10/10/2012
Today, I read of a study where 189 patients were followed over a two year period, and where the researchers found that nearly half of the patients were inconsistent with their wishes about treatment. “Why do patients often deviate from their advance directives? They do so because they cannot accurately imagine what they will want
Read More09/26/2012
The CHPCA Model to Guide Care outlines the “Process of Providing Care”. Unlike the Nursing Process (assess, plan, implement and evaluate) that I learned as a young nursing student, the CHPCA model identifies ASSESSMENT INFORMATION SHARING DECISION MAKING then CARE PLANNING CARE IMPLEMENTATION and finally CONFIRMATION (evaluation) I am struck by the simplicity of this
Read More09/25/2012
“Food, the Four Letter Word in End of Life Care” Join us in Nanaimo for a day with the Dieticians. At the end of the session you will Understand why people experience anorexia and cachexia with advanced disease Learns strategies for talking with families about decreasing appetite and approaching death. Examine the role of the
Read More09/25/2012
Some dying people do not want to talk about their dying. Sometimes it is the family that does not want to talk about dying. Elizabeth Causton, Social Worker and retired counsellor with Victoria Hospice has suggestions for how you can help family members to clarify their needs and to help them to ensure that they
Read More09/21/2012
Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias are by their diagnosis terminal illnesses. Over the past few years dementia care and hospice palliative care have turned their lens to quality care for people with late stage dementia. Integrating a palliative approach in dementia care can make the world of difference to the experience of those living with
Read More09/21/2012
They are known by many different names, Personal Support Workers, Health Care Workers, Community Health Workers, Home Support Workers, Resident Care Assistants, and Health Care Assistants. They provide personal care so people can stay at home when they are no longer independent. They provide 70% of direct care in facilities. They are skilled at personal
Read More09/14/2012
Forbes Hospice recognizes that friends and family often have similar questions. Their hospice team developed a Question Prompt Sheet (QPS) which they can give to family and friends. The QPS encourages families to ask questions, helps them to identify what questions they might want to ask, helps stimulate them to think of other questions they
Read More09/08/2012
Dr James Cooper wrote a comparison of Hospice and Palliative Care, providing some good examples of the emphasis in both hospice and palliative care to encourage the dying person to choose the treatment they want. He closes his summary by comparing hospice and palliative care to North America and Europe – “The basic primer is
Read More08/29/2012
A hundred years ago we did not need to worry about this… but when dying in the 21st century, overtreatment is possible, can add to disease burden, can decrease quality of life, and is in fact a concern that we need to address! Article in NY Times by Tara Parker Pope, “Overtreatment is taking its
Read More08/29/2012
Imagine… a personal, protected site that makes it easy to post a health update, send out an email blast to friends and family, and better yet,… list anything that you need help with. A website that will save you time and energy of making multiple requests and worrying about being a burden. Or Imagine… you
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