TIME OF DEATH DOCUMENTARY

Southern California Hospice Foundation collaborated with Showtime Television for over two years to develop the groundbreaking docu-series “Time of Death,” offering an intimate look at eight hospice patients’ final days and how they and their families coped with their pending mortality.

The patients volunteered to share their end-of-life stories on camera, demonstrating to viewers the revolutionary qualities of hospice care for the mind, body, and spirit. With hospice, patients can spend more quality time making memories with loved ones and experience a more peaceful death. They don’t have to fear dying unforgotten, in an institution or unfamiliar environment.

SCHF was on the hospice team for three of the patients featured in the series, working exclusively with them to help shepherd the patients through the entire filming process.

About the Documentary

A review written by James Poniewozik in the November 2013 issue of Time Magazine says, “Time of Death gives its stories structure, but it doesn’t tie them up neatly. Families come together or fracture. People make peace or get angry. They say goodbye or make it to the bedside too late. They offer words of comfort that go wrong. And at the end, there’s a body to remove, a house to clean.”

Although the show is dignified, it can feel intrusive, even when the patients explain that they want their story to be told.* The feelings of discomfort are inevitable because the show reflects real end-of-life issues. But we can change the way we choose to die when faced with a terminal illness—with or without hospice.

SCHF partnered with Showtime Television to shed light on the value and benefits of hospice care. The documentary will help people to develop a healthier relationship with death and dying so that any confusion, fear or doubt, anger or rage—the emotions that accompany death—will dissipate as viewers become more educated about what a good death looks like.

Our goal is to facilitate a dialogue about death and end-of-life wishes. Talking with loved ones about the reality of a prognosis is often very intimidating; it is easier to live in denial. But when those frank conversations do occur, it can lead to great intimacy and connection with friends and family.

*Filming was stopped when requested by patients. Some even carried their own cameras to film themselves privately.

Episode 1 – Michael John Muth

September 23, 1965 – November 27, 2012

Michael Muth Thumbnail Image

Michael was a veteran with a rare cancer affecting the connective tissues in his muscles. He joined the Navy at 17 years old and credited the military with saving his life. He said that the path out of his high school wasn’t “leading anywhere pretty.” Michael was described as a straight shooter, and in the short three months from his diagnosis to his death, he dealt with it all upfront. By the end, he was ready to go.

 

Episode 5 – Laura Kovarik

May 14, 1949 – April 21, 2013

Laura Kovarik Thumbnail

Laura was a single mother of two who worked as an accountant at a theater company for 26 years to put her children through private school in Long Beach. After her diagnosis of breast cancer and her decision not to fight with chemotherapy, she and her daughter Lisa dropped everything and took one last road trip—reliving one of Laura’s fondest childhood pastimes.

Episode 6 – Nicolle Kissee

February 2, 1994 – July 13, 2013

Nicolle Kissee Thumbnail Image

Nicolle was diagnosed with Stage IV melanoma when she was just 16. The doctors believed that surgery had removed all the malignant cells, but by age 19, the cancer was back and had spread to Nicolle’s lungs and brain. Her story relates her enormous positivity throughout her final days with the help of her large family and the hospice team.

Community Outreach

We strive to connect with the individuals in our community who are suffering from a catastrophic illness. We’ve developed programs designed to familiarize the broader community with the resources that are available to them when the need for hospice care arises. There are many different ways to alleviate the stress that can overwhelm a family in times when hospice care is needed. It begins with educating those around us through printed materials, seminars and community involvement.

We Honor Vets

One out of every four dying Americans is a veteran. Since they have done everything asked of them in their mission to serve our country, we believe it’s never too late to publicly recognize their heroism.

Our We Honor Vets program is designed to meet the unique needs of terminally ill veterans and their families, helping the medical community understand the challenges that veterans may face at the end-of-life including overcoming ingrained stoicism, fear of admitting pain as a sign of weakness, and the effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

We collaborate with several agencies in our commitment to service to veterans, ensuring that no one is forgotten at the end of life.

Download the We Honor Vets Request Form

Angel Assistance Request We Honor Vets Request (125 KB)ˆ

Angel Assistance

Through our Angel Assistance Program, we provide services that are not typically covered by medical insurances, Medicare or MediCal. These are the needs that are largely overlooked in today’s healthcare system, from something as simple as providing transportation to a doctor’s appointment, to arranging for a child to meet their Hollywood hero before they die. All are equally important, and all speak to the compassion and dignity we seek to provide. Ultimately, our goal is to present patients and their families with meaningful moments that will last a lifetime.

Download the Angel Assistance Request Form

Angel Assistance Request Angel Assistance Request (110 KB)

Download the Patient Wish List for the Holidays Flyer

Patient Wish List for the Holidays Patient Wish List for the Holidays (575 KB)