Something to Think About

QUESTION: We are having a terrible time with hospice nurses and compassion here where we live. My daughter is suffering and taking care of her dad (who is dying). There...

QUESTION: Talk about self care for professionals who work in end of life. No matter our chosen career taking care of ourselves is important but working with end of life...

We must always respect a person’s choices. Remember, we approach this final challenge in our life in the same manner we have approached all of our challenges. If a belief...

I had a dream last night. I dreamt I was visiting a facility. There were several women walking through the rooms showing me the beds where people lay. Most people...

QUESTION: Could you write about the fear of dying from the perspective of a patient not willing to go on hospice due to his fear of death and dying? It...

QUESTION: I wonder if you have any insight on Compassion Fatigue within Hospice staff? Wikipedia states: “Compassion fatigue, also known as secondary traumatic stress (STS), is a condition characterized by...

A patient/family support person. A trained volunteer is assigned to a specific hospice family to be a friend: a presence in their life during a time of great emotional upheaval...

Question: What is a Hospice House? In England during the 1970’s, where the hospice model originated, hospice care was provided not in a person’s home but in a freestanding building...

Question: What are your ideas for supporting and learning from other members of the hospice team? Life today seems so hectic. We are balancing career, family, social and often civic...

Question: I wanted to know more about your thoughts in regards to the role of Social Work in Hospice care including bereavement services. An interesting question since over the years...

Being active helps us poop therefore the less active we are, and people approaching the end of their life through disease or old age gradually have less and less energy...

What do you want me to write about? Getting a terminally ill patient to accept hospice care that is being offered to them. They really need it. Hospice has a...

Question: How do you handle your personal struggles when you have a family member or friend placed under hospice care and you are a hospice professional? How do you deal...

REQUEST: Write about the role of a hospice nurse in working within a dysfunctional familial environment that involves the patient. What is the definition of “dysfunction,” really? The dictionary defines...

How can Hospice and Nursing Facilities work well together?I think there are as many ways for a hospice to work with a nursing facility as there are hospices and facilities...

Some people have talked to me about “bad” hospice experiences so I want to address the subject. Unfortunately, there are agencies calling themselves hospice that really don’t practice the philosophy....

Hi Barbara, I just finished a CNA/HHA program and am looking for a career in hospice work. What options do I have? I took hospice training in 2001 through Kaiser...

QUESTION: Talk about dying at home, in the hospital, or in a hospice care facility. I think it is fair to say that most people, given the choice, would like...

QUESTION: “Life sustaining vs. comfort care, where do you draw the line?” This is a question everyone faced with a life threatening illness and their significant others asks themselves. We...

Many physicians are reluctant to recommend hospice. It is sad and confusing why they would not give their patients the guidance and comfort that trained hospice professionals can offer. Maybe...

Question: I have been diagnosed terminally ill with lung cancer and liver cancer. I am not at this moment yet, but wonder, how long? No one can be specific as...