End-of-life

Hospice Care: Help During End Stages of Life

…We knew Dad was wearing down. He didn’t have long to live, but did he have to be in such discomfort? I wanted him...

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Music-Thanatology: Providing Harmony at the End of Life

The mission of hospice providers is to help people live their last months or weeks of life in the most comfortable, dignified, and satisfying...

This indoor image shows two cupped hands containg small pills. One is a white capsule, one is a small round orange tablet.

Losing the Ability to Swallow: How to Help Someone With Dysphagia

Coping with an ill loved one’s difficulty swallowing can be frustrating and frightening for everyone involved. Caring for someone we love means nurturing and...

Why So Many Long-Married Couples Die Close Together

While death rarely brings pleasant feelings, from time to time we’ll see a story about death go viral on the Internet because it touches...

An extreme closeup of a the lower portion of a feminine face and black clad shoulder is all we see. We can see a portion of the ear and lower eye, half the nose, and half of the mouth that wears rose lipstick. Quiet tears stream down the cheek.

How to Engage in Self-Care While Grieving

Many caregivers watch their loved ones endure a long, slow decline that will eventually end in death. As they age, we grieve every mental...

The image shows a cream knit background - maybe a swerater. On it are some votive candles, one small goard, and a wooden plaque that reads, "My brain has too many tabs open.

Universal Phrases for That Help Caregivers Find Serenity

Life isn’t easy for most people, and it’s not perfect for anybody. Sometimes, as we trudge through the days providing help for our care...

this is a very close image of an older woman with whispy white hair, medium framed plastic rimmed glasses and a serious expression. Her white top is barely visible.

Delirium After an Older Adult’s Hospitalization Is a Legitimate Concern

Dear Carol: My 95-year-old mom was recently hospitalized for pneumonia. While there, she developed delirium and didn’t even know the family. The hospital staff...

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Relief Mixed with Grief Normal After a Suffering Loved One’s Death

Dear Carol: My mom died after five years of living with dementia symptoms along with decades of pain from rheumatoid arthritis. Her death has...

A familiar orange prescription bottle lays on its side, uncapped. Two-toned green capsules spill onto a gray table.

How To Get People With Dementia To Take Pills

Dementia care demands incredible creativity. The ever-changing needs of the person who has dementia challenge family caregivers and professionals alike. One particular frustration is...

This image has a cloudy, rainy background. We see a woman with bobbed gray hair from the back. Her gray-clad shoulders are bent forward in grief..

Grief: The Way to Continue On Is to Work Through It

Dr. Gail Gross, Ph.D., doctor of education, is a nationally recognized family, child development, and human behavior expert, author, and educator. She has contributed...