![]() Saving a life or prolonging a life, is it only semantics? Read the following article by Craig Bowron, in the Washington Post, 1/11), “The Dying of the Light: The Drawn-Out Indignities of the American Way of Death.” I have experienced it in my own life and have seen it in my professional life—the feeling of relief when the ill person ‘makes it’ through the present threat of death. When the incident is over and we can breathe again, what condition is
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![]() Below is an article in the Dallas morning news (12/31/09) that chronicles the lives of 9 families as they deal with the life-threatening illness of a loved one and the difficult decisions they must confront. At the Edge of Life: life and death in 21st century medicine is a 5 part series with videos and interactive tools. It is an excellent article that gives an in-depth look at the difference a palliative care team can make in the hospital setting. Keep in mind as you ![]() Dr. Balfour Mount is to the palliative care movement what Dame Cecily Saunders is to the hospice movement. Of course Saunders came first and introduced Mount to the new philosophy of caring for the dying in 1973; but, it is Mount who is the father of palliative care in the hospital setting. He coined the term ‘palliative’ and it was he who first brought this type of care into a large university teaching hospital, the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. “What has surprised me is how little palliative care has to do with death. The death part is almost irrelevant. Our focus isn’t on dying. Our focus is on quality of living.” —Mount. I’m sending you to a couple of places to read about him. His influence and dedication is the very beginning of the hospital-based, pre-hospice palliative care movement that has been picking up speed in the last several years. A Moral Force: the story of Dr. Balfour Mount McGill University, Whole Person Care ![]() Here’s a great resource for people who are dealing with a family member or patient with advanced dementia–Palliative Care Dementia Resources. It separates the resources by topics and is easy to follow. To me, some of the most disturbing symptoms of dementia are emotional and mental pain. It can be devastating for everyone, but not as much as for the person who is sitting with that kind of discomfort. Medical professionals are getting better ![]() Check it out. There are many things that make up good care in nursing homes. It definitely is a team effort and it takes the whole team to make a really great one. Next to quality care by the nurses and certified nursing assistants (CNAs), is the quality of the rehab department. When you are looking for a place to take dad, talk to the head of the rehab department. It’s OK to get the tour by the administrator or the admissions/marketing person, but talk to the rehab department head too. Take time to spend with them, ask for an appointment. Go look at the gym. Do your homework; get familiar with the terms and the goals of care ![]() Death hurts our hearts no matter where it happens. We can feel supported losing a loved one no matter where we are. My preference would be to die at home; with candles and nice music and people I love around me, but who knows if I’ll get to die like that. My aunt’s mother recently died in an intensive care unit. She was surrounded by her family as she took her last breath. The nurse we had was wonderful, efficient and willing to help make this as smooth a transition as possible._ This was my first experience with a death in the intensive care unit. |
AuthorIn fall 2014, I moved some old blog posts here that I had written years ago from 2007 to 2010. Hope they are helpful. Archives
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