Tag Archives: End-of-life care

Obese Persons Receive Lower-Quality End-of-Life-Care, Study Shows

An article published this week reveals findings from the first study to look at obesity and hospice care

Research published this week in Annals of Internal Medicine reveals that obesity is linked to reduced hospice enrollment rates, fewer in-home deaths and greater Medicare expenditures six months before death. The research was published by John A. Harris, MD, MSc, … Continue reading

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“At the End of Life: True Stories of How We Die” Edited by Lee Gutkind

An enlightening book takes us into the hearts of people touched by death

Lee Gutkind’s “At the End of Life: True Stories of How We Die” is not an an easy read. True stories about death and suffering rarely are. Nor is it what most of us would think of as an entertaining … Continue reading

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The Death Rattle — Not Music to Your Ears?

The death rattle can be unnerving and scary for loved ones, but adding overriding noise can help

As a person gets closer to death, they can begin a type of noisy breathing that sounds like a wet snore. Called the “death rattle,” it can be difficult to listen to. Thankfully, it is not too common. Because it’s … Continue reading

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Studies Show Differences in Quality of Palliative Care

Black patients and patients with organ failure report poor levels of palliative care

Palliative care is designed to provide comfort to people who have terminal illnesses. Yet multiple studies show that not all patients receive the same quality of care. In one study of Veterans Administration hospitals, black patients were less likely than white patients … Continue reading

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“The Good Death” by Ann Neumann

A journalist questions our laws and attitudes about end of life care

After Ann Neumann’s father died following a long illness, she felt lost. For more than a year, she traveled from city to city across the globe looking to fill the massive crater that her father’s death left. When she returned to the … Continue reading

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“Extremis” Directed by Dan Krauss

A short film about real end-of-life struggles is now available on Netflix

There is no experience on earth more disturbing than watching another human being struggling to stay alive. Yet that is the precise reality that the doctors and nurses who work in our nation’s emergency rooms encounter every day. Most often, … Continue reading

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