"If We Don't Take Care Of Our Hospice Staff..." From an Old Time Hospice Nurse
A hospice that does not take care of its staff cannot take care of it’s patients and their families in a manner consistent with the original hospice philosophy...
Something to Think About: a blog on end of life
Ritual Bathing After the Death
I don't think it is about the cleanliness of the body but of the hands-on ritual of saying goodbye. Bathing is an intimate ritual. It can be a way of...
Have you heard of Nurse Honor Guard? Honor Presentations at Funerals or Memorial Services
A group of nurses who volunteer to perform an honor presentation at funerals or memorial services for licensed practical and registered nurses. It reminds me of a veteran's honor guard and...
Grief & Dating- Will Family Say It's Too Soon?
Aside from pleasing or displeasing others let's look at some issues that can occur as the result of becoming socially and or romantically involved soon after a death of a...
Traumatic Hospice Experience
Immediately following the death I clean the body (offer family, if they want, to help or not), tidy the room, turn off overhead lights and have a small lamp on....
Supporting a Colleague With A Dying Loved One
This has led me to think about what any of us can do for an acquaintance who has a serious illness or is caring for someone who has a serious...
Was It Panic Or A Final Moment Grimace?
Trying to "calm" a person who is choking or panicking doesn't actually work whether death is close or not. The question we have to ask is how close to death...
Where Do I Scatter Mom's Ashes?
Maybe, at some point, you can find a place even though you move frequently. A place that has meaning to them or to you. Plant a tree in a park...
Trying To Understand Grief
Grief is whole bunch of normal emotions rolled up into a package we call grieving. It isn’t new emotions. It is our emotions. It is how we have handled everything...
Hospice Works For You- Ask Questions!
If you are not satisfied with the conversation with your hospice nurse, if you are not completely comfortable with the nurse’s explanations, then call her supervisor and explain what you...
When Is It Time To Say "Good bye"?
"When do we say our final goodbye to someone who is dying?" Barbara Karnes talks about how we say goodbye in stages. We say goodbye many, many times.
Nobody Can Say For Sure When Death Will Happen
How do you answer a family member when they ask you how much longer their loved one has to live? That is a question most family members want to know and...