Something to Think About: a blog on end of life

Deathbed Promises

October 18 2017

Dear Barbara, Please talk about deathbed promises. Being at the bedside as a person approaches death is often scary,...

Do Not Resuscitate & Hospice

October 03 2017

I was directed to a conversation on a Facebook group that I follow. The question that started the conversation was,...

Hospice Middle Management & Oreo Cookies

September 19 2017

Many years ago I attended a workshop at The Menninger Clinic in Topeka, Kansas. The topic was about when a clinician ...

Taking Charge With An Advanced Directive

September 06 2017

Dear Barbara, when do we talk about end of life issues with others? We talk about end of life issues NOW while we ar...

Oxygen at End of Life - Who Does It Comfort?

August 23 2017

Dear Barbara, Could you address the use of oxygen as a comfort measure? I don’t mean as a result of measuring the SAT...

Food and the Dying Process

August 09 2017

Dear Barbara, I'm facing the choice of having my mother be fed or not as she is barely feeding herself. I need facts ...

How to Become a Death Doula

July 25 2017

Dear Barbara, How do you start training in becoming a death midwife?1. Examine why you want to be a Death Midwife. Wh...

Whimpers and Tears in the Actively Dying

June 29 2017

Dear Barbara, my mom recently passed away while surrounded by her kids and husband. I cannot stop replaying her last ...

If I Can't Speak For Myself...

June 07 2017

Dear Barbara, What is the best way I can prepare for my death? First have an Advance Directive. It outlines in writi...

What It Takes To Be A Hospice Nurse

May 25 2017

Dear Barbara, As a professional caregiver I see a lot of the "hands-on" side of our industry. I am side by side with...

Unexpected Death of a Child

May 09 2017

Dear Barbara, Please talk about unexpected youth death. In our minds we understand, that as sad as it is when an old...

VSED ~Voluntary Stopping Eating & Drinking

April 24 2017

Dear Barbara, Would you talk about voluntarily stopping eating and drinking (VSED)? Here is a definition of VSED...

Distancing From The Dying

April 10 2017

Dear Barbara, there's a phenomenon I see every so often when I'm doing hospice care. A close family member, a spouse,...

Faith and the Dying Process

March 20 2017

Dear Barbara, How has faith entered into the dying process? What does “faith” mean? I am going to say, for the sake o...

A Chemical Straight Jacket, Dementia at End of Life

March 06 2017

Dear Barbara, Will you talk about a chemical straight jacket at end of life? My mother is a dementia patient in a mem...

EOL RN Being Yelled At ~ How to Support

February 20 2017

Dear Barbara, how to support an RN who gets yelled at by families and MDs at this precious time of life...it is a con...

Laboring To Leave ~ Difficult Breathing at End of Life

February 06 2017

Dear Barbara, I would like to know why the breathing pattern is different at end of life. My Mother had fast and labo...

Worker Bees, Watchers & Talkers~ Which Kind of Caregivers Are You?

January 23 2017

Dear Barbara, There seem to be family caregivers who feel that everything falls on them when they have other family ...