Compassion & Covid19
Imagine pulling up to a COVID-19 testing station, asking for an evaluation of your spouse or child and on discovery of severe symptoms of the virus having your loved one whisked away on a gurney, disappearing into the hospital with their cell phone as your only remaining method of contact. No warning, no discussion and no hugs. It’s a stark …
How Does Hospice Work When The Patient Is In A Nursing Home?
Many families will someday face the difficult task of starting hospice care for a loved one. Usually, that means that a team of hospice caregivers will schedule times to come to your home and that they will begin to help the patient to manage pain, ease any other symptoms of their illness where possible and to help with other end …
Let’s Talk About Mental Health and Hospice
Emotional stability and good mental health are important for all of us. When we add the experience of hospice care, finding a sense of balance, calm and general understanding comes into play as an essential piece for everyone involved – the patient, their family and friends, and healthcare providers. It is important to understand how hospice addresses mental health when …
April 16 is National Healthcare Decisions Day
National Healthcare Decisions Day is an annual collaborative initiative of national, state and community organizations, committed to awareness and to ensure that all adults with decision-making capacity in the United States have the information and opportunity to communicate and document their future healthcare decisions. NHDD is a series of independent events held across the country, supported by a national media …
Perspective and Peace for Families Dealing with End of Life Care Right Now
Hospice does not stop for a world crisis. In uncertain times, end of life care remains a critical part of medical attention for those nearing the end, maybe even more important in times of crisis than at other times, in terms of both the experience as a patient and as a family member caring for a dying loved one. A …
Social Workers Play an Integral Role in Hospice and Palliative Care
March is National Social Worker’s Month, so we are taking a closer look at the role social workers play in end of life care. The goal of hospice and palliative care is to improve the physical, psychosocial, and spiritual quality of life for people living with a serious illness and their families. The close relationship between hospice and palliative care …
Heart Failure Treatments Have Unexpected Impact on End Of Life Care
Nearly 6 million Americans are currently suffering from Heart Failure (HF). This all too common ailment occurs when the heart is unable to pump blood fast enough, resulting in swelling, shortness of breath, and other issues. In the past, heart disease killed ruthlessly and quickly; patients were more likely to die from heart attacks and cardiac arrest than they are …
Patients’ Rights: When Is It Okay to Say No To More Treatment?
Many Americans have encountered tough decisions about end-of-life healthcare treatment and what that might mean for a patient’s quality of life. For Ezekiel J. Emanual, an oncologist and Vice Provost of the University of Pennsylvania, that tough decision came after his aging father suffered a fall. Dr. Emanual’s father was diagnosed with a large brain tumor while in the hospital, …
Understanding The Role of Palliative Care
Palliative care is often confused with hospice and end of life care, but it is so much more than that. Dr. Sunita Puri, Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine and Medical Director for Palliative Care for Keck Medical Center at USC defines it this way, “Palliative care is about taking care of the physical, emotional and spiritual suffering of patients and …
