Hospice of the Valley therapy dog. “She shares my feelings — she really does. I pet her and it makes me feel good.” For Cooney and the care teams at Hospice of the Valley, this is music to their ears. Making end-of-life patients feel good and helping them to embrace the last chapter of their lives is precisely why they serve. “It’s been such a joy to do something that is so needed, valuable and important to every single person,” Cooney said. That’s why, after reporting the Valley’s diverse stories for three decades, Cooney’s mission is now to tell one: Hospice of the Valley’s. The shift has put everything else into perspective. “Somebody cuts you off on the freeway. Your roof has a flood. I’m like, who cares? It is not stage 4 cancer,” Cooney said. The change has also affected how Cooney sees Max. “I see a wise empathy in him,” she said. “When you see him with people who are so weak and happy to see him and he’s so patient — like, more patient than a person would be — I do see him in a different light.” Cooney is leaning across the table in her sunny Hospice of the Valley office, beaming with pride as she talks about Max, the other pet therapy teams, and Hospice of the Valley’s people, programs and plans. As much as she may have enjoyed the limelight that accompanied life in television, she isn’t missing her old gig in the slightest. “To have a career, a calling, a mission — that’s the definition of what I do. I come to work and I’m serving others, and it’s a dream come true,” Cooney said. 26 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | APRIL 2019 COVER STORY CONTINUED

Hospice therapy pets provide a wide ange of physical, emotional and social benefits to patients and families. Here, Max works his magic with patients. Photos courtesy of Hospice of the Valley Dispelling Fears About Hospice We consult consumer magazines for the best car and search the Internet for the best neighborhood. Yet we think little about how we want to exit our lives, said Lin Sue Cooney, the director of community engagement at Hospice of the Valley. Here she helps dispel fears and misconceptions about hospice care. FEAR: I can’t see my doctor. LIN SUE: “Hospice teams work with your doctor. They make decisions together. You don’t lose your doctor.” FEAR: It’s expensive. LIN SUE: “It’s covered by Medicare. And Hospice of the Valley is a nonprofit, so no one is ever turned away, regardless of insurance status or financial means.” FEAR: Once I’m on hospice, I can’t have any more medical treatments. LIN SUE: “Hospice is meant to extend quality of life. You can go on hospice, get stronger through its individualized, personalized care, and return to have another round of chemo and buy yourself more time. And then when you need hospice, come back.” FEAR: If I use my hospice benefit too soon or don’t time it right, it will run out. LIN SUE: “It doesn’t. You can’t use it up. You have the choice to pursue another treatment and come back.” Cooney encourages people to gather the facts in advance, for themselves or for parents and loved ones. “You can call hospice any time you think you might be eligible and they will send someone out to sit down and talk to you to find out if you are,” she said. In the meantime, Cooney encourages everyone to learn about hospice and give thought to their own final wishes. Visit HOV.org to learn more.