The Death Rattle (medically known as Terminal Secretions)
The death rattle is not always present. Those people that have more fluid or are more hydrated as they approach death, are the ones most likely to experience this natural...
The death rattle is not always present. Those people that have more fluid or are more hydrated as they approach death, are the ones most likely to experience this natural...
When do we talk about end of life issues with others? Right now, while we are healthy and our thoughts are not clouded with fear. Right now, we can make...
Perhaps you’ve heard it said: Having a loved one with dementia is the long goodbye. We lose the person we know long before their body dies. As with all terminal...
Each person is unique so there is no sure formula for when to talk about end of life issues but here are some ideas to consider --- Everyone has the...
Visualize a table in front of an open window. There are stacks of paper on the table, tidy, organized stacks. A slight breeze comes through the window and rustles the...
Our seasonal holidays are here and for those of us who have had loved ones die this year the holidays will be a particularly challenging time. Something to think about:...
Every so often a person comes onto the Hospice program and their condition improves. When a person’s condition stabilizes Hospice takes them off the program until they begin to decline...
It will be our time to die. When the doctors have said, “I can’t fix you” it is time to reconsider what medicine can do for us. Medicine can prolong...
Beware of anyone who puts a number on how long someone has to live. There are so many factors that affect the time of our gradual death that the closest...
Question: "I am ready to die, why haven't I?" Answer: There is a process to dying from disease and old age--withdrawal, increased sleep and decreased food and fluid intake. Part...
QUESTION: Explain the different ways members of the same family experience grief. Grief is a lot of emotions rolled into one package. Each person will experience and show these emotions...
In the months before a gradual death we really don’t believe death will happen to us or to those we love. In the days to weeks before gradual death occurs...