When you’re far away from an older loved one, it’s easy for anxiety to become overwhelming. Your mind may be overrun with thoughts of what could happen. Who will check on them? How will you help in an emergency? What if they have needs you can’t see from a distance? These are legitimate concerns, but … Read moreCaring for a Senior Loved One From a Distance
Hospice nurse and social worker, Katie Ortlip, came to her writing partner’s, Jahnna Beecham, aid when her father was dying. The two wrote the bookLiving with Dying: A Complete Guide for Caregivers as an instruction guide to understanding the dying process as a caregiver. Read an excerpt of Jahnna’s story below to dive into a … Read morePoof! You’re a Caregiver
You’ve all been there – the elderly couple shuffles into your office, peering through oversize glasses, slightly disoriented but helping each other out. Did you ever stop to think how they got to your office? They almost certainly drove – but should they? Shouldn’t it be their children’s job to tell them to stop?? Focus … Read moreDriving Miss Daisy
This is Part 3, the final part, of a multi-part series. My mom remained in the ICU for a total of 3 weeks, failing extubation twice due to laryngeal edema requiring emergent re-intubation and eventually requiring a tracheostomy in order to facilitate ventilator weaning. She finally was able to wean off the ventilator after 3 … Read moreConcurrent Palliative Care-Peace of Mind in the Setting of an Uncertain Prognosis; Part 3
This is Part 2 of a multi-part series.
Approximately 1 week into her ICU stay, when my mom wasn’t making any progress on ventilator weaning, I was called by the palliative care team asking if they should “formally” consult. They had been visiting daily but not officially consulting – introducing themselves as “Jean’s friends” – who happened to be from palliative care. The ICU attending had tacitly agreed to the consult, telling the palliative care team, “whatever Jean wants”. My initial reaction was no, we didn’t need that, we knew that she potentially could have a poor outcome and were talking openly about it. If anything, I told the palliative care team, my dad needed a ray of hope, not a discussion about the “what if’s”. It was an eye-opening moment for me – to consider the “meaning” of requesting an official palliative care consult and to confront my own perceptions and biases, despite intellectually knowing better. Was I falling into the same “it’s not time yet” mindset that frustrates us so frequently as palliative care professionals? Why would making it “official” be any different from the daily visits that the team was already doing? How would my dad and my siblings perceive my request for an “official” palliative care consult? Would they think that I had “given up” by recommending a palliative care consult? Why didn’t I trust what we do so well in palliative care – starting with assessing the patient (if able) and family understanding of the current situation and addressing identified needs? Why couldn’t palliative care be as much about “hoping for the best” as it is about “planning for the worst”? I told the palliative care team that they needed to “hit me over the head” if I was in denial or not thinking rationally about this clearly reasonable request.
Welcome to the monthly edition of Palliative Care Grand Rounds the monthly review of the best of hospice and palliative care content from blogs. We started in February of 2009 and are almost done with our second full year. To see previous editions of Palliative Care Grand Rounds go the http://palliativecaregr.blogspot.com/. This summer has been … Read morePalliative Care Grand Rounds 2.9
The AAHPM Delegation to the American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates welcomed back a good friend and effective representative at the AMA’s 2010 Annual Meeting in Chicago, held June 12-15. Dennis S. Pacl, MD FACP – who was instrumental in the securing the Academy’s seat in the House and once served as its delegate – rejoined the team as Alternate Delegate.
Saudi ARAMCO Medical Services Organization May 24-26, 2010 I participated in a fascinating international medical conference at the Saudi ARAMCO hospital in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. I was invited to speak on palliative care topics during a geriatric and palliative care conference by Dr. Richard Dupee, chief, Geriatrics Service, Tufts Medical Center. Dr. Charles Cefalu, a … Read moreA Member’s Perspective on the Geriatrics and Palliative Care Conference in Saudi Arabia
I often encounter misconceptions about elder mistreatment. The following are the most frequent misconceptions and my responses to them. Please let me know by your replies if you agree with the following.
What, if anything, is the relationship between geriatrics and palliative medicine? They are clearly separate fields, each with their own distinct areas of competence and interests. There is though an area of overlap that holds the power to transform the way we care for patients with advanced illness. We saw a preview of this at … Read moreHospice & Palliative Care at the American Geriatrics Society Meeting