Communication

Post 38: Choosing Where, When, and How a Loved One Dies Takes Knowledge, Action, and Courage

Before I started working as a palliative care physician (read Post 1: What Exactly Does a Palliative Care Specialist Do?), I worked as a...

"When you go in to talk to him, don't use the 'H' word." "The 'H' word?" I asked as I quickly thought of every profanity in my...

(We all experience denial at various points in our lives. Some moments may be short lived - the shock and disbelief in witnessing a...

Sometimes during a palliative care visit (read Post 1: What Exactly Does a Palliative Care Specialist Do?), I am asked, "Do you have...

"I advise you to rip up the DNR form in front of them." I once shadowed a palliative care physician colleague (read Post 1: What Exactly...

"My daughter got so scared when I brought home a blank medical power of attorney form that she told me I should consider switching...

I have seen my healthcare colleagues become so focused on treating a patient, they forget that the patient is a person with a family. I...

Are you the designated family member responsible for communicating with your loved one's healthcare providers [read Post 4: Eleven Common...

Prognosis. Life expectancy. Survival rate. Outlook. Best case, worst case scenario. Sometimes a person does not want to know. Or it does...

When a person says, "It's all bad news! I turn off the TV so I don't have to listen," others tend to nod their heads in understanding....