Something to Think About

James Dillet Freeman wrote a book years ago titled, Love, Loved, Loving. In the book he tells the story of a King who dies and upon his death meets an...

No one wants to be the bearer of bad news. Americans are a death denying society. We view death as the enemy and a failure: something to be feared and...

QUESTION: Death of a child. Why can't I move on? It seems I am stuck in pain all the time. I can’t think of any loss greater than the loss...

If we talk about dying, death or even make our advanced directives and a will then it must mean that we are going to die---soon. My husband and I were...

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...

Remember it is food that holds us on this planet and if the body is preparing to die, to let go, it will gradually stop eating.

If you teach your families well about the approaching end of life there will be no problems with them understanding the labor of dying. Having someone you care about dying is...

QUESTION: Could you write about why it's so difficult for people to start end-of-life care conversations? I was just on the phone with a woman who told me the doctor...

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...

Timing of the “hospice” talk is important as well as having an end of life talk before having the hospice talk. 

Is life worth living with all this assistance? For some it will be, for others is won’t...

I received the following comment on my Blog. "They are overmedicating Mom” (The family said of hospice professionals). “Following a brief rally, she slept most of the time and died...

QUESTION: Can you write about the beauty, the strength, the gifts that death can sometimes bring? I have had the honor of being near a handful of loved ones in...

QUESTION: I have a few important matters to discuss and explain. How can I communicate with a dead loved one? I know Houdini tried to reach his mother and felt...

QUESTION: What happens when we stop treatment and Mom doesn’t die? This is such a general question that it is hard to answer specifically but here are some ideas to...

Food is the body’s anchor to this planet. It is what keeps us going, gives us energy, grounds us. As death from disease approaches the body doesn’t want the grounding,...

QUESTION: Why do so many health workers working in palliative care carry on smoking /drinking even though many of their patients are dying due to smoking/alcohol related cancers? This has...

QUESTION: We are having a terrible time with hospice nurses and compassion here where we live. My daughter is suffering and taking care of her dad (who is dying). There...

Question: My father died just three days ago. Immediately following his death, my brother (my only sibling) immediately became controlling and started excluding me from all decisions, to the level...

QUESTION: My father and I have always had a difficult relationship. He is now approaching death. What do I do? There is no perfect relationship. Life is a series of...

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...