Something to Think About

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,...

I'm going to start by being blunt: hospice, end of life workers, hospitals, and nursing facilities make their money only as long as the people they serve are alive.. They...

We are not able to fix everyone. The physical body is programmed to die. It is made to die. So at some point the medical professionals will have to have...

In today’s hospice environment time spent with patients and families seem to be what agencies have the least to offer. My suggestion is the chaplain can fill in that time...

Dying is not a medical event. Dying is a communal, social event. Nursing and physicians are part of care, but not the all encompassing focus. The main focus of end...

Here is my idea of a death call. I have to warn you, it may take more than 10 minutes.

What to do? First, look at the wording you wrote to me "could be dying." Actually, everyone is dying. Everyday we are one step closer to the end of our life. You're...

I want to clarify my thoughts about hospice in today’s environment...  

 Know that all of these signs of approaching death, whether indicating months or weeks, are just guideposts. Some people will show all of them...

What happens if you are a hospice nurse or CNA or social worker and the patient or family begins a conversation about spirituality? Listen, facilitate the conversation but...

During these two years hospice has had to work through Zoom meetings, masked face to face, and lots and lots of phone calls. There has been very little face to face,...

In the early days of hospice no one told us how long we could stay with the patient and families. We simply made it up as we went along. Our goal...

A hospice that does not take care of its staff cannot take care of it’s patients and their families in a manner consistent with the original hospice philosophy...

I don't think it is about the cleanliness of the body but of the hands-on ritual of saying goodbye. Bathing is an intimate ritual. It can be a way of...

If you are not satisfied with the conversation with your hospice nurse, if you are not completely comfortable with the nurse’s explanations, then call her supervisor and explain what you...

We, as a people, are never truly prepared for death but with guidance, honestly, and gentleness we, as caregivers for those people, can ease the fear and uncertainty most bring to the...

What is the difference between what hospice provides and what the EOL Workers provide? Hospice services are more medically oriented. They also provide a variety of services that are non...

You asked why your relationship to your hospice work was affected following the death of your dad. I think because every time you entered a patient's home and life it...

 Know that all of these signs of approaching death, whether indicating months or weeks, are just guideposts. Some people will show all of them...

Our children are not supposed to die before we do. I cannot think of any grief more intense than watching our child deteriorate before our eyes. We grieve their dying...

Our job as an end of life specialist is to address the elephant in the room, to be direct and honest in the gentlest way possible. We are not doing...