Dangers of Morphine for the Dying
Dear Barbara, Talk about the dangers of giving morphine to one who is dying? I have written many articles on morphine yet I repeatedly get this question. What that tells...
Something to Think About: a blog on end of life
How to's
Death As The Enemy
I was just on the phone with a woman who told me the doctor told her friend he was surprised she had lived this long with the disease having spread...
"If They Would Just Eat, Everything Would Be Better"
Dear Barbara, what are the physical changes in appearance during the dying process? Also talk about not forcing food upon the dying. The physical changes in appearance during the dying...
Pneumonia, The Old Man's Friend
Now, all this said, there are thin lines and points to debate, in what istreatment to get better and treatment for comfort. Is pneumonia related to alife threatening illness or...
Does "No Code" mean "No Care"?
First, lets define “No Code”. The simplest explanation I found was Googled from the Free Dictionary http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/no+code“a note written in the patient record and signed by a qualified, usually senior or...
Reaching for the Far Side of Grief
We are generally very tired, physically and emotionally, by the time our caregiving is over. Our thinking processes are not what we are used to. We are tired, weepy, aimless,...
What to Ask When Looking for a Quality Hospice
Because we don’t really think about end of life care until we or someone close to us needs it we enter into relationships with hospice that may not be satisfactory...
Have We Lost the Essence of Hospice?
...The end of life avocation that hospice originally presented is becoming a gift of the past. Now it is a business with high censuses, detailed and often confusing regulations, and...
Hospice- The Initial Visit
Dear Barbara, I recently had a meeting with a family that was referred to hospice from a facility. They had about 10 family members at the meeting. The topic of...
Be The Voice
QUESTION to Barbara: I need some help. As of yesterday afternoon I am officially fed up. I have been an RN case manager for seven years. The whole “industry” is...
Compassion
First, let’s not judge a person’s grief by their words or actions. We don’t really know what is going on inside this person...
When To Use The Books
Barbara, People have asked me when and how I can offer others your booklets. With anyone, an acquaintance or close friend, you can always just say, “I have some materials...