by Tony Doherty http://us9.campaign-archive2.com/?e=3f5f599bc5&u=d271338e1956a8bd6631e2743&id=5e6a3f9721 We are never more human than when we are grieving. A strange claim? Perhaps that statement even sounds a little harsh, unfeeling. Grief can be excruciating. It is almost always accompanied by pain. We try to avoid it – even avoid thinking about it. But stop and consider … Read more
Noelene graduates today at the Liverpool Hospital Palliative Care Volunteer training program. It’s a great program run by great people. She receives her certificate from Janeane Harlum, the area Palliative Care Manager and Alex Huntir, of Palliative Care NSW. https://www.swslhd.health.nsw.gov.au/cancer/pallcareVolunteer.html
“With impending death, the circulation slows, the heartbeat weakens, and the breathing gets slower or more irregular, but just as the heart beat and breathing case, the brain seems to have a burst of activity.” – So says Dr Michael Barbato in a recent interview. The interview can be found … Read more
A photo of my mother just with me – something very rare. It’s Mother’s Day in Australia – a chance to reflect on all the lovely mothers who have gone before us. I’m loving seeing my friends tributes splashed across social media. I love especially the photos of women taken … Read more
Patient advocate Dorothy Kamaker reports this note from the coalface in her advocacy work. “Deirdre wanted her 93-year-old mother Helen to be allowed to die. Helen had been three weeks in hospital with a terminal illness and was being “tortured” by futile treatments with no hope of recovery. For Deirdre, … Read more
It’s easy to miss the practical companioning aspect to the care of the dying in our modern, acute-care oriented health system. Creativity and Life coach Helen Carmichael lives in a Bondi flat with a view over that iconic Sydney beach and she watched from her window as an elderly neighbour lay … Read more
It is fascinating but not surprising how experiences of grief can be quite different. “My mother died in a car crash. She drove into the path of an oncoming vehicle about 15 years ago – fully her fault,” Graham said. “We felