Palliative Care

The old man’s friend: Refuse antibiotics to achieve a peaceful death

Conditions

August 20, 2023

“If you don’t know how to die, don’t worry; Nature will tell you what to do on the spot, fully and adequately. She will do this job perfectly for you.”
– M. Montaigne (1533-1592)

In 2021, former U.S. President Bill Clinton was rushed to a California hospital suffering from a urinary tract infection that had developed into sepsis, a life-threatening blood infection. According to the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence, …

A space to pause, reflect, and be in community

Vickie Leff, LCSW

Conditions

August 17, 2023

An excerpt from Mirrors and Windows: Reflections on the Journey in Serious Illness Practice. This reflection was written by Chris Onderdonk, one of over 50 contributors.

I’m sitting next to Tony in the surgical intensive care unit doing my best to make out what he’s writing. He’s intubated and I’ve just …

Providing care to conflicting beliefs [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

August 6, 2023

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Join Tyler Jorgensen, an emergency medicine and palliative care physician, and discover the profound insights he shares on the value of home visits in patient care. Explore the complexities of handling challenging situations, such as encountering conflicting …

Grief and healing: Navigating loss and meaningful connections

Richard E. Waltman, MD

Physician

July 24, 2023

My wife, Ruth, passed away in April, and I am currently struggling with the immense loss. I deeply miss her, and for the most part, I feel terrible. I haven’t reached a point of “getting over it.”

Since her death, numerous people, including relatives, friends, acquaintances, and caring individuals throughout my day, have approached me with the same question: How am I doing? Despite multiple attempts to respond, I still haven’t …

The meaning of death in medicine: the role of compassionate care in end-of-life patient care

Ton La, Jr., MD, JD

Physician

May 30, 2023

Death is an inevitable part of life, and in medicine, it is a topic that is frequently encountered. As medical professionals, we see patients who are faced with terminal illnesses and inevitably nearing the end of their lives. Dealing with death can be a daunting task, and it’s a topic that requires sensitivity, empathy, and compassion.

At the forefront of end-of-life care are the principles of compassionate care. It is about …

Unlocking the secrets of cancer conferences: an end-of-life counselor’s journey among pharmaceutical giants

Althea Halchuck, EJD

Conditions

May 27, 2023

“One should . . . be able to see things as hopeless and yet be determined to make them otherwise.”
– F. Scott Fitzgerald

I’m in a massive ballroom with numerous tables and promotional placards lining the walls and center. In attendance are every pharmaceutical manufacturer and their sales reps. All the biggies are here; Pfizer, Merck, Novartis, and AstraZeneca, to name a few. Their drugs are household names because they advertise …

Inside the life of a hospice physician: Bringing peace to the dying

Lauren Roth, MD

Physician

April 30, 2023

“I don’t know how you do what you do.” About 90 percent of the time, this is the response I get when I tell people that I am a hospice physician. “Isn’t it sad to work with dying people all the time? You lose all of your patients… that must be so difficult.”

Having been exposed to the many different ways that people can die throughout my medical training, I see …

Jimmy Carter’s end-of-life decision: Respecting patient autonomy and the importance of hospice care

Paul B. Hofmann, DrPH, MPH

Conditions

April 12, 2023

A KevinMD article about Jimmy Carter’s end-of-life care decision, “The heartbreaking story of Jimmy Carter: a call for Medicare reform in end-of-life care,” indicated that the former president’s decision was heartbreaking. However, I have a different view. In my opinion, the 39th president, at age 98, made an autonomous and well-informed decision.

On February 18, The Carter Center announced in a statement that “after a series of short hospital stays, …

The heartbreaking story of Jimmy Carter: a call for Medicare reform in end-of-life care

Kevin Haselhorst, MD

Conditions

April 4, 2023

The purpose of the serious illness conversation is to offer patients a clear choice between treating and not treating an incurable disease like liver cancer. The goal is to give the person permission to alleviate pain and suffering. The individual might decide to be treated as a patient or honored as a person if given this option near the end of life.

A non-serious illness conversation ends with the patient wishing …

Tom Brady’s legacy and the importance of personal integrity in end-of-life choices

Kevin Haselhorst, MD

Physician

March 29, 2023

With no true endgame or advance directive, Tom Brady’s legacy as an NFL superstar and family man remains nebulous.

Is his recent retirement from football officially the end? Will he entertain offers to stay alive and play one more year? With being at the 45-year-old “yard line” and facing the goalpost at the end of the football field, what’s his endgame for the next year?

When do the false promises end …

Finding peace through surrender: a personal exploration

Dympna Weil, MD

Physician

March 21, 2023

Words are everything.

They carry energy. They are the currency of our connection to each other. They are the currency through which we will share with future generations; they are how we communicate with people in generations past. And they carry weight in terms of how we speak to ourselves.

When we begin to grow in awareness of the words we are using and the language we choose, it sometimes becomes humbling …

Loving our pets through loss: Coping with the death of a family member

Nancie Wiseman Attwater

Conditions

March 12, 2023

My husband passed away six months ago, and it is quite evident to me that not only do I miss him, but so does our dog Grace. She adored Bill and would scamper to find him if I directed her to “Go find dad!” I no longer use the word dad, as that sets her off on a sad but fruitless chase around the house.

Very soon after Bill died, it …

Navigating the ethical minefield of assisted suicide [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

February 27, 2023

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Join us as we delve into the controversial topic of assisted suicide with our guest, Nicholas S. Tito, a medical student. This thought-provoking episode will explore the Western world’s growing support for legally assisted euthanasia and the …

The comfort of colleagues: a story of love and loss in palliative care

Eve Makoff, MD

Physician

February 27, 2023

“I just can’t. I can’t,” Wendy sobbed into my hair. We barely made it out the door when our bodies collapsed together, puddles holding puddles. The children, 5 and 7, had just left with their tiny grey backpacks, tiny soldiers off to the abyss. Pastel crayon drawings taped to every pale pink wall: “Mom! Get well soon!” But she wouldn’t. Rainbows and stick figures clung to the white paper on …

Jimmy Carter brings attention to hospice care: the compassionate side of modern medicine

Saurabh Gupta, MD

Conditions

February 20, 2023

The recent decision by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter to transition to hospice brings much-needed attention to this crucial part of health care. Hospice care is an essential and compassionate component of modern medicine, providing support and care to patients and families during the most challenging time of their lives. Historically, hospice care has been long stigmatized as giving up on treatment. However, the truth is the opposite. Hospice provides …

Ensuring your voice is heard: the importance of power of attorney, advance care directives, and POLST forms

Nancie Wiseman Attwater

Conditions

February 9, 2023

My husband was clearly losing his independence after a terminal diagnosis and many hospital visits. I was getting more and more responsibility, which I didn’t mind, but the best way we could handle it was just to let it happen. There was no way to stop it, so we just had to live with it. The changes were slow in coming, and eventually, my being responsible for everything just fell …

Cream Puff Days: Coping with grief and finding comfort

Nancie Wiseman Attwater

Conditions

February 1, 2023

I wrote an article on letting grief make you stronger and talked about a trip to the grocery store where I was not as strong as I hoped. I walked by the Cream Puffs and broke into tears. My husband passed away almost four months ago, and he always used to ask me to get cream puffs when I went to the store. I didn’t even think about it until …

A physician’s journey with COVID-19: reflections on mental coping mechanisms and seeking care [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

January 30, 2023

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In this episode, we hear from Alen Voskanian, a palliative care physician, who shares his personal experience with COVID-19. Dr. Voskanian reflects on the mental coping mechanisms he used to try and understand how he contracted the …

End-of-life choices: Why Medicare needs to change [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

Podcast

January 21, 2023

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End-of-life care is a crucial and often overlooked aspect of health care. In this episode, we speak with Kevin Haselhorst, an emergency physician and author who shares his insights on the challenges and opportunities in this area. …

The power of communication in palliative care: How words can heal and instill hope

Sahit Menon, Alec Terrana, Kathyrn Winters, MD, and Desiree Shapiro, MD

Physician

January 14, 2023

Effective communication has the potential to promote understanding, safety, and connection. It is the foundation of high-quality health care. Our use of language to heal is important in all facets of medicine, but words may be even more powerful when patients face a terminal diagnosis. When medications and life-saving interventions are less of a priority, language can instill hope and honor the human behind the illness. As such, I believe …

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