There are specific challenges of in-home hospice care that are prevalent today. Read the article to find more about them.
In the late Middle Ages onwards, after the Black Death had killed nearly a third of the population, it became popular to carry trinkets of death. #Art would feature dancing skeletons and people would...
Discover insightful articles on The Choices We Make for Others at the End of Life. Join us in exploring solutions for a just, sustainable, and compassionate world. #The Choices We Make for Others at the End of Life
"The best parts of having lived are never truly lost."
Does the stunning rise in cremations reveal something important about our ideas regarding death? Some experts think it does.
Stages of dying and death - All the stages of death, its duration, and pains, already present in the subtle body and surface at right time.
I like to imagine an alternate scenario for the end of my grandfather’s life.
When someone is dying a gradual death from disease and is hours tominutes from death they don't need a doctor, nurse, social worker, or evena chaplain. They need someone who understands the normal, natural dyingprocess and can gently guide and support the family to help create asacred memory from this very sacred experience...
An anthropologist argues that American attitudes toward death won’t change until we give young people the tools to explore their own relationship to it.
Join me on a heartfelt journey through the labyrinth of grief, where we uncover four pivotal tasks that light our way to healing. These tasks are more than mere concepts; they are the steps to mend our hearts and transform despair into hope. Together, we'll explore how accepting, processing, adjusting, and finding a new path forward can profoundly change us, honoring the memories that define our connections. This voyage is not just about navigating grief but about embracing a transformation that leads to understanding, acceptance, and a deep, enduring connection with our lost loved ones. Let's venture into these tasks, alongside the associated traps: “Accepting” the Reality of the Loss: Meaning: This task beckons us to acknowledge and come to terms with the stark reality that a significant loss has shattered our world. It entails recognizing that the person or thing we held dear is no longer a part of our daily existence. Trap: Denial or Avoidance - Sometimes, we find ourselves wrestling with acceptance, resorting to denial or avoidance. We might attempt to brush aside or downplay the weight of the loss, inadvertently prolonging our journey through grief. “Processing” the Pain of Grief: Meaning: Grief arrives hand in hand with intense emotional anguish, demanding to be felt and understood. This task involves granting ourselves permission to experience the spectrum of emotions entwined with loss, from profound sadness to flashes of anger, guilt, and even fleeting moments of relief. Trap: Emotional Numbness - Amid this task, there's a perilous trap called emotional numbness. Some may close themselves off emotionally as a coping mechanism, a temporary respite from overwhelming grief. However, this can inadvertently extend the healing process. “Adjusting” to a World Without the Deceased or Lost Object: Meaning: After embracing the reality of loss and confronting its pain, we must find our footing in a world that lacks the presence or influence of what we've lost. This entails forging new routines, crafting fresh roles, and mastering the art of navigating changed circumstances. Trap: Isolation or Withdrawal - In this phase, there's the lurking danger of isolation or withdrawal. We may inadvertently cut ourselves off from others or retreat from social interactions, spiraling into solitude and thwarting our efforts to adapt. “Finding” a Way to Maintain a Connection While Moving Forward: Meaning: As we adapt to life without the departed or the lost object, it's crucial to discover avenues to preserve their memory or significance while progressing with our own lives and aspirations. This task involves nurturing a healthy connection or remembrance, all while embarking on our unique journeys. Trap: Stagnation or Overattachment - Here, we encounter the twin snares of stagnation or overattachment. Some may find themselves stuck, struggling to take steps forward, while others may cling excessively to the past, hindering the creation of new connections and experiences. Conclusion: Recognizing these potential pitfalls is paramount, as it empowers us to seek the support necessary to overcome these challenges and navigate the grieving process in a healthier manner. Grief is a multifaceted journey, and encountering these traps is a natural part of the terrain. However, with the right guidance and support, healing remains an attainable destination on this profound expedition. References: Kübler-Ross, E., & Kessler, D. (2005). On grief and grieving: Finding the meaning of grief through the five stages of loss. Scribner. Worden, J. W. (2009). Grief counseling and grief therapy: A handbook for the mental health practitioner. Springer Publishing Company. Neimeyer, R. A., & Burke, L. A. (2019). Complicated grief: When the path of adjustment leads to a dead-end. In Contemporary directions in psychopathology: Scientific foundations of the DSM-V and ICD-11 (pp. 345-371). Guilford Press. Bonanno, G. A., & Kaltman, S. (2001). The varieties of grief experience. Clinical Psychology Review, 21(5), 705-734. Stroebe, M., Schut, H., & Boerner, K. (2017). Cautioning health-care professionals: Bereaved persons are misguided through the stages of grief. Omega-Journal of Death and Dying, 0030222817710860. Silverman, P. R., & Klass, D. (2013). Living with grief: Who we are, how we grieve. Routledge. Parkes, C. M. (1998). Bereavement: Studies of grief in adult life. Routledge.
