Wisdom is typically considered to be the fruit of a long life, the accumulation of experiences lived and lessons learned. In recent years, scientists have created a consensus definition of wisdom as a complex trait with several inter-related components, such as compassion, emotional regulation, spirituality and tolerance. For a paper published January 24th 2018 in… Continue reading Wisdom at the End of Life
Tag: end of life
Navigating the Hospice Learning Curve
About twenty years ago a group of friends and I visited an acquaintance who was in a special hospice wing of a local hospital. We were told he had been taken there to die. We visited, and the next day he died. For several years after this experience, my immediate association with the word “hospice”… Continue reading Navigating the Hospice Learning Curve
Racial Bias May Be Conveyed by Doctors’ Body Language
When treating seriously ill patients, doctors give less compassionate verbal cues to black patients than to white patients, according to a small University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine trial revealed. It is the first to look at such interactions in a time-pressured, end-of-life situation. The finding, published in the January issue of the Journal of… Continue reading Racial Bias May Be Conveyed by Doctors’ Body Language
Chemotherapy and Quality of Life at the End of Life
Chemotherapy for patients with end-stage cancer was associated with worse quality of life near death for patients with a good ability to still perform many life functions, according to an article published online by JAMA Oncology IN JULY 2015. A release from the JAMA Network Journals explains that physicians have voiced concerns about the benefits… Continue reading Chemotherapy and Quality of Life at the End of Life
Better Communication Needed on End-of-Life Directives
Increasing numbers of people have advanced care planning, but a survey found that almost 40 percent of them didn’t discuss their preferences with the people they designated as their representatives. A study led by Johns Hopkins researchers reviewed nearly 2,000 surveys with people whose loved ones died of cancer. They found a 40 percent increase… Continue reading Better Communication Needed on End-of-Life Directives
Coping with Chronic Pain
Chronic pain is one of our most common health issues, and too often people put up with it rather than try to eliminate it. Here, from the experts at the National Institute on Aging, are your best strategies for solving a debilitating problem: Acute Pain and Chronic Pain There are two kinds of pain. Acute… Continue reading Coping with Chronic Pain
Dealing with Family Stress When Caring for an Elderly Parent
It’s a time in life that no one looks forward to, but is often times inevitable: caring for an ill and aging parent. On top of the obvious physical and emotional rollercoaster, many families often disagree on what the best course of care is. Families that have been extremely close for years can all of… Continue reading Dealing with Family Stress When Caring for an Elderly Parent
Bobbi Kristina and Her Family’s Ultimate Decision
By Monica Williams-Murphy, MD Just three short years after the world mourned the shocking death of Whitney Houston, her daughter’s life hangs in the balance. Bobbi Kristina, 21, the daughter of Houston and singer Bobbi Brown, has been in a coma since Jan. 31, when she was found face down in a bathtub in her… Continue reading Bobbi Kristina and Her Family’s Ultimate Decision