What Do I Do? Mom Has Progressive Cancer and is Refusing Hospice
Tell her honestly what you are feeling and ask for help. Just FYI: she can sign on for hospice and if she felt she needed to go to the emergency...
Something to Think About: a blog on end of life
palliative care
"Am I Going To Die Today?"
When doctors and healthcare professionals place a number on how long someone has to live they are doing that person a disservice.
When It Comes to End of Life Care, It Takes a Village
Hospice is widely known for providing end of life care. It has grown in size and in its original scope of services. Even its definition of “end of life care”...
Entering Into "Precious Time"
In our medical society today, it seems to be very difficult for physicians to tell patients and/or families that death is approaching; That this special person will die, and probably...
The True Value of End of Life Support
A hospice referral is a win-win. You win if they say it is too soon and youare not appropriate for hospice care, or you win by coming onto the hospiceprogram...
IF I WERE -- a funeral home, a hospice worker, an attorney, a physician, a social worker, a nursing facility...
Dying isn't like it is in the movies. We don't know what it is like to die from disease or old age and while everyone is going to do it,...
If I Stop Treatment Will I Start Dying?
I think the reason hospice gets their referrals in the weeks before death rather than months is because hospice implies death will come. We look for and hope for a...
Comfort Care is Palliative Care, Hospice, and End of Life Doulas
Comfort Care describes a focus on the quality of life being lived, as opposed to concentrating on the lengthening of that life no matter the quality. Comfort Care is good...
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...
How To Talk About Approaching Death
Our job as an end of life specialist is to address the elephant in the room, to be direct and honest in the gentlest way possible. We are not doing...
Can We Ever Thank You Enough, Front Line Workers?
Our frontline workers: nurses, nursing assistants, doctors, hospital employees, first responders, housekeeping, grocery, delivery, and transportation personnel, all people who are out front while most of us shelter in place,...