Author Archives: deb

Death is never easy to understand at any age. Deep insight can be revealed about children’s grief when play therapy is introduced into the equation.

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.

Does the following ring true about your past habits? Have you ever lathered up with baby oil in preparation for a glorious day spent on Clearwater Beach getting a tan? Or did you buy a five-session package of tanning salon sessions due to your desire to not look pale as a ghost for an upcoming vacation? If these scenarios sound familiar, hopefully by now, you have corrected your habits of old and opted for applying lotion with a high SPF when outdoors, and said no to speedy tanning on ultraviolet (UV) radiation beds. But is that enough to protect you against skin cancer?

Being involved with veterans and their loved ones through hospice provides a powerful way to say thank you to the brave men and women who have sacrificed much so that we can be free.