Learn about how to respectfully broach end of life conversations, and whether hospice or palliative care is right option for your loved one.
A hospice nurse reflects on his experiences and his faith: what is most important to patients approaching death? What are the things that will bring peace and comfort? Is assisted dying truly dignified? Or is there wisdom in being a burden?
One Caregivers Journey by Eleanor Gaccetta is a personal memoir that will make you laugh or tug at your heart as the... Hospice care provider
Shifting from a focus on the illness to a focus on the person.
Learn how hospice care can offer benefits in your loved one's assisted living community.
How are you doing? While the world seems precarious and mortality feels closer than ever, the simple question of “How are you doing?”, can feel loaded. The answer to that question might…
The Dalai Lama Explains What Happens When You Die (And How You Can Be Prepared)
More photographers are taking such photos, and families can, too.
There are many ways to make hospice patients comfortable in their homes. Physical comfort care makes such a difference to a person in transition.
I was recently at the AARP Health Innovation @50+ event, emceeing it actually, when one of the speakers put up a slide with only the giant number 100% on it. After the requisite audience murmur, she…
Diana reminds us that when our physical body passes on, the inner essence of our being continues to help from the other side.
Kerry Egan's job is to help dying people accept their own mortality. It's profoundly sad, but it's also rewarding. "I'm constantly reminded of ... how much love people have for each other," she says.
Many people do not understand the difference between palliative care and hospice. "That Good Night" provides an eloquent explanation in the hope we will live more fully.
Death and dying are scary concepts, especially for children and their families who try to explain what seems unexplainable. And yet, everybody does it. Creamy Goes to Heaven can help children and families cope with sadness and grief and accept death as a natural part of life. Jody Harbough, LPC, hospice counselor: \"For anyone struggling with the death of a loved one or facing serious illness ... this is a book worth exploring. Simply an 'Incredible Journey' of friendship, love, loss and hope ...\" Joceylyn Turney, age ten: \"This book is about it being sad when someone you love dies. But you can be happy when you remember all the good times you had with them. I know if they are a believer they will be in heaven with God, and you can still love them and they can still love you.\" Look for more from the RedshoesDeb Series coming out in 2013 and 2014 The Life and Times of Sheila the Cow Dog I'm Not a Beatle, I'm a Horse Maggie Mae's Hare-Brained Day Maggie Bit Off More than She Could Chew Holly, The Bossy Aussie Magpie Meets the Pheasant Holly the Hugger Abby the Foster Dog
Artist and writer Susan MacLeod observes the foibles, humor, and caring of life in a nursing home. There, she and her mother finally came to know each other.
Family members are often relieved and hopeful when a dying loved one suddenly becomes more aware of their surroundings or begins talking or eating again. But, are they truly getting better or just consciously preparing for their final journey?
Latest Stories CREATE POST Browse our categories. The Philosophy Behind Our Logo Just like everything else in our brand, our logo represents love and oneness. It is basically a heart that is formed by two lovers holding each other. Social Media Presence. Relationship Rules began as a passion project back in October, 2012. Our first social media presence was on Facebook, which now has a following of 17 million loving and caring followers we consider family. Since 2012, we have branched out into multiple social media outlets. 50 Rules of a Relationship e-Book Written and illustrated by Relationship Rules, this
Just because we stop breathing doesn't mean living ends. Microbiologist Maria Dominguez-Bello explains what happens after we die.
Regardless of how healthily we live or how much medical care we receive, we will all die.
Palliative care is still widely misunderstood by many Canadians. Here are 10 common myths we encounter in palliative care.
Death is inevitable. A bad death is not
Noble Living, Noble Caring, and Noble Dying describes the outlook we can bring to our human experience. This free course is the result of many conversations
Confessions posted on Reddit range from an emergency dispatcher’s memory of an imminent suicide to a son discovering he was not his father’s child.
Learn all about palliative care, including goals, the palliative care team, and settings of care.
