“Who will take care of us when we can’t take care of ourselves?”
Unfortunately, as death approaches none of us will be able to take care of ourselves. There will come a point when we will need assistance. We probably won’t even be aware we...
Something to Think About: a blog on end of life
caregiving at end of life
Six Months After My Husband Died
It has been almost six months since my husband of 62 years died. As an end of life educator I have taught about loss and grief, and even wrote a booklet about it. BUT...
Supporting Hospice Caregivers - and their daily encounters with death
Working with end of life in the medical field often leaves us feeling like outliers. The medical model is to fix people. Working with dying generally isn’t addressed in training. (It’s...
When Our Emotions Blind Us From What Is Happening
I knew all the signs of approaching death, of labor beginning. What I didn’t know was how much we don’t want to see those signs, and by not wanting to see them,...
The Sacred Moment of Death
All the work we do leads up to the moment of death. Our goal is to guide and support those present through the moment the last breath occurs.
Entering Into "Precious Time"
In our medical society today, it seems to be very difficult for physicians to tell patients and/or families that death is approaching; That this special person will die, and probably...
Hospice Services Pulled for Dementia Patient
There is a huge void in our medical system that so many families living with dementia fall into. These families have a loved one too sick and require too much...
Using "Baby Talk" with End of Life Patients
As end of life professionals we have to carefully walk a line. We are in the tenuous position of caring intimately for adult strangers who often do act as children. ...
Caregiving Is Love
In those last five months I tried for us to live in the present, to build good memories, to love, give and live in the moment...
Spiritual Support for a Dying Person of a Different Faith
We support others in their belief system no matter what we believe. It is not about us...
IT'S HERE! BY YOUR SIDE, A Guide for Caring for the Dying at Home
By Your Side offers guidance in the area of making choices: cure, life sustaining, comfort care, making advanced directives, and funeral planning. It details signs of approaching death (what to look...
Caregiver Support Group As An End of Life Doula
Getting the word to caregivers that there is such a thing as a support group may be challenging. You might talk with church groups, case managers, hospital discharge planners, and...