Monthly Archives: June 2017

A time historically reserved for barbecues, pool parties and longed-for vacations, summer is now officially in full swing. Unfortunately, the fun is oftentimes on hold for families who have a loved one facing a life-limiting illness. Yet, festivities don’t need to be paused. Why not? If the affected loved one was open to hospice, the family can still make the most of life. But where does one even begin discussing hospice with a loved one?

It has been more than a year since the Discovery Channel’s Mythbusters last aired, leaving a void in people’s need to know what is true or false. So today, we take up the reins and set the record straight with regard to hospice myths.

Earlier this week on the blog (see Complementary Therapy: Comfort Available in Unexpected Ways), we introduced the concept of complementary therapy to help hospice patients with their symptom management. We shared the available options that require licensure of practitioners. Today, we expand complementary therapy possibilities to include practices that can be initially taught and then performed at home: tai chi and yoga.

Trouble getting a solid 40 winks? Battling nausea when the sight of your favorite foods comes into view? Overwhelming anxious feelings at the drop of a dime? Experiencing unrelenting pain 24 hours a day/7 days a week? Most hospice patients, at one time or another, will face these battles during the course of their illness. Sometimes symptom management isn’t easy, and traditional methods just don’t quite make the grade. But comfort is available in unexpected ways─complementary therapy.

In yesterday’s blog post titled “Caught in the Middle: Sandwich Generation Explained,” we started at the ground floor and sketched out exactly what the title states. Today we tackle the issue of caring for caregivers because as responsibilities for the sandwich generation increase, stress invariably stakes a claim and camps out in their lives.

Panini bread, romaine lettuce, plum tomato, Swiss cheese, smoked turkey, dab of mayo and Dijon mustard … some delish fixin’s for an awesome sandwich. Depending on your likes, there are many other types of sandwiches people across the globe create daily. But then aside from foodies’ needs and desires, there’s another type of sandwich being concocted. It is a sandwich made when an adult or couple cares for both older parents and children—better known as the Sandwich Generation.