Barbara Karnes, a renowned nurse and end-of-life educator, shares her profound experiences and insights on death, dying, and what we can do to approach this inevitable part of life with understanding and compassion.
Whether you're a healthcare professional, caregiver, or someone navigating their own fears about death, Barbara's reflections shed light on how we can normalize and honor this natural process.
Website: https://bkbooks.com/pages/end-of-life-booklets-for-hospices-the-blue-book-bk-books
Suggested resources: The End of Life Family Support Bundle
Humanity Rx is created, written and produced by: Jenny Opalinski, Tovah Feehan and Jonathan Waller.
2 comments
Melissa
This really hit home. I remember when my mother was going through the dying process and at one time while I visited with her in the bedroom, she asked me who else was in the room. I told her no one was and she mumbled something about relatives she was seeing in the room. I believed right then and there that something else goes on before we cross over the line. There are others there to assist us……as you said we never die alone! Your knowledge is a great comfort to me and many others, I am sure. Please don’t stop telling us of your experiences.
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BK Books replied:
Hi Melissa, I think it is comforting to us, the watchers, as well as the person dying when those that have gone before us are at the bedside. Blessings! Barbara
This really hit home. I remember when my mother was going through the dying process and at one time while I visited with her in the bedroom, she asked me who else was in the room. I told her no one was and she mumbled something about relatives she was seeing in the room. I believed right then and there that something else goes on before we cross over the line. There are others there to assist us……as you said we never die alone! Your knowledge is a great comfort to me and many others, I am sure. Please don’t stop telling us of your experiences.
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BK Books replied:
Hi Melissa, I think it is comforting to us, the watchers, as well as the person dying when those that have gone before us are at the bedside. Blessings! Barbara
Ada
I have to say end-of-life care in UK is horrendous, atrocious. Involuntary euthanasia. Heavily medicated with Midazolam & Morphine, uncomfortable deaths. Not a model to refer to. Watched my father die after being put on end-of-life in UK with M&M and I’m traumatised. I followed all medical advice. Nothing peaceful or comfortable about dying like that. Drugs were not necessary. It was wrong, very wrong to medicalise and hasten deaths. That’s a huge problem we have. I’m very much in favour of gentle and as natural deaths as possible. Dying is a personal matter for the dying and their family, not a protocol of drugs.
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BK Books replied:
Ada, I am sorry for your experience with hospice. I don’t know how hospice is in England now. I just thank Cicely Saunders for coming up with the idea in the first place. Blessings to you. Barbara
I have to say end-of-life care in UK is horrendous, atrocious. Involuntary euthanasia. Heavily medicated with Midazolam & Morphine, uncomfortable deaths. Not a model to refer to. Watched my father die after being put on end-of-life in UK with M&M and I’m traumatised. I followed all medical advice. Nothing peaceful or comfortable about dying like that. Drugs were not necessary. It was wrong, very wrong to medicalise and hasten deaths. That’s a huge problem we have. I’m very much in favour of gentle and as natural deaths as possible. Dying is a personal matter for the dying and their family, not a protocol of drugs.
———
BK Books replied:
Ada, I am sorry for your experience with hospice. I don’t know how hospice is in England now. I just thank Cicely Saunders for coming up with the idea in the first place. Blessings to you. Barbara