metro » o n the cover

LifeLinks
Life
Links

New Jewish Chaplaincy
program a perfect fit
for Rabbi Krakoff.

Keri Guten Cohen | Story Development Editor

Kelli Dade

M

arty Scheer suffered a stroke more
than three years ago that changed
his life forever. In his late 80s at
the time, he was an active man — driving
and taking long walks with his wife, Fran.
Now, nearly 91, he is housebound, uses a
walker and has vision loss on his left side.
“It was very depressing, but last year I
came to terms with this,” he said. His upbeat
demeanor confirms that conviction.
He credits Fran with being his rock. He
says he also is buoyed by visits from Rabbi
Joseph Krakoff, senior director of the Jewish
Hospice & Chaplaincy Network (JHCN) in
West Bloomfield.
“I don’t need hospice, thank goodness, but
I always enjoy his visits,” Scheer said. “He
knows me — he’s listened to our history, how
we met, how we live. He listens to all my sto-
ries; I feel comfortable around him and I can
talk to him about anything … I would like
him to give my eulogy.”
With a bit of pride, Scheer said, “He calls
us his poster children.”
Marty Scheer is a “poster child” for a new,
innovative JHCN program that Krakoff heads
called LifeLinks. Designed to bridge the gap
between diagnosis of a life-threatening ill-
ness (or certain progressive-decline illnesses)
and the eligibility for hospice care, LifeLinks
provides spiritual and emotional care for
Jewish clients during this time, plus naviga-

tion to other comprehensive resources of the
Jewish community.
Scheer was referred by his doctor because
he was looking for visits from a social worker
and a rabbi. Krakoff has been visiting him
since last September.
When Krakoff and
Rabbi E.B. “ Bunny”
Freedman, JHCN execu-
tive director, were brain-
storming the idea for
LifeLinks in February
2015, they knew buy-in
from physicians was
Rabbi E.B.
important.
”Bunny“
“I was motivated by
Freedman
the idea of reaching out
through doctors who were
just sending people home [after diagnoses],”
Krakoff said.
“People are lost; they are being confronted
with finality,” Freedman said. “We realized
this was huge. Who is walking you through
this? Who is navigating for you? This is
home-based palliative care [comfort and
symptom management] and there is no
charge.
“We started in May 2015 and people are
coming to us to find out how to do it. We
think we’ll be at the forefront of this.”
The rabbis have taken word of LifeLinks to
more than 100 doctors so far.

“The work JHCN does
through their hospice
care and now with their
LifeLinks program is
exemplary,” said Dr.
Jeffrey Margolis, a Royal
Oak oncologist, who has
been referring patients to
Dr. Jeffrey
the LifeLinks program. “In
Margolis
my mind, it is truly the
birthright of every Jew
to receive thoughtful
and compassionate care
— exactly what JHCN
provides Jewish patients
as they approach the end
of life.”
Todd Stern, CEO of
Chicago-based
Seasons
Todd Stern
Hospice & Palliative Care,
with 26 programs in 19
states, knows JHCN because its Madison
Heights office is one of many hospice part-
ners JHCN works with locally.
“What LifeLinks is doing is innovative,”
Stern said. “Just as they do for us for Jewish
patients in hospice, LifeLinks is meeting
the spiritual and emotional needs of [pre-
hospice] palliative patients. It’s an add-on for
[pre-hospice] palliative care, similar to JHCN
as an add-on to hospice care.”
If a patient is pre-hospice, there is no pro-

LifeLinks client Marty Scheer enjoys his
visits with Rabbi Joseph Krakoff of the
Jewish Hospice & Chaplaincy Network.

vision and no funding vehicle for spiritual/
emotional care, Stern explained. At this
point, there is only funding for clinical care.
Once a person enters hospice, there is
funding for both — hence the partnerships
JHCN has with local hospices.
“We truly value our partnership with
JHCN and consider them an essential part
of our care team,” said Robert Cahill, presi-
dent/CEO of Hospice of Michigan in Detroit.
“Through education and teamwork, our
clinicians have a deeper understanding and
respect for Jewish tradition that is so impor-
tant to providing a meaningful end-of-life
experience.
Known for its high level of care, JHCN
conducts staff workshops in spiritual/emo-
tional care for Jewish patients at local hos-
pices and for Seasons Hospice locations in
Baltimore, Chicago, Los Angeles and Miami.
The hospices then extend JHCN’s model to
other groups.
“We are encouraging Jewish Hospice &
Chaplaincy Network to bring its experience,
knowledge and expertise to all ethnic and
religious affinity groups,” Stern said. “They

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10 May 12 • 2016