WELCOME TO OUR BLOG
Welcome to the SevenPonds.com blog – a community-driven extension of SevenPonds.com! I hope you find comfort and community in the resources and stories featured here. I’m always happy to hear from readers and can be reached at suzette@sevenponds.com.
FEATURED
-
Who Cares for the Caregivers?: Millions of family caregivers across the United States feel abandoned and alone -
Final Messages of the Dying: Finding meaning in metaphors and symbolic language -
Will I Die in Pain?: For patients living with a terminal illness, the fear of pain is very real
-
Categories
Tag Archives: terminal illness
When the Curtain Falls: The Tragic Reality of Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer's disease presents unique challenges to patients and their families
Each month Kathleen Clohessy, R.N., offers a new perspective on living with a terminal illness. Kathleen comes to SevenPonds with 25 years of experience as a registered nurse caring for families and children facing life-threatening illness. She began her career in … Continue reading
Eight Myths About the Dying Process
Dispelling eight common myths about dying
Join SevenPonds each month as Tani Bahti, RN, CT, CHPN, offers practical on-hand guidance to demystify the dying process. As an RN since 1976, Tani has been working to empower families and healthcare professionals to have the best end-of-life experience possible both through education and the … Continue reading
Posted in Dying Well
Tagged Dying, Dying Process, end-of-life, End-of-life care, Myths, terminal illness
Leave a comment
Should Healthcare Costs Be More Transparent?
A Missouri petitioner wants hospitals to change how they approach medical bills
Your loved one wakes up in the middle of the night with excruciating pain. Like most people, you immediately drive him or her to the hospital without a second thought. Working all night, the doctors in the emergency room run tests and … Continue reading
Caravan Over Chemo: One Woman’s Cancer Diagnosis Leads to the Ultimate Road Trip
A 90-year-old woman embraces her love of travel at the end of life
When her doctor told her that she had uterine cancer, 90-year-old Norma responded, “I’m hitting the road.” Rather than choosing surgery or undergoing chemotherapy, she decided to take an extended road trip six months ago, and she hasn’t stopped since. … Continue reading
Posted in Something Special
Tagged Cancer, Cancer Treatment, chemo, Driving Miss Norma, end-of-life, Hot air balloon, Norma, road trip, terminal illness, Travel
Leave a comment
For-Profit Hospices Discharging Patients Before Their Time
Cost savings take precedence over patient wishes, study shows
According to a recent New York Times article, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission has found that approximately 20 percent of hospice patients in the United States are being discharged from care before they die. Of this number, the article suggests, … Continue reading
Posted in Something Special
Tagged Caregiving, Death, Death and Dying, Dying, end-of-life, End-of-life care, Hospice, Palliative Care, terminal illness
Leave a comment
Mortality Risk Assessment: A Tool for Planning End-of-Life Care
Nurse practitioners make inroads in advanced care planning
A recent study from the American Association of Nurse Practitioners shows that sharing realistic information with patients about their medical prognosis helps facilitate discussions about end-of-life care. The study, published in the Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners … Continue reading
