Do I Need a POLST and an Advance Directive?
From the time we turn 18 until our last breath, we should have an advance directive in place. Once a person turns 18, parents have no legal standing. Most physicians...
Something to Think About: a blog on end of life
How to's
HELPING YOUR NEW HOSPICE EMPLOYEES
As hospice agencies continue to grow we are hiring more from the acute care settings. It used to be that medical professionals, nurses, social workers and home health aides, arrived...
The Three Signs of Approaching Death From Disease or Old Age
Know that all of these signs of approaching death, whether indicating months or weeks, are just guideposts. Some people will show all of them...
Caring for a Dying Son
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...
Did the AIDS Epidemic Set Us Up To Handle COVID-19?
There are many of the same circumstances with today’s coronavirus as we faced with HIV/AIDS in the early years— lack of medical knowledge, lack of guidance, and fear. I think...
HOSPICE DEATH CALL~ How To Comfort A Family You've Never Met
We do this all the time. We enter tense situations where people are frightened and unsure, with people who have never seen us before. This is what we do: We create...
Developing End of Life Expertise
You have to walk the walk before you can talk the talk. Learn from your patient/family interactions. At the same time read everything you can get your hands on...
I Hear You, But I Don't Understand
...I remember being with my mother in my hospice Medical Director’s office. He was explaining to my mother his medical findings as they related to her illness. I, being a...
A PLACE IN MY HEART, When a Pet Dies
We can be as much at a loss when our pet is dying as we are when a person is dying but there doesn’t seem to be the support and...
Purpose, Forgiveness and Meaning at End of Life
What is the aim of a life review? As a caregiver my aim is not to direct a life review but to be a presence, a listener, and a friend....
Where Is The Hospice I Know and Love?
Hospice can not take the experience and sadness of a loved one dying away. Our goal is to help the family create a sacred experience, to help their loved one...
Calories Count
When living with a life threatening illness we are eating for two---our physical body and our disease. In most cases the disease eats before we do. If we don’t eat,...