Something to Think About

a blog on end of life

We love sharing helpful info on our blog.

About the BK Team
Humanity In Caring For The Alzheimer's Patient

Of course each situation needs to be individually addressed but in the case of a lot of people with dementia, tell them about a death of someone close ONCE...

Enter The World of the Person With Dementia

I had someone ask me "Why do all people with dementia feel someone is out to get them?" My answer—not all people with dementia feel or react like someone is...

How Do You Train Your Hospice Volunteers?

I am hearing stories about the lack of professional staff training for new hires, which led me to wonder about volunteer training...

Do You Know About The Gems of Dementia?

I know that dementia doesn’t play by the rules of approaching death. The guidelines relating to food, sleep and sociability don’t fit with dementia. I know that  I am seeing...

Hospice Services Pulled for Dementia Patient

There is a huge void in our medical system that so many families living with dementia fall into. These families have a loved one too sick and require too much...

Do We Choose When We Die?

Just think of a woman in labor and what she is thinking about—-getting that baby out. The person that is dying is in labor also, working to leave the physical...

Dementia- When Does The Dying Process Begin?

There is a reason dementia is referred to as the "long goodbye;" the mind is gone long before the body...

We Have End of Life Doulas-  What about "Dementia Doulas"?

What if there was a doula to support a person during this journey? What if there was a person who was educated in the dynamics of dementia who became a...

There Is No Pattern~ Dementia At End of Life article by Hospice Pioneer, Barbara Karnes, RN

Most diseases have a pattern. You generally know what to expect. With dementia there seems to be no pattern, at least as far as approaching death is concerned until they...

What Comes Next? Dementia at End of Life is an article written by Hospice Pioneer, Barbara Karnes, RN.  She talks about the progression of dementia and ideas for caregivers.

Dementia is like a road map with many, many roads that eventually lead into a city. Each road is different, each road is of varying lengths and offers various views...

International Woman of the Year 2015, Barbara Karnes, RN gives you the questions you need to ask when choosing a hospice for a loved one, or yourself.  MOM NEEDS HOSPICE? Here Are Your Questions To Choose the Right One...

There have been many changes in hospice care since it began. Some for the better, some not so much. What I am suggesting as representing a “good” hospice is becoming...

"One Lone Tear", Dementia At End Of Life by Barbara Karnes

The guilt, frustration, uncertainty, and helplessness of family caregivers is as much a problem to our healthcare system as the patient with dementia...

Caring for the Alzheimer's Patient

Living with someone who has dementia is a daily challenge. It requires the constant reminder that this person is not who they once were. It presents the challenge of learning...