Something to Think About

a blog on end of life

We love sharing helpful info on our blog.

About the BK Team
Grieving is Loneliness and Aloneness

I think a big part of grieving is loneliness. Loneliness for our person who has left us but also aloneness in our day to day activities...

NHPCO Hospice Innovator, Barbara Karnes, RN speaks to those who are unable to be with their loved one at the time of death. www.bkbooks.com

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...

HOSPICE DEATH CALL~ How To Comfort A Family You've Never Met by Barbara Karnes RN

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...

How Can I Celebrate The Holidays When I Feel So Sad? Barbara Karnes, RN

In our culture the holidays, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Christmas, emphasize family and friend togetherness. The absence of a friend or family member becomes more evident. Our sense of loss...

Developing End of Life Expertise by Barbara Karnes, RN

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...

Hospice Pioneer, Barbara Karnes, RN writes Our Children Aren't Supposed to Die Before Us

From the moment of a diagnosis of a life threatening illness we begin grieving. We grieve not just the eventual losses that come with serious illness but the approaching...

SOCIAL WORKERS: I Want To Be Like You When I Grow Up by End of Life Educator, Barbara Karnes, RN

This is the story that came to mind when I decided to write a blog for National Social Work month. Social work, to me, is about saying the right words...

Compassion: Barbara Karnes, RN

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...

For Those With Heavy Feelings of Loss

How to let go and stop feeling guilty? At first you probably aren't even aware of your feelings. When someone close to us dies, even if we are told it...