Monthly Archives: March 2012

die gently?

How can we live well to the end and die gently? :- Doug.

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We cannot cure death

We cannot cure death Yet we act as though we could Or as if we wished we could Yet if we see death not as end But as a chapter We might write it well Live it artfully :- Doug.

Posted in Death and living while dying, Eldering, Emergency/Crisis Medical, Family, Healing and Wholeness, Poetry | Leave a comment

Imagine conversing with your family….

Imagine conversing with your family about the things brought up in considering your final chapter. Think of the specific people you’d want to talk with. Who would be easiest to talk with? Where would you be? How would you start? … Continue reading

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Beyond death as failure?

How could we, today, here, work to change our cultural view from death as failure, to something wiser and more human? :- Doug.

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Hear Doug on good medical decisions

Friends– On Tuesday I had the pleasure of being on Dale Carter’s Blog Talk Radio show to converse about “How to Help Your Aging Parent with Crisis Medical Decisions.” The program was recorded, and you can listen to it here: … Continue reading

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A pill for this/A pill for that…

A pill for this A pill for that But no pill to Keep us from Getting fat! :- Doug.

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This matters

End of Life Matters. :- Doug.

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Caring is about…

Caring is about heart. :- Doug.

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Defining physician failure & success

There are physician practices who define failure as not having gotten patients on hospice in the last month of life. What’s good and not about that? :- Doug.

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Families think together

Let’s help our family think together about ways to live more fully as family. Nursing homes are not storage bins; long-term care is not all or even mostly about money and disease: these are places people live, and we can … Continue reading

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You’re the same age

You’re the same age as your friends going into nursing homes. You know things about them, what they like, jokes they get, what you and they lived through: things their kids—another generation—could never understand. Share those things. Love does. :- … Continue reading

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Deeper with Alzheimer’s

How do we get to the deeper with a elder, say in an Alzheimer’s setting? What do they love, what did they love, what would make them more comfortable? Brandy on the gums, a grandchild’s hug, a song to sing, … Continue reading

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Know any elders doing amazing things?

Hi– Do you know any elders doing amazing things? For instance, look at Glen Campbell, still singing professionally even though he has Alzheimer’s. If you know personally anybody doing amazing things, we’d like to share about them here–tell us their … Continue reading

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Video: family overriding your wishes

Here is a 12-minute video showing what can happen if your family does not understand your health care wishes: When family overrides your wishes: video and article. What do you think? What would you want done? If you were the … Continue reading

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Things to consider with my family:

Things to consider with my family: • Whom do I have to hug? Whom do I have to call? Take a break now and call them. Tell them you love them; tell them you want to talk about these things … Continue reading

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Each death informs us so

Each death informs us so Life is a many plaited thing No prior answer is good for now :- Doug.

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Play in late stages

Friend Bernie DeKoven has this wonderful post about play and Alzheimer’s folks: http://www.deepfun.com/fun/2012/03/play-in-late-stages/ You will be glad you took a look…. :- Doug.

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