To Those Who Work In End Of Life
The greatest gift you have to give is time. It won’t be the words you say, even the guidance you give, although that is all very important. It will be...
Something to Think About: a blog on end of life
Hospice
Hospice and End of Life (EOL) Workers
What is the difference between what hospice provides and what the EOL Workers provide? Hospice services are more medically oriented. They also provide a variety of services that are non...
There Is No Pattern~ Dementia At End of Life
Most diseases have a pattern. You generally know what to expect. With dementia there seems to be no pattern, at least as far as approaching death is concerned until they...
Stay Until The Job Is Done - Hospice and Home Health
With Hospice you never know what you will find once you enter the home. Service can’t be time based. Visits have to be stay until the job is done and...
Using Hospice Volunteers During COVID
I was Zooming with a hospice today for Q & A’s and the subject of not being able to use volunteers because of Covid came up. WHOA!!! What do you...
FOUR “NAUGHTIES” FOR END OF LIFE
Keeping Secrets: “Don’t tell mom.” Don’t say that she could die.” Don’t talk to her about “sad” things.” “Pretend everything is going to be alright.” Mom lives inside of her body....
Dying Scared
I get a lot of letters like the one I’ve edited below. We, as a culture, are so unprepared for witnessing a death. We have no accurate role models. We...
The Three Signs of Approaching Death From Disease or Old Age
Know that all of these signs of approaching death, whether indicating months or weeks, are just guideposts. Some people will show all of them...
Why Did They Put Dad To Sleep?
There are so many reasons your father could have been receiving medicine by a “needle”. I am not fond of IV or giving medication by a “needle” as end of...
Caring for a Dying Son
Our children are not supposed to die before we do. I cannot think of any grief more intense than watching our child deteriorate before our eyes. We grieve their dying...
How To Talk About Approaching Death
Our job as an end of life specialist is to address the elephant in the room, to be direct and honest in the gentlest way possible. We are not doing...
What Does Death Look Like?
We bring our fears, our childhood experiences with death, our culture, our belief systems, and our stereotypes to the bedside of the dying and the dead. Generally, none of that...