Something to Think About

As life comes to an end, many people begin reflecting on the choices they've made, the experiences they've had, and the life they've lived...

Watching someone die can be frightening, especially if you don't know what the normal process looks like. Let me explain why the last moments of life often look different than...

After someone we love dies, many of us replay every decision, every conversation, and every "what if." In this article, I'll explain why guilt so often becomes part of grief...

Knowing what is happening reduces fear. Knowing what you can do at the bedside helps you be present. Barbara explains how families can move beyond simply watching to  create meaningful...

When someone you love no longer responds, it can feel frightening. Let me show you the simple, comforting care that still matters in the final days before death.

Most people don't know what to do or can do in the final hours before death. Here are gentle ways families and caregivers can create a meaningful goodbye and bring...

Food becomes a major concern for families when special person is dying. This article explains why the body naturally stops eating and how caregivers can respond with less frustration.

Years ago, a 3 a.m. hospice call changed the way I thought about caring for families at the bedside.It led me to write down what I wanted families to know...

In the final days and hours, a person may “wait” for someone to arrive—or let go when everyone is out of the room. Hospice nurse Barbara Karnes, RN, explains the...

Guilt is part of love’s shadow — the echo of what we wish we’d done differently. Healing begins when we release that burden and let how we live now be...

Most of us imagine dying will be quiet and peaceful, but real dying often looks different. Nothing bad is happening — the body is doing the natural work of letting...

Relationships are challenging. We don’t always get from them what we want or need. As death comes, the yearning for what we didn’t get or have with this person increases...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...