Tag Archives: Palliative Care

“A Good Death” by Deborah Masters and Matthew Carney

The Australian documentary touts the benefits of palliative care for terminally-ill cancer patients

“A Good Death” (2010) is an Australian documentary film about four cancer patients. The film revolves around the patients, their loved ones and the palliative care team/unit that tends to them. The short movie is, like most documentaries about terminal … Continue reading

Posted in Lending Insight | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“I Want to Die” — The Link Between Cancer and Suicide

Far too many people with cancer choose to take their own lives

“The thought of suicide is a great consolation: by means of it one gets through many a dark night.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche Receiving a cancer diagnosis is devastating. Suddenly, without warning, the world as you knew it comes to an … Continue reading

Posted in So, You Got the News | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease Rarely Use Hospice

A recent study shows that Medicare’s policy of precluding “curative” care in hospice is largely to blame

End-stage renal disease is a life-limiting illness in which the kidneys are no longer functioning, or are functioning so poorly that they can no longer do their job. In the absence of a kidney transplant, people with this condition require … Continue reading

Posted in Something Special | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

“End Game” by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman

A new Netflix documentary looks at life, death, and loss

Two years ago, Netflix tested the boundaries of conventional entertainment and released the short documentary, Extremis, a movie about the difficult decisions patients and families face as a life slips away. The movie chronicled the journeys of two families whose … Continue reading

Posted in Lending Insight | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Barbara Bush, Comfort Care and National Dialogue About End of Life

The former First Lady's final days prompted national discussions about end of life and palliative care

Former First Lady Barbara Bush died on April 17, 2018, at age 92. She will be remembered for many reasons, including her push to improve national literacy, being the matriarch of an influential political family, and her earnestness and candor. … Continue reading

Posted in Something Special | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How Do You Use Healing Harp Music with a Seriously Ill Loved One?

An interview with harp therapist Portia Diwa, Part One

This month I had the pleasure of speaking with Portia Diwa, Healing Harp Clinical Faculty at California Pacific Medical Center. She plays healing music for patients and teaches the Healing Harp Certification program for harpists who want to learn how to … Continue reading

Posted in Professional Advice | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment