Something to Think About

Here is my idea of a death call. I have to warn you, it may take more than 10 minutes.

When the medical establishment has used all of their options to extend life of course we will not be happy with life and living. We may be depressed, angry, often...

*What happens if I say no to treatment options? A scary question to ask, but important when making a quality of living decision. No one can put a number on...

The more you learn about end of life, what happens, what it looks like, the less fear you will bring to the experience and with less fear you can get...

What to do? First, look at the wording you wrote to me "could be dying." Actually, everyone is dying. Everyday we are one step closer to the end of our life. You're...

At this point is when you ask the physician, “What is happening? Is it wise to continue this course of treatment? What are your expectations for this treatment? Are we...

Dying isn’t about the disease a person has. It is about the emotional, communal response to the person dying from the disease. It doesn’t require medical intervention. It requires comfort...

 We teach that taking care of someone as the end of life approaches is different than taking care of someone who is going to get better. We teach, we support...

Getting the word to caregivers that there is such a thing as a support group may be challenging. You might talk with church groups, case managers, hospital discharge planners, and...

I want to clarify my thoughts about hospice in today’s environment...  

I often get the question, "How do I start an end of life discussion? How do I get my family to talk about what they want their dying to be...

With gradual dying from disease or old age, nutrition, what and how much you eat, is the key to quality of living. Over a period of months with disease and...

There is nothing medical about brushing your teeth, rinsing your mouth or moistening the inside of your mouth. We do it all the time. Why would it be suddenly considered a...

When the doctor says, “We have tried everything and the treatments are not working to eliminate the disease progression;” “Let’s talk about how you can best live your life from this point...

Part of the specialness of doing your own service/celebration of his life is the planning. The gathering of those who loved him gathered together deciding how to celebrate his love and life...

 Know that all of these signs of approaching death, whether indicating months or weeks, are just guideposts. Some people will show all of them...

Deciding not to “tell mom she can’t be fixed" takes away that gift. Who are we (yes, even family) to determine what a person needs to or does not need...

Fear, lack of knowledge, lack of being able to really hear and understand the knowledge being given, lack of trust, living in a country where opioids (identified under the word...

Part of grieving is how you channel the feelings. Channel your anger, your disdain into how well you live your life now. Let your life experience be the learning tool...

...Rapid breathing like your dad was doing is exactly where a small bit of morphine (5 ml is small) helps slow down those 40/50 breaths a minute to a more...

A waiting list seems incongruous with end of life. Particularly since most people wait until a person is literally on death’s door before reaching out to hospice...