Something to Think About

QUESTION: What do you think of use of oxygen at the end of life? – Does it hasten or prolong death? I consider use of oxygen at end of life...

QUESTION: My question is about when someone with advanced dementia is in that sort of vague pre-active dying period, say those months in and out of the hospital, the time...

QUESTION: I am a Hospice Nurse for 3+ years but have been a nurse for over 35 years with varying experiences with death and dying prior to my present Hospice...

QUESTION: Please expound upon the "Labor of Dying" mentioned in this blog. Dying from disease and old age has a process to it. That process begins two to four months...

If you teach your families well about the approaching end of life there will be no problems with them understanding the labor of dying. Having someone you care about dying is...

QUESTION: Could you write about why it's so difficult for people to start end-of-life care conversations? I was just on the phone with a woman who told me the doctor...

Timing of the “hospice” talk is important as well as having an end of life talk before having the hospice talk. 

QUESTION: Why do so many health workers working in palliative care carry on smoking /drinking even though many of their patients are dying due to smoking/alcohol related cancers? This has...

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...