Addressing The Range of Patient Beliefs About COVID-19
by Lyle Fettig (@FettigLyle)I ’ve been thinking about my role as a physician in responding to skepticism about a range of COVID topics, especially as we approach the holidays and all the tension about difficult recommendations to forgo traditional Thanksgiving dinners. As I think about our current situation, I can’t help but recall an encounter I had with a patient many years ago.In winter 2008 after President Obama was first elected, I saw a woman in clinic who said she was disappointed by the election result. She cited a jaw dropping falsehood about what she thought his election would mean for healthcare, and especia...
Source: Pallimed: A Hospice and Palliative Medicine Blog - November 21, 2020 Category: Palliative Care Tags: communication covid fettig Source Type: blogs
End-of-life conversations: Why physicians should embrace the responsibility
Like most situations that physicians encounter in their work, end-of-life conversations are not easy and require preparation and training. Yet these patient discussions are among the most satisfying I ’ve experienced in my career because they’ve made me feel that I’ve made a true difference, offering comfort and a certain level of control to patients and […]Find jobs at Careers by KevinMD.com. Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now. Learn more. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - November 20, 2020 Category: General Medicine Authors: < span itemprop="author" > < a href="https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/caroline-defilippo" rel="tag" > Caroline DeFilippo, MD < /a > < /span > Tags: Conditions Palliative Care Source Type: blogs
Palliative care and the importance of holding space [PODCAST]
“Holding space means being physically, mentally, and emotionally present for someone. It means putting your focus on someone to support them as they feel their feelings. An important aspect of holding space is managing judgment while you are present. Like when you tell a patient that they have stage IV pancreatic cancer and that it […]Find jobs at Careers by KevinMD.com. Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now. Learn more. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - November 11, 2020 Category: General Medicine Authors: < span itemprop="author" > < a href="https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/the-podcast-by-kevinmd" rel="tag" > The Podcast by KevinMD < /a > < /span > Tags: Podcast Palliative Care Source Type: blogs
How to Stay Sane During the Holidays as a Sandwich Generation Caregiver
Photo credit Maria Khrapova
If one can believe the old Westerns, frontier women were the ultimate multi-taskers. They could rock a cradle with their foot to quiet a squalling baby while pounding out bread dough with their fists, minding a full crew of young kids and maybe dodging a few bullets in the process. Oh, yeah, and since it was just days before Christmas, these women would also be knitting gifts for the family during odd bits of time. That scenario sounds like a walk in the park compared to the lives of some modern caregivers, especially those who belong to the sandwich generation. These men and women w...
Source: Minding Our Elders - November 10, 2020 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Carol Bradley Bursack Source Type: blogs
Medical aid in dying is not assisted suicide [PODCAST]
“To help the reader understand the issues better, I would like to relate some stories. A friend of mine was dying of pancreatic cancer. He had an implantable morphine pump and was on both hospice and palliative care. Still, he found that his suffering was unbearable and wanted to die sooner. Doctors told him that […]Find jobs at Careers by KevinMD.com. Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now. Learn more. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - November 9, 2020 Category: General Medicine Authors: < span itemprop="author" > < a href="https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/the-podcast-by-kevinmd" rel="tag" > The Podcast by KevinMD < /a > < /span > Tags: Podcast Palliative Care Source Type: blogs
Joining the World of Someone Living with Dementia Is Different Than Lying
Dear Carol: My mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s a year ago. Her memory was a problem early on but now she’s also started to make things up. She thinks events from the past are real and she doesn’t realize she’s forgetting the present. She’s often confused about her surroundings, too. I’ve been told that you’re supposed to agree with people with dementia rather than trying to make them see the truth, but I’ve always prided myself on being direct so lying goes against my grain. How do I lie to her when I hate lying to anyone? – MC
Continue reading on Inforum for more insight into why joining someone who l...
Source: Minding Our Elders - November 8, 2020 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Carol Bradley Bursack Source Type: blogs
November Appropriate Month for Celebrating Hospice and Palliative Care
“I hope we don’t have another funeral this Christmas,” my young son said after we wrapped up Halloween. Hearing my child voice that fear nearly broke my heart, but our family had endured the deaths of two elders during the last two Christmas seasons so why wouldn't he wonder if this year would be the same? Thankfully, that particular year we didn’t have a funeral during the season, though we did have another death at that time the following year. So, when it comes to death during the holidays, I have had some experience. I’ve also learned a lot since then about how hospice can not only make the death proces...
Source: Minding Our Elders - November 7, 2020 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Carol Bradley Bursack Source Type: blogs
Siblings Who Feel Shut Out of Caregiving
Photo credit Sydney Sims
There’s a great deal of anger in the world of family caregiving over siblings who don’t help care for their aging parents. Very often, it’s the adult child who lives closest to Mom and Dad who ends up assuming the role of primary caregiver, especially in cases where some degree of hands-on care is required. While this may be a logistically sound arrangement, it doesn’t mean this adult child is best suited emotionally, financially or practically for the job. Even the most well-prepared caregiver needs assistance and reinforcements from time to time. If one’s siblings cannot be physic...
