Hospice

My father’s stay at the hospice house was brief, but in that short time, I made an extraordinary realization that brought Dad and me closeness and comfort in his final days.

Despite the benefits of palliative medicine, many terminally ill seniors only receive hospice care for a few days or weeks before passing away. Why is it so difficult for families to seek comfort care for dying loved ones?

The day that you call hospice is not the day that you give up on your loved one. A former hospice nurse dispels common misconceptions surrounding end-of-life care.

Breaking the news that a loved one is going on hospice care can be a hard conversation to have with your family. If it’s up to you to inform a loved one that he or she would be more comfortable under hospice care there are steps you can take to get you through this difficult transition.

What services does hospice provided to someone who has cancer and is terminally ill?

If an elderly parent has six months or less to live, hospice can make their final days more comfortable and pain free.

Starting hospice care can be a difficult decision, but the benefits for terminally ill patients and their family members are undeniable. A caregiver shares how hospice provided compassionate end-of-life care and pain management for both her parents.

There are medical and nonmedical home care workers. Learn about their skills and qualifications and which are right for your loved one’s needs.

End-stage dementia is characterized by a rapid loss of speech and mobility as well as systemic infections as the body begins to shut down completely.

On its own, dementia doesn’t normally cause death. As it progresses, however, the condition can increase vulnerability to life-threatening infections.

When a loved one is facing the end of life, families often experience a whirlwind of emotions. A hospice chaplain explains the techniques he uses to help family members understand and forgive one another and get through trying times together.

Music has impressive healing powers for people of all ages but can be especially comforting for those who are terminally ill. Music-thanatologists are specially trained to use music to provide peace and reassurance throughout the dying process.

As dementia progresses and concurrent medical problems become more difficult to manage, tough questions can arise. This framework will help you navigate complicated healthcare decisions for a loved who is cognitively impaired.

Advance directives are useful for end-of-life care planning, but there's another tool that goes one step further. POLST forms enable terminally ill elders to turn their future care preferences into explicit medical orders for doctors and first responders.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) plagues over a quarter of veterans after they return from war. This can create a difficult living environment and challenges when the veteran nears the end of their life.

Many elderly Americans are turning to skilled nursing care during their last few months of life, despite the fact that some may be better served by seeking palliative care services, such as hospice.