Hospice-palliative volunteers bring a unique perspective to the debate about physician-assisted suicide. Already legal in several states (Oregon, Washington, Montana, Vermont, and New Mexico), the law requires that the terminally ill must be of sou
Read more…Are burdens of dying worth benefits of extended life?
People don’t die like they used to die. They live longer with illnesses that progress while technology keeps them alive. Questions are asked about taking the technology too far or not far enough
Read more…Hospice patients are not always able to participate in some long-term-care social activities. But they should be encouraged to become involved when they can. Social interactions can improve their sense of belonging, distract them from being depress
Read more…Thousands of men and women die in prisons every year. It is estimated that 20% of America’s prison population will be elderly by 2025. Many will eventually need quality end-of-life care. More prisons are establishing hospice programs for an aging
Read more…Managing volunteers can be a consuming job with many issues to be considered. What do healthcare volunteer managers think are their greatest challenges and opportunities? A research study with volunteer managers from 105 hospitals in five states had
Read more…As more states prepare to follow Oregon, Washington, and Vermont in legalizing physician-assisted death, hospice programs continue to define ethical issues regarding this legislation. Around 90% of patients involved in using state regulated procedure
Read more…The first time I volunteered at a nursing home, I was a high school student. A smiling older woman savored applesauce I fed her. I still remember her joy whenever I eat applesauce. This scenario came about as part of my service activities in a school
Read more…You’re a hospice volunteer coordinator with a volunteer quota you’re always striving to maintain. How do you hold them? Read these research results explaining what volunteers say are their reasons for staying. What do you think is their number one re
Read more…“Some nights they kill me before I wake up.” (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder -- PTSD)
The number of veterans receiving hospice and palliative care continues to become a major area of expansion for the Veterans Health Administration. You can find mo
Read more…Hospice workers face unique challenges as they interact regularly with terminally ill patients and their families. How do workers in the various hospice disciplines rate their job satisfaction? Researchers at the Center for Bioethics at the Universi
Read more…I realize that death is still a scary topic to many people and that each case has to be evaluated separately. That's why having the practice of all employees being told to stop talking about their dead children at work legally supported in a court of
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Ten Steps to Being a Great Hospice Volunteer
By Frances Shani Parker, Author
Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes
1) Remember why you serve.
There’s a reason you feel compelled to enhance lives of th
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Should people be thinking about holiday deaths during the holiday season? Research from the University of California confirms that they should. Using official U.S. death certificates in various hospitals around Christmas and New Year, researcher
Being diagnosed as terminally ill and given an estimate of six months to live can be
very traumatic for many patients. Some who were normally confident and proactive in their demeanor can feel their self-esteem slipping away with each passing day.
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