Something to Think About

It is hard to comprehend that our special person will die no matter what we do. No matter how many treatments, how much medicine, or how much food we give,...

Why do we hang on to life so desperately? Because it is all we really know. Yes, some of us have spiritual beliefs, that talk of “another life."

Doctor’s office visits for health issues are scary, often confusing, and too often complicated with medical terms we don’t understand. And we are generally ill or have health issues that...

Dame Cicely Saunders — an important and influential physician, nurse, social worker, and writer in end of life care — established a specific facility to care for those people that...

So often I have walked into a room when family is standing at the side of the room, watching. Watching their special person dying...

I’m going to share with you the thoughts of last night so you can get a picture of how this daily review works for me. Hopefully you will think it is...

First, there is no perfect relationship. Life is a learn-by-trial adventure. It’s hard work, not always smiles and happiness.

What do you say to someone to get them to accept hospice? Well, one thing to say after explaining the services hospice offers is to ask what they think will...

Everyone dies. Death will not be conquered. It can be forestalled and that is where the medical model comes in. We learn through trying. The medical rounds physician is correct...

I think most of us live our life on a gerbil wheel, just going round and round, doing the same routines, just going through our days. We don’t think about,...

It will never be “okay” for someone we care about to die, to leave us. We will always want those we care about to stay in our lives...

Our lifelong habits, personalities, and coping tools shape the way we meet death—and how awareness can open the door to deeper living.

Death from disease and old age doesn’t just happen. There are signs and changes that begin occurring months before death arrives. You can use those signs as a reference indicating...

Some illnesses are curable. Some are uncertain. And some can’t be fixed—no matter what we do. Knowing which type you or your loved one is facing can help you choose...

Hospice isn’t about giving up—it’s about support, comfort, and quality of life. Here is the truth behind 4 common hospice myths families often believe.

If I could sit beside you at the bedside, this is what I would place in your hands. Whether you’re a family member, a friend, a caregiver, or an end-of-life...

We began with his favorite dinner-meatloaf and mashed potatoes, salad and, of course, ice cream. As we sat around the dinner table, we began sharing memories, stories, and experiences.

Patients die while having home health services just like people die in hospitals, nursing and residential care facilities. End of life knowledge is beneficial to the patient and family no...

How do you get a terminally-ill patient to accept hospice care?

Someone recently asked me, “What do Hospice volunteers do?” She was interested in becoming one. She was most interested in helping in an area most people are afraid to even...

End of life care is about bonding and developing trust — not just with the patient, but with the family and the caregiver, as well...