Caregiving

“The nurse said they would call APS if I didn’t find a caregiver for my mom at night.  They’d call APS for negligence.  I don’t understand why they would do that.  I’m trying my best to take care of her.  I’m here during the day, and she’s just sleeping at night when I work nights.”   As a palliative care physician (read Post 1: What Exactly Does a Palliative Care Specialist Do? ), I often hear from family members their struggles while caring for their loved one when their lo

"He's being lazy.  He was fishing a year and half ago.  He should be able to get out of bed." "He's being stubborn.  He knows what he...

“I don’t think Mom should drive anymore.  I tell her, but she doesn’t listen to me!”   When I used to conduct palliative care home visits...

"Can you recommend any books I can read with my kids to help me talk about dying?" is a question I occasionally hear during a palliative...

A “sliding doors moment” is a seemingly inconsequential moment that ultimately affects the trajectory of future events in a dramatic...

If we have always equated taking medications with protecting our health – “Take your blood pressure pills. It’ll decrease your risk of...

Writing this entry is a means of letting out and letting go of one of my frustrations as an advocate. I consider any of us attempting to...

We have probably felt demoralized at certain points in our lives: - receiving a "Needs Improvement" on an annual evaluation from your...

Certain words seem to inspire strong instinctive emotional responses when expressed among patients, family members, doctors, nurses, and...

When I used to do home palliative care visits (read Post 1: What Exactly Does a Palliative Care Specialist Do?), I would often see...