Something to Think About

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...

Caregivers are often alone when caring for someone who is dying. Written guidance can provide reassurance and support when it is needed most.

Those of us who work in end-of-life care walk beside people and families during one of the most intimate times of life. Because of the emotional nature of this work,...

Sounds, restlessness, and physical changes can be unsettling to witness, but they usually don't mean there is suffering. Understanding what is normal can ease fear for those keeping vigil.

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...

When I was 17, I was told to sit with a dying patient — alone. I didn’t know then how profoundly that moment would shape my life’s work...

Many of us avoid thinking about death, assuming it won’t affect us or our loved ones—until it does. This article explores advance directives, DNRs, and why understanding these choices matters...

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...

After being present at so many deaths, I’ve come to believe that we die the way we’ve lived. Our personality doesn’t change because we’re dying. Dying is the last part...

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...

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,...

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

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...

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...

How do we interact with someone dying a sudden death? The same way we would react with someone dying a gradual death.

The experience of dying a gradual death is an important, integral part of life. It is an opportunity to write our final chapter, to define the ending of our story...

Just as we have to go through an intensive process to enter this world, so do we go through labor to leave it.

We need to explain the way most people die — especially the not so pretty parts. This includes the sounds, movements, pees, poops, frowns, grimaces, and the struggles that accompany...

When we see our special person struggling, we, the watchers, think something pathological is happening or we think the professionals are not doing enough to provide proper care...

We used to have role models on what dying really looks like. People died at home, in their own bed. Family and friends gathered — held a vigil, so to speak. When...