CHI incorporated, only 4 of the 1,400 hospices in the United States were able to accept children. Today, thanks in part to the efforts of CHI, most hospices are willing to consider accepting a child as a patient, and most hospitals are considering hospice & palliative care.
- GRIEVING FOR A LOVED ONE -
(877) 969-0010 | CompassionateFriends.org
The mission of The Compassionate Friends: When a child dies, at any age, the family suffers intense pain and may feel hopeless and isolated. The Compassionate Friends provides highly personal comfort, hope, and support to every family experiencing the death of a son or a daughter, a brother or a sister, or a grandchild, and helps others better assist the grieving family.
(503) 775-5683 | Dougy.org
At Dougy Center, our mission is to provide grief support in a safe place where children, teens, young adults, and their families can share their experiences before and after a death. We provide support and training locally, nationally, and internationally to individuals and organizations seeking to assist children who are grieving.
(970) 226-6050 | CenterForLoss
Led by grief counselor and educator Dr. Alan Wolfelt, the Center for Loss and Life Transition is an organization dedicated to helping people who are grieving and those who care for them with resources and understanding.