This is the first of a series of talks about the last hours of living with the focus this week on pain and skin. In is natural to assume that what we have been told to do to recuperate and be healthy are the same as what is seen during the dying process. The approaches and rules are different when...
End-of-Life Doulas are similar to birth midwives - they advise and advocate for a client's wishes; in this case, how they perceive a "good death." Learn about doulas and their role in our healthcare system.
Caring for a loved one with dementia is extremely hard work. We were pleased to talk with Ellie about alternatives to medications in the management of dementia symptoms.
Luke’s mother was 75 when he started to notice that she was diagnosed with brain cancer and metastasis to her lungs. She rapidly declined to the point where she could not long speak, was bedridden, and unable to swallow. In this interview Luke talks about how angry he feels that England has laws...
The death of a parent is a profound loss. Parental loss in midlife may result in lingering feelings of loneliness, raise memories of former losses, remind us of unresolved conflicts, and make us wonder about life’s purpose. Listen to Noelle’s story about how she is working to adjust to her mother’s...
What should one expect if a family member is discharged to hospice? We talk about this as well as some resources to help caregivers.
Many people think of hospice as a place people go to die. Some think that if you get hospice services a hospice nurse moves in with the dying person and does all their care until they die. Neither of these is true. This week we are talking with Noelle who learned firsthand what was required to...
For this episode we interview Mary Kazanowski, PhD, former professor at St. Anselm College in Manchester and an Advanced Practice Nurse Practitioner with 30 years' experience as a hospice nurse. What can you learn after spending this much time supporting patients near the end of life? Mary has some...
If you watch any newsreel of trauma or disaster victims, you will surely see somewhere a responder or volunteer draping a blanket over injured, wearied, or shell-shocked victims. There is something healing in the simple act of draping this cloak around someone. The word "palliative" comes from...