Telling A Loved One They're Dying
...not telling a person they can’t be fixed is taking away their opportunity to do and say that which is important to them. It is taking away their ability to...
Something to Think About: a blog on end of life
Hospice
BE GENTLE WITH YOURSELF ~ Grief and Guilt
What do I mean by being "gentle" with yourself? I mean forgive yourself forall the things you feel guilty about. Remember we always do the best wecan with the information...
I Don't Want Dad To Die On My Birthday
Dad was in his 11th hour and it happened to be my birthday. I was mixed on how I would feel if it happened on that day. In talking with...
Some Think Hospice Kills
It is because end of life care is different than caring for someone who is going to get better that we think the care being provided is causing harm. It...
Deathbed Promises
We need to look at the promises made, evaluate them as to: can it be done, should it be done, and am I willing to do it?
Do Not Resuscitate & Hospice
I believe that everyone has the right to decide how they will live and how they will die. There are people that no matter the disease will want to have...
Hospice Middle Management & Oreo Cookies
Many years ago I attended a workshop at The Menninger Clinic in Topeka, Kansas. The topic was about when a clinician enters the administration work field. I don’t remember much...
Oxygen at End of Life - Who Does It Comfort?
For us it is very difficult to see our loved one struggling. Most of us are at the bedside of someone who is dying because we are emotionally involved. We...
Whimpers and Tears in the Actively Dying
What happens at the moment of death or in the hours before death, is generally just normal body actions. A tear is natural -- the eyes are partially open and...
What It Takes To Be A Hospice Nurse
I used to say I could teach any nurse the skills needed for end of life care, but that it was the nurse's ability to be supportive and their people...
Distancing From The Dying
...There is no perfect relationship. There are good times and difficult times. Sometimes the difficulty we have with the person that is dying keeps us from being at the bedside....
Faith and the Dying Process
If we did not relate to praying in living then we will not necessarily relate now. We die the way we have lived. We don’t change who we are just...