Something to Think About

a blog on end of life

We love sharing helpful info on our blog.

About the BK Team
Shhhh…Don't tell Grandma! Barbara Karnes, RN

Don’t tell Grandma. There has been many a time when I did a hospice assessment and a family member has said to me “Don’t tell Grandma she can’t be fixed....

The Amazing Grace of Mary Nell: Barbara Karnes, RN

Mary Nell’s son in law, Ted, sent me this writing. It is so poignant I asked him if I could share it with my blog readers. It is longer than...

Barbara Karnes, RN speaks to the question, "Do people really die of a broken heart?"

I know “dying of a broken heart” is used frequently when death comes as a result of a tragic life event. I’m not sure that is actually why the person...

The Only Survivor: Barbara Karnes, RN

Having friends, interacting with others, is an important part of that living. Even introverts need one or two people with whom to relate. I don’t know how old you are,...

Three Keys: Barbara Karnes, RN

We can die gradually two ways. We just get old and our body wears out or we get a life threatening illness, disease, and die gradually that way....

Is a Peaceful Unmedicated Death Possible? Barbara Karnes, RN

QUESTION: I am a 30 year old woman working as a psychology intern at a local hospital. My engagement in the hospice program has me thinking a lot about my...

Pop's Letter - End of Life Inspiration

Shortly after he was diagnosed with cancer this letter was written to family by Truette Wayne Frank (March 6, 1919 to July 27, 1998). I have asked permission from his...

QUESTION: I would like to know if my mother died at home, could we wash and care for her, and dress her for bed? Can a person have family come...

Respect! When Caring for the Elderly

Treating people with a cold professionalism vs. treating them as children is either end of a spectrum of respect for a patient’s personhood. Cold professionalism can be as dehumanizing as...

I received an email from a woman I have been corresponding with for a year or so. She is struggling with caring for her mother in law, in her home,...

QUESTION: As toxins build in the body because your body isn’t working right anymore, what signs are there that you are shutting down? Stage 4 liver disease, hepatitis C. I...

Write something to the living who are young and dying. Signs of what are to come ect... I put these two questions together even though they came from different sources...

There are really just two ways to die: fast or gradual. Fast death occurs quickly by way of an accident, a heart attack, a stroke or suicide. A person is...

Question: "I am ready to die, why haven't I?" Answer: There is a process to dying from disease and old age--withdrawal, increased sleep and decreased food and fluid intake. Part...

I recently received a question from “What would you like me to write about?”. The question was: For 20 years I have been asking for a slightly more technical explanation...

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