In Izzy and Lenore, Katz tells the story of his simple life on Bedlam Farm in upstate New York. The story revolves around Katz’s love for his growing menagerie of farm animals – particularly his dogs, whose distinct and colorful personalities come alive in Katz’s writing – and the love they returned to him. And yes, it’s a story about loss and grief; but most of all, Izzy and Lenore is a story of the amazing power of animals to comfort and heal.

Being a hospice volunteer is a noble calling, but it’s not for everyone. Many people shy away from even considering taking on such a mission, convinced that frequent contact with illness, death, and grief would be too depressing to bear. That’s what Katz’s friends and family told him when he announced his plan to join the local hospice team and provide comfort and support to terminally ill patients and their families during the final stage of life.

Finding redemption in helping others
What his family didn’t realize was that Katz – a prolific writer who has penned a book a year since 1990 while serving as a regular contributor to publications like Slashdot, Wired and Rolling Stone – was already sinking into a crippling depression. In fact, one of the reasons Katz wanted to volunteer with hospice was his hope that reaching out to help others would help to lift him from sadness and self-absorption.

The depression settled in after Katz was diagnosed with diabetes, during a particularly long and harsh winter on the farm. A social worker Katz met at one of his book readings had talked to him about the need for hospice volunteers and suggested that it might be possible to bring his dogs into service as well. “I was drawn to hospice work because I wanted to do something with my dogs that was more meaningful than some of the traditional dog-human activities, like sheepherding or even conventional therapy work,” Katz says.

When Katz expressed his desire to have his border collie, Izzy, join him in service as a hospice volunteer, hospice officials met his request with enthusiasm tempered by a dash of caution. Both Katz and Izzy took part in rigorous training exercises to make sure they had the temperament to succeed as hospice volunteers.

Unconditional love and devotion
One of the most moving themes in Izzy and Lenore is Izzy’s remarkable ability to sense a patient’s mood and needs and respond accordingly. When a patient died, for example, Izzy instinctively transferred her attention from the deceased to the grieving family. In time, Katz’s affectionate Labrador, Lenore, also joined the hospice volunteer team, and the two dogs brought love and comfort to every hospice patient and family they visited.

Whether Katz recovered from his depression because of his hospice work or because of the unconditional love he received from his animals, one thing is clear throughout the story: everyone loves Izzy and Lenore.

Hospice Not Hospital
Although the terms hospice and hospital are rooted in the same Latin word meaning “guest house” or “hospitality,” a hospice is not the same as a hospital. A hospital is a place where sick people go to get well; hospice is a philosophy of care that involves helping terminally ill patients to live the best life they can live for as much time as they have, and giving them the opportunity to die well when the time comes.

Thirty years ago, the hospice movement was in its fledgling stages in the U.S. and virtually unknown among the general public. Today, 1.3 million people are receiving hospice care, most of them in the comfort of their own homes. Hospice professionals and volunteers not only provide pain and symptom control for patients in the end stages of life, but also spiritual counseling, emotional support and practical assistance for patients and their families.

Evaluating Hospice Services
When it comes to choosing hospice care, Bachrach compares the process to finding a college for a high school student – something most folks wouldn’t wait until the last minute to do. Here are some of her suggestions on how to choose the best hospice:

• Visit hospices while you’re healthy. Even if you live for many years, you’ll never know when a parent, sibling or spouse might need hospice services, and when that time comes, your preparation will be invaluable.
• Ask questions. Find out about staffing. Is weekend coverage a problem? How many nurses and volunteers are on call? What is the staff-to-patient ratio? Make sure that some of the hospice’s personnel live within a reasonable distance from you. Also, talk to a few volunteers from the hospice and ask the pointed questions that concern you (for example, how’s the food?). And be sure to ask about the hospice’s bereavement care and other services for family members.
• Visit the inpatient unit. Although odds are that you or your loved one won’t spend any time there, the cleanliness and comfort of the facility may be indicators of the hospice’s overall quality and commitment to patient care.