“Dying is not a medical event” and “The medical model views death as a failure, something to be fixed, to address” are two quotes you will hear from me repeatedly. The second quote is actually part of the foundation of healthcare so when working with end of life caretakers (nurses, social workers, home health aides, […]
Dear Barbara, I am 90 years old and have been healthy for most of those years. I take a thyroid pill and have a bit of arthritis. I am active, do yoga, and lead an independent life. Being old and healthy, my question is how am I going to die? Do you think I’ll just […]
I was visiting with a friend today about aging and looking at life. She used the words “building blocks” to describe the various and numerous life events we all have from birth to the present. These key events have determined who we have become, the life experiences that, put together, have created who we are. […]
I was thinking about the mission of those of us working in end of life. Whether we are nurses, social workers, hospice and palliative care physicians, certified nurses aides, chaplains or volunteers our core goals are the same: education, support, and guidance. With so much focus on meeting medicare requirements sometimes these goals get sidelined. […]
If I stop treatment does it mean I stop trying? If I stop trying does it mean I’ll start dying? I don’t want to die. When faced with the above considerations, what decision do we make? How do we face the realization “I am going to die”? Most of us go through life with the notion […]
Dear Barbara, can you recommend a resource to educate me on how to become a private EOL practitioner? About EOL training? I’m taking that to mean end of life doula training. There are many groups offering training. I would suggest doing a Google search and start contacting different programs to find the “fit” for you. […]
I’m excited to announce my newest resource, By Your Side, A Guide for Caring for the Dying at Home. It is written for the family caregiver, who is caring for their loved one approaching end of life from old age or disease. The person who may be caring for their mother or father who is […]
On an Instagram Live I recently did there was talk of a ten minute death call. Go to the home, pronounce the person dead, and leave to make the rest of your daily visits. Here is my idea of a death call. I have to warn you, it may take more than 10 minutes. You […]
Dear Barbara, My mother is 84 with multiple medical issues and increasing cognitive impairment. She has in the past and even now expresses that she no longer wants to keep “exiting” and doesn’t know why she is still alive. I don’t know how to help her. I hear this frequently from families as their person […]
Dear Barbara, my friends are getting terrible diagnoses. The women I am seeing are way too young to die. How do they make the decision to throw everything at their disease in the form of treatments that offer the low odds they will survive and poor quality of living during the treatment time or to […]
