Ventilators keeping more than 8000 patients alive, in nursing homes: it doesn’t seem plausible. But it’s true. In the US today approximately 8200 ventilators are being used in nursing homes, triggering a debate about whether these should be turned over to covid-19 patients, in the event of the country’s ventilator … Read more
We’ve found a good, practical, user-friendly resource that can help you with advance care planning if you become ill with Covid-19. The following message comes from, the US, one of the busiest countries dealing with Covid-19. Thank you very much to Colorado Care Planning at https://coloradocareplanning.org/ who helped us track … Read more
Patients who need resuscitation are being managed very differently because of Covid-19, something that is causing concern for emergency medicine specialists. They fear that resuscitation efforts won’t meet the standard we are used to in emergency departments, so non-Covid-19 patients will become ‘collateral damage’. “I understand that we need to protect … Read more
Sydney reader Sue Reid has written a testimonial of A Good Death, available through Murdoch Books. This book has been of great use to my family as we reorganised mum (aged 90 years) and dad’s (aged 91 years) affairs over the past year. Their will was over 10 years old … Read more
We had a great discussion about the things you need to do to be well- organised in the event of your demise, at the North Sydney Rotary lunchtime meeting, from 1pm March 5, 2020. The organisers said we had a ‘full house’ with every member attending. The following list might … Read more
I’ve attached a great article from the Canadian newspaper, Edmonton Journal, which shows the growing acceptance of shrouds with no coffin burials, even among traditionalists. It says the Anglican church in Alberta is recognising the environmental concerns of its congregation, something that is catching on everywhere. My cover photo, which … Read more
The subject of painful death came up during a recent discussion about the palliative care needs of the elderly. “It’s probably more accurate to describe the discomforts of death, rather than pain at death, since for most people it is uncomfortable rather than painful,” a palliative care nurse explained. That’s … Read more
I’m going to show you contrasting end of life sick beds. I’m hoping these images will help you think about your end-of-life moment more realistically. The painting Death in the Sickroom, by Edvard Munch has the level of gravitas many of us imagine at our deathbeds. Everyone is very passive, … Read more
Updated 4 March, 2022. We’ve just had a wonderful chat with the team from ELDAC about end of life planning. They’ve asked us to remind readers to sign up to their ELDAC newsletter, which we urge you to do – (as long as you sign up to our Good Grief! … Read more
Sutherland Library’s meeting room was filled to capacity with about 100 people on August 8, 2019, and the Death Cafe organised by Home Instead’s Karen Buckley was fully subscribed within days of being advertised. Karen and her team had worked tirelessly to show people the importance of being well prepared. … Read more
I picked up many, many gems of wisdom from North Sydney’s ‘Conversations about Death and Dying’ on Saturday, (May 25, 2019.) It never ceases to amaze me that no matter how much you think you know about a subject there is always so much more to learn.
Christine from Brisbane’s father died in August, so not that long ago, as she explained on Radio National yesterday. She phoned in to speak on Hilary Harper’s Life Matters program: “Preparing for the loss of a loved one.” Christine’s father had a stroke 18 months before and as his death … Read more
“Have you been around during the last months of someone’s life, either a friend or a relative?”
Help with end of life care directions has just arrived – for elderly Australians – in the form of the ELDAC website. (https://www.eldac.com.au/) Funded and supported by the Australian Government, it’s an internet tool developed by palliative care experts from around the country. The package has documents, videos and information … Read more
My advance care directive is only short. I don’t want to say too much, be too specific and I’ve been very deliberate about this. Today I popped it up, sorting to the top of my list of computer folders. Of course I hope it won’t be needed for many years. But … Read more