Latest terminal illness Stories
AgingCare.com survey data reveals that the majority of family caregivers support their elderly loved one's ability to seek physician-assisted suicide as means to end terminal suffering NAPLES, Fla., June 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Last month, Vermont became the third state to legalize physician-assisted suicide. With at least seven additional states currently considering similar legislation, AgingCare.com conducted a survey to gauge sentiment among those who are closest to the patients...
Vermont Becomes First Legislature to Enact End-of-Life Choice Legislation MONTPELIER, Vt., May 20, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Vermont's leading end-of-life choice advocacy group, Patient Choice Vermont, today celebrates Governor Peter Shumlin signing into law historic legislation granting terminally-ill patients the right to control the timing and manner of their passing. "We are proud Vermont is the first state in the nation to establish this right through legislation," said...
A study by Tracy A. Balboni, M.D., M.P.H., of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, and colleagues suggests that spiritual care and end-of-life (EoL) discussions by the medical team may be associated with reduced aggressive treatment. The study included 343 patients with advanced cancer. EoL care in the final week included hospice, aggressive EoL measures (care in an intensive care unit, resuscitation or ventilation), and ICU death. Patients reporting high spiritual support from...
April 16 is Healthcare Decisions Day, and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization stresses the importance of people talking frankly about the care they would or would not want if ever faced with a serious medical condition or life-limiting illness. Alexandria, VA (PRWEB) April 16, 2013 NHPCO along with other national, state, and community organizations are raising awareness of the importance of advance healthcare decision-making. This includes completing an advance directive...
Terminally ill cancer patients who have an early talk with their physician about care at the end-of-life are less likely to receive aggressive therapy – and more likely to enter hospice care – than patients who delay such discussions until the days and weeks before death, a new study by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers suggests. Having a conversation about end-of-life care several months before their condition begins to deteriorate may enable patients to think through their...
WASHINGTON, Nov. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Hospice Foundation of America (HFA) will present a live, online webinar focusing on Helping Children Cope with Their Own Dying or with the Death of Loved Ones on Tuesday, November 20, from noon--1:30pm ET. Kenneth J. Doka, Ph.D. and Sherry Schachter, Ph.D., FT, will focus on two aspects of anticipatory mourning: those experienced by dying children and those experienced by children coping with the illness and potential...
Family members who care for terminally ill patients at home can be helped by nurses throughout the course of the illness and particularly after the patient's death, according to Penn State nursing researchers. The death of a loved one can be particularly hard for those who were involved in the day-to-day care of the person. This transition can be eased by existing support from nurses and other medical professionals. "What we know is that the caregiver's primary contact with the health...
Hospice volunteers help people facing terminal illness. Pathways’ volunteer training covers the basic principles of hospice, understanding the special needs of patients and their families, effective communication, patient care, pain and symptom management, spiritual care giving, and understanding grief and loss. Hospice volunteers are trained in listening skills, family dynamics and the right words to say to patients and their loved ones at the end of life. Sunnyvale, CA (PRWEB) February...
SUNRISE, Fla., Nov. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Interim HealthCare®, the nation's first and finest home healthcare franchise company, today launched the fifth of its eight-part documentary series for 2011. In honor of National Hospice Month, this latest video highlights the importance of providing support to patients who are facing a terminally ill condition as well as the benefits and comfort Interim HealthCare Hospice can provide family members. (Logo:...
CLEVELAND, July 29, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- People mistakenly think hospice care is about dying... you call hospice when nothing more can be done. Nothing could be further from the truth. Hospice of the Western Reserve focuses on life by bringing comfort, dignity and peace to those facing serious illness. Hospice is about living life to its fullest. There are myths about hospice that keep people from getting the best care, when they need it most. Myth: Hospice means giving up hope....
