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...]
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...]
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...]
