Category: Blog

Quality of end of life care in nursing homes

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This study shows that having an advance directive is extremely important for those in nursing facilities. Especially for dialysis patients, an advance directive will enhance end of life care based on the patient’s preferences and values. Those with an advance directive explained when they wanted to stop dialysis or reject invasive surgeries. Without these instructions patients are routinely treated and go put through medical procedures without their say because it is not specified. Advance directives are the best way that your wishes can be explained in end of life care.

Many nursing home residents with renal disease lack advance directives to address end-of-life care

Changing The Way We Look At Death

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In June 2016 California became the 5th state to allow assisted dying. Ray Perman was diagnosed with cancer and instead of fearing his death he embraced it with living life to the fullest. Ray set goals about what he wanted to experience in the final days of his life. He decided to take advantage of the death with dignity law. He took advantage of this by taking medication and was surrounded by his loved ones at the time of his death.

“I will have my closest loved ones around me when I do that. I’ll have an open house in the morning for my friends to give me a hug goodbye and then we’ll probably do the deed in the afternoon. Then my family can have time with my body in the evening, as long as they’d like. And I have a complete description on where to dispose of my ashes. It’ll be in the departure path of a Boeing aircraft that took off with my father, on an outgoing tide.”

Bay Area Cancer Patient Confronts and Embraces His Right to Die

Zen Hospice

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B.J. Miller, after a tragic accident,  began to positively think about how medicine and dying are connected. He has been an advocate for palliative care. A patient Sloan was nearing death as a 20-something year old. Eventually through medical advice from Miller, he entered Zen Hospice where he continued to receive good care and hospice became his family. Zen Hospice is a place not only to be comfortable but how to transcendent experience into death.  Zen Hospice’s mission is to change death from a medical point of view into a human experience.

B.J. Miller has taken it upon himself  to change the way we think about death and how it doesn’t have to be a feared experience. View his TEDTalk here.

Using empathy and a clear-eyed view of mortality, BJ Miller shines a light on healthcare’s most ignored facet: preparing for death

In preparation for his death, my husband did a lot of inter searching and was able to move past the fear of the unknown, and to think about how he wanted to die. He chose to pass away with his loved ones. I was there by his side when he passed.

This article in the New York times shows the amazing work that B.J. Miller is doing.

Spiritual Beliefs are Important when Preparing for your Death

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Many religions accept death as a part of life or a state of transition. Discussing death as a part of life, being more accepting and educated about end of life care is something thinking about long before you die.  Write all your needs in your Advance health directive and talk to your health providers about it. We can all live our lives to the fullest and not fear death. Death occurs to everyone. It is simply a part of life.

 

If you are interested in different religious ideas around death, this is a great resource. By expanding our thinking cross-culturally we can understand death in more than our own way. Education is a key part of the dying process. By thinking about what occurs after death can make death more approachable. Even if you are not religious assessing your values and how you want to leave your body can affect your end of life decisions.

Reading about beliefs and aspects of other spiritual practices can help you identify how you see death and want to make your directive for end of life.

http://lmrpcc.org.au/admin/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Customs-Beliefs-Death-Dying.pdf

Loddon Mallee: Regional Palliative Care Consortium

Honoring Dementia Patients In End Of Life

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It is challenging to talk about end of life options with someone who already has dementia. If they are in the early to mid stages of dementia and are still mentally competent this article will help guide you to have better conversation with your loved one. Discuss how the person with dementia thinks about death. How do they see themselves passing? If a health directive has not been completed yet, it is essential to do so now. All wishes should be written down so that when the time comes, all of the loved ones and caregivers are on the same page.

Because my husband and I had so much conversation about his end of life choices, he had a peaceful passing.

Because my husband and I had so much conversation about his end of life choices, he had a peaceful passing. He had a thorough health directive at the time of his death. He had the Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Advance Directive  (End of Life WA state).  We were well informed. Different states have different requirements for end of life papers. There are many sites that will help you find the right directive for you in your state.

For more explanation and details about my husband’s personal passing the section Alan’s Transition on my website .

We’re Not Too Young

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As newly weds it was important to have a discussion about what matters most at the end of life so we can make the right decisions for each other when the time comes

I hope that someday everyone fills out a health directive when they become an adult at 18. Our parents are legally responsible for us in the United States until then. At 18 ideally everyone should fill out a health directive. If you don’t do this and you are in an accident or get a terminal disease doctors and hospitals have a the legal right to make all decisions for you. Your health directive ensures that your loved ones will be able to represent you and your wishes. I filled out my first health directive when I was 40. I still didn’t believe I was going to die someday. I know It is challenging to think about a health directive when you think you are immortal. They vary from state to state, but what is important is what you write. Nevertheless, we are all going to die and we all want to have a good death. We are all familiar with death and through figuring out what what state we want to live into is something only you can decide. That is why preparing is important even when we are young and do not think about death.

A touching story of two Newlyweds 

How to Talk about End-of-Life Care When a Loved One Has Alzheimer’s Disease

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When my husband was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, instead of living into the late stages, he chose to vsed. I was his advocate. We discussed everything. He had excellent support. In order for my husband to have a good quality of death there was a lot to talk about. Being able to comfortably talk about end of life is essential in order to prepare for a good quality of death.. Informing ourselves and others without judgment is key to living a good life and having a good death. Cultivating support systems will help yourself and others.

This article reiterates the difficulty of discussing end of life with someone in every stage of Alzheimer’s disease and how you can try to communicate how they want to leave their body

The Conversation Project is a great resource for end of life preparation and support.

How to Talk about End-of-Life Care When a Loved One Has Alzheimer’s Disease

The Infinity Burial Suit: An Eco-Conscious Burial

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Learn how mushrooms are taking green burial to a whole new level in this conversation with Namrata Kolla from Coeio.

On January 12, 2017 10 am Pacific/1 pm Eastern End Of Life University is hosting Namrata Kolla on  her End of Life University interview series to talk about Coeio and the eco-conscious burial process.

Call-in Number: (425) 440-5100
Code:  882570#
Listen online: http://iTeleseminar.com/93242046

Karen Wyatt, the founder of End Of Life University is hosting Namrata Kolla who works as the Partnerships Manager at Coeio. Coeio is a company that is involved in the end of life management from an environmental conservation point of view through their infinity Burial products. It is a new and coming topic called Green Burial. The Infinity Burial Suit incorporates the detoxifying and aid in decomposition of mushrooms.

You can watch Jae Rhim Lee’s TEDTalk about his inspiration and vision of the Mushroom Burial Suit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7rS_d1fiUc&feature=youtu.be

For more information on the Coeio products you can visit their site: http://coeio.com/

 

Assisted Dying Positively Supported By Desmond Tutu

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Desmond Tutu, world renowned for his presence in the Apartheid movement in South Africa, said that he would like the option of assisted dying. He explained that being able to peacefully die and let go of one’s own life is an act of compassion. Terminally ill people should not have to live their last days in pain. Physician assisted dying can create a good quality of life. 

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/oct/07/desmond-tutu-assisted-dying-world-leaders-should-take-action