Hospice doctors are trained in comfort and end-of-life care. They work with patients and the patients' doctors to guide the plan of care. … [Read more...]
Emotional Grief
Just as each grief experience is unique, so are the emotions of grief. If there are others around you grieving the same loss, their feelings of grief may be different than yours. There is no right or wrong way to feel you are grieving. Allow yourself to feel all the emotions you need to feel. Try not to ignore them. Also, don't let others tell you how you should feel. Remember that whatever you … [Read more...]
Changes in Appetite
Near the end of life, it is natural for a person to no longer be interested in food or to be unable to eat or drink. Often nothing tastes good, and cravings come and go. This is often one of the hardest concepts for caregivers to accept because food is the way we nourish the body and share family time together. As the body natural begins to slow down, it is no longer able to digest and … [Read more...]
Common Physical Manifestations of Grief
Grief can come to a person in a variety of ways. Often you can feel sad, but there are some physical ways grief can manifest itself. Here are a couple of normal physical symptoms from grief: Difficulty sleeping - Pain in the Chest or Stomach - Headaches - Over sleeping or eating - Difficulty concentrating or remembering things All of these are normal reactions to the feelings of grief. … [Read more...]
Halloween Revisited
Many think Thanksgiving is the kickoff for the holiday season, but I’ve always considered it to be Halloween - my favorite holiday! Some of you may enjoy Halloween as much as I do. Some of you who’ve always looked forward to Halloween may be caregivers to a loved one with a serious condition or illness. Maybe the person you care for has always loved Halloween. You may be wondering how to celebrate … [Read more...]
Understanding Hospice: What is Hospice?
This is the first post in Understanding Hospice, an educational series we plan to post over the next few months that will outline different aspects of hospice care such as: What is Hospice? Key Questions and Concerns About Hospice Truths About Hospice Importance of Self Care for Caregivers and more! Be sure to Like our FaceBook page where we'll let you know we've posted a new … [Read more...]
The Idea of a “Good Death”
No one likes to think or talk about death and dying. But it's a reality we all face-more and more people are taking charge of how they will live out their final days. This becoming known as the "good death." Through life, we want to have as many new experiences as possible but in the end what really matters are the simple things. This is found in many cultures and known as socioemotional … [Read more...]
The History of Hospice
The term hospice is derived for the word "hospitality." Dating back to medieval times, it was know as a place where ill travelers could stay during their journey. It was until 1948 was the term "hospice" used in medicine. Dame Cicely Saunders created the first modern hospice in London, St. Christopher's Hospice. Here is a timeline of the history of hospice. 1965: Florence Wald, then Dean of … [Read more...]
Hospice and Cultural Consideration
Houston is known for being the top city for cultural diversity, passing New York City and Los Angeles. Understanding how different cultures approach death is very important. Through hospice, we provide grief services for everyone involved, but cultural practices are often overlooked. There are many transitions that happen at the end of life and through these transitions there things you should … [Read more...]
7 Hospice Myths and Misconceptions
Hospice care isn’t always the easiest thing to talk about and many people don’t have a clear idea what hospice actually is. Even after 25 years, most Americans aren’t aware of the advantages hospice brings. This mostly comes from our country’s resistance to talk about death. However, hospice is undoubtedly this best choice for end of life care. Not only for the patient, but the family as well. … [Read more...]
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