Literature Review
All posts tagged with “General News | Changing the Culture of Dying.”
A plea before dying—on behalf of those who might need it
12/21/23 at 03:07 AMA plea before dying—on behalf of those who might need itBy Burt RiskedahlTwin Cities Pioneer PressDecember 19, 2023I am so grateful for many of the important legislative bills approved in the 2023 session of the Minnesota Legislature, particularly those that protect reproductive health rights, ensure LGBTQ access to needed care and treatment, and provide significant funding for increased access to education. ... Regretfully, the Legislature failed to enact another important measure, the Minnesota End-of-Life Options Act, that would have also provided important rights to people.
Dying without needless pain is a human right—just not in Virginia
12/21/23 at 03:03 AMDying without needless pain is a human right—just not in VirginiaBy Ryan GarnowskiRichmond Times-DispatchDecember 19, 2023As I sat beside my mother in hospice for 11 somber days, I couldn’t help but wonder if this supposed pinnacle of “comfort care” was truly the humane end many insisted it to be. ...There’s plenty of speculation one could make as to why MAID isn’t more widespread. ... Regardless of the reason, the fact remains: States without MAID policies are condemning the terminally ill to unnecessary anguish. ... Still, it’s precisely because our medical community can’t predict the time, manner or conditions of one’s death that MAID should be a no-brainer. Nearly all end-of-life reform advocacy groups make clear that a self-managed death isn’t the same as suicide or euthanasia, and is instead a peaceful, humane and seemingly preferable alternative to the horrible conditions some in their final days endure.
Terminally ill N.Y.ers deserve a peaceful death
12/19/23 at 03:35 AMTerminally ill N.Y.ers deserve a peaceful deathBy Jules Netherland, PhDNew York Daily NewsDecember 17, 2023At the height of the 2019 holiday season—on Christmas Eve—I received news no one wants to hear. My oncologist informed me that the lump I had found in my right breast was Stage 3 cancer, which had spread into the surrounding lymph nodes. [Click on the link above to read this author's personal story.] Enough is enough, Albany. All we’re asking for is the option to make an informed and deeply personal decision. Show me and all New Yorkers some love and let us have the option of a peaceful death on our own terms. Pass the Medical Aid in Dying Act now.
How one woman is honoring her late husband’s memory with a grief program at Sargento
12/19/23 at 03:03 AMHow one woman is honoring her late husband’s memory with a grief program at SargentoSheboygan (WI) PressDecember 17, 2023Plymouth, WI—Shirley Krause and her husband Randy Susen were inseparable for 30 years. ... Susen passed away July 4, 2020, at age 64, nearly a year after going to the ICU for the brain injury. ... Krause, a supply chain technology principal at Sargento, launched a life planning series in July focused on a grief and end-of-life planning for employees, one of several efforts she’s pursuing to honor her husband’s memory, along with hosting a widows’ support group, advocating for nursing home residents’ rights and supporting other families with traumatic brain injury survivors.
How medical aid in dying is bringing autonomy to end-of-life decisions
12/16/23 at 03:32 AMHow medical aid in dying is bringing autonomy to end-of-life decisionsPodcast: 1AHost: Lauren HamiltonWAMU-FM (Washington, DC)/NPRDecember 12, 2023As the American population gets older, people begin to plan for what the end of their lives will look like. It’s a conversation we explored on 1A earlier this year as a part of our ongoing coverage of aging in the United States. And during that conversation, you had a lot of questions for us. ... Since the end of Roe, the debate around bodily autonomy has grown increasingly contentious.
Maine university adds unique course to help with end-of-life care
12/16/23 at 03:27 AMMaine university adds unique course to help with end-of-life careWMTW-TVDecember 14, 2023Biddeford, ME—The University of New England Online is adding several new programs, including one designed to help improve end-of-life care in Maine. The End of Life Doula program is an eight-week, fully online course designed to provide students with the skills needed to provide compassionate, informed and supportive care for people and their families dealing with terminal illnesses or are nearing the end of their life.
Hospice care—the power of timely support
12/16/23 at 03:23 AMHospice care—the power of timely supportBy Kathleen Moskowitz, RN, BSN, MBADelaware County (PA) Daily TimesDecember 13, 2023Hospice means giving up. Hospice is depressing. Hospice is only available in a hospital. Misunderstandings like these cause people to avoid the topic of hospice until it becomes inevitable. However, limited knowledge and reluctance to engage in challenging conversations with family members and loved ones only result in delayed referrals.
New documentary revisits Terri Schiavo case
12/15/23 at 03:11 AMNew documentary revisits Terri Schiavo caseAxiosDecember 13, 2023A new documentary revisits the decades-old legal fight concerning Terri Schiavo—a Tampa Bay woman who remained in a persistent vegetative state for over ten years before she died in 2005. “Between Life & Death: Terri Schiavo’s Story” explores how the pro-life movement used Schiavo to further their aims and examines how her right-to-die case laid “the groundwork for a post-Roe America.”
Letters of Love—Nonprofit provides emotional support for children in hospitals
12/14/23 at 03:32 AMLetters of Love—Nonprofit provides emotional support for children in hospitalsWCCO-TV (Minneapolis, MN)December 11, 2023Orono, MN—It’s the time of year for giving and a Minnesotan is doing so on a scale so large, it can’t be measured. It’s a mission one woman started after her greatest gift was taken away. Grace Berbig grew up with so much love, but also a lot of pain. When she was 10, her mother was diagnosed with leukemia and eventually lost her battle with the disease. Editor's Note: Click the title to read more of this inspirational story.
Rosalynn Carter advocated for caregivers before the term was widely used. I’m so grateful.
12/08/23 at 04:00 AMRosalynn Carter advocated for caregivers before the term was widely used. I’m so grateful.By Mitul DesaiUSA TodayDecember 6, 2023It started with a story. When asked about her lifelong commitment to improving mental health services and support for caregivers, former first lady Rosalynn Carter would share her experience on the campaign trail: Exhausted caregivers urgently reaching to grab her hand. Families pleading for resources. Americans bravely sharing their stories of hurdles and heartache. From these anecdotes emerge a legacy marked by courage and compassion. A woman ahead of her time, fighting for caregivers before the term was even widely used. ... I fiscovered the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers as a vibrant resource in an otherwise desolate landscape of caregiver support. I participated in a series of workshops that RCI facilitated aimed at helping streamline the diverse experiences of caregiving into nine distinct stages. Our hope is that this new approach—which moves beyond diagnosis-driven categorization to focus instead on the types of support needed at each phase of the experience—will inform policy and practice for health practitioners, employers, policymakers and organizations serving caregiver needs.