Something to Think About

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...

The body gives us clues when the dying process begins. Learning to recognize changes in eating, sleeping, and socialization can help you understand what is happening and know when it's...

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.

Grief is not one feeling—it is many. If what you are feeling seems confusing or overwhelming, you are not alone. This is how grief works.

Hospice and palliative care are not the same—and understanding that difference matters. If the goal is comfort and a natural death, certain medical interventions no longer fit. Let’s talk about...

Sometimes the question is not how long we can live, but how we want to live with the time we have.

Just as there are short labors and long labors in birth, there are short and long transitions at the end of life. Recognizing these parallels can help families worry less...

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...

Grief can feel heavier this time of year, especially when the world expects celebration while your heart is grieving.

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...

End-of-life care isn’t just clinical. It’s deeply personal. Before we can guide others through death, we must understand our own beliefs, fears, and experiences. When we face death honestly within...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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