In conjunction with National Hospice Month (November 2004), Hospice Foundation of America (HFA) announced the relaunch of http://www.hospicefoundation.org-its redesigned and improved Web site, designed to be a gateway to the best information on hospice and end-of-life care, geared to healthcare consumers and professional caregivers.

The redesigned site includes a new "Caregiver's Corner" for family caregivers and paid professional caregivers. The Caregiver's Corner offers reading suggestions, tips on end-of-life caregiving, stress tests, and other resources.

The site also provides visitors an opportunity to "Ask an Expert" and receive answers, via e-mail, from hospice physician William Lamers, an authority on pain management and hospice care, or Kenneth Doka, a professor of gerontology who is known internationally for his work on grief and bereavement. Together, they provide advice and information on hospice care and grief unavailable elsewhere, on the Internet.

Easier navigation and updated graphics make the site more appealing for the user. For example, site visitors can now view thumbnail images of the wide variety of HFA's publications-newsletters, books, educational materials, and brochures-before ordering them online. Other highlights include

* An "End-of-Life Info" section that provides information on dying and what to expect as your loved one or patient is near death, after the death, and information on pain and patient comfort.

* A new and improved search engine that helps organize end-of-life resources and literature.

* An opportunity to register for HFA's free e-newsletter, with the latest information on hospice care, provided monthly at no cost to subscribers.

Release