Many people associate Caring Circle with hospice care alone, and miss the full scope of their work. While end of life care is an important service they offer, Caring Circle is their for its clients long before hospice. Their Transitions Program is designed to guide the the client and the caregiver through a changing situation, helping to navigate everything from meal delivery and home care to legal services and planning for the future. Those unable to get to a doctor's office can take advantage of HouseCalls, where Caring Circle will see patients in the home. Caring Circle is there for their clients every step of the way, including Palliative and Bereavement care, acting as a support system for clients and their families.

Unfortunately hospice care often carries with it a stigma that healthcare workers in this field would like to reframe. People often shy away from hospice care because of the misunderstandings around it. "Hospice is a highly underutilized benefit," says Heidi. She sites misconceptions around funding (hospice is a paid Medicare benefit), referral standards (there is no referral needed), and the stigma of its association with "end of life care" as reasons why this service is underused. "Yes," says Heidi, "It could ultimately lead to the passing of the life of your loved one, but the quality of life it gives to people and their loved ones... It gives them the opportunity to just be there, and be there for their loved one because you have a team surrounding your loved one making sure their quality of life and what they want is taken care of, so all you have to worry about is being that [supportive loved one] instead of having to make all of those decisions."

Thanks to Caring Circle, in Southwest Michigan palliative and hospice care is a privilege available to every family.