Source: Minding Our Elders - November 6, 2020 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Carol Bradley Bursack Source Type: blogs
Informed Consent & Surrogate Consent – Clinical Ethics Conference 11/09/20
Join me on Monday, November 9, 2020, for an all-day clinical ethics conference with the Vermont Ethics Network and the Palliative Care & Pain Management Task Force.8:30 – 9:45am: Thaddeus M. Pope, JD, PhD: Informed Consent: Ethics & the La... (Source: blog.bioethics.net)
Source: blog.bioethics.net - November 5, 2020 Category: Medical Ethics Authors: Thaddeus Mason Pope, JD, PhD Tags: Health Care syndicated Source Type: blogs
Mistakes to Avoid When Caregiving for Someone Living With Dementia
Most of us who have cared for someone living with dementia have tried our best to determine how best to provide that care. We research. We try putting ourselves in their place. We do our best to be patient because we understand that they can’t help their having the disease. Still, we are human and we make mistakes. While we shouldn’t wallow in guilt when we do make mistakes as a care partner, there are situations that we should try extra hard to avoid. Here are nine of them.
View slideshow on HealthCentral for more insight into what you can avoid making caring for someone with dementia harder for you both:
Genera...
Source: Minding Our Elders - November 4, 2020 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Carol Bradley Bursack Source Type: blogs
What to Do If You Suspect Neglect or Abuse in Your Parent's Retirement Home
Photo credit Tim Doerfler
I think most of us approach the idea of sharing the care of an elder with a lot of trepidation. We have cared for them with one-on-one loving attention. We know their history, their preferences, their tempers and their needs. Bringing others, no matter how experienced, into the equation is counter-intuitive. However, for many of us, the time comes when we have no choice. Over the course of two decades, I cared for seven elders. All but two spent some time in a senior living facility - whether it be an assisted living community or a nursing home. During the 15 years I visited daily, I ...
Source: Minding Our Elders - November 3, 2020 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Carol Bradley Bursack Source Type: blogs
November Rocks! Egosan Celebrates Awareness of Alzheimer ’s, Palliative and Hospice Care, and Family Caregivers
November is a month of awareness and Egosan is eager to be part of these celebrations. So, let’s begin by letting you know just what’s up in health awareness for this month that ends with a focus on gratitude.
Alzheimer’s disease awareness
While several times each year Alzheimer’s awareness events are in the news, in the US, National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month is celebrated in November. The best known and most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s so it is often the headliner of events, but there are over 100 types of cognitive diseases that can cause dementia type symptoms.
Continue reading to learn more abo...
Source: Minding Our Elders - November 2, 2020 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Carol Bradley Bursack Source Type: blogs
Incontinence Embarrassment Can Be Overcome with Support
Dear Carol: I’m a 65-year-old man who had prostate surgery for cancer that left me incontinent. While I’m certainly grateful that the surgery stopped my cancer, I’m really embarrassed by my incontinence. I hate even doing things with my buddies because I feel like a baby who hasn’t been toilet trained. How do I learn to be happy about my new post-cancer life? Classic cars are my thing and I want to join the guys at the car club while we restore them, but I just can’t make myself go away from the house. My wife says that I just have to get on with it, but how do I do that? – Classic Man
Continue rea...
Source: Minding Our Elders - October 27, 2020 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Carol Bradley Bursack Source Type: blogs
Temporarily Switching up Incontinence Management Could Make Dad ’s Trip Possible
Dear Carol: My father is 72 and is in the moderate stages of dementia. Before his dementia diagnosis, he was an active hunter and fisherman. He also has incontinence issues due to prostate cancer, surgery, and treatment. This requires an external urinary attachment system to maintain an active daily life. My mother, as his primary caregiver, works diligently to keep the system and attachments clean and in working order. However, he is at the stage in his dementia journey where he is not able to maintain this attachment on his own. Yet he is defiant when we try to explain that he cannot go on trips with friends becaus...
Source: Minding Our Elders - October 26, 2020 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Carol Bradley Bursack Source Type: blogs
Could a New Medication Be the Cause of Mom ’s More Frequent Falls?
Dear Carol: My mom had a lot of health problems in her life, so her prescription list is long. Yet, sure enough, after her last doctor visit, she got yet one more prescription. Now, just a week after starting this new medication, she’s fallen three times. She frequently fell before, so I don’t want to jump to conclusions, but this seems extreme. Could medications cause this? Is this okay that she has so many medications? – Worried About Mom’s Meds
Continue reading on Egosancares for more insight into how some medications can increase the risk of senior falls:
Purchase Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Pers...
Source: Minding Our Elders - October 24, 2020 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Carol Bradley Bursack Source Type: blogs
