The Many Faces of Grief, Part 3 Dying Without Regrets – The Family
My Mother: After my father suffered a moderate stroke, my mother stepped into her nine year role as his selfless caregiver. Along with compromising his …
Advocating for End-of-Life Care
Nurses have the unique privilege of holding the hands of the newly-born, and of the dying. Moments like this don’t punch a time clock, or watch a calendar. …
5 Caregiving Lessons I Learned From My Mother
I am back from a 4 month leave-of-absence for caregiving. I left when my 94 year old mother fell in January and broke her hip. I thought she would, as usual, …
Tips for Having a Hospice Conversation
Misconceptions about Hospice Hospice. Just that one, simple word can cause people to ‘head for the hills.’ This one word can drive fear into people’s …
A Green Burial? One Woman’s Burial Wish
I once asked a client if she had any burial wishes as we were preparing her will. “Yes,” she replied. “I would like to be composted.” Her response …
The Many Faces of Hardship
You can’t tell what someone is going through by looking at them! The other day I was in line at the pharmacy. The gentleman at the register looked to be …
Death, Planning for Life’s Final Transition
In 1903, my great-grandfather, George D. B. Bonbright sold a stamp collection to help fund and open his investment firm in Rochester NY with six employees. …
End of Life, Does a Bucket List Matter?
When it comes to end of life we hear so many people talking about a “bucket list”. Sometimes this list is started early on in life and checked off …
Caregiving at End of Life
The act of caregiving in general can be very difficult. Caregiving at end of life is extremely difficult. For many caregivers it can unexpectedly stir up …
End of Life-Zen Hospice Project
As a college student at Princeton University, BJ Miller suffered an almost fatal electrical accident that resulted in the loss of his legs below the knee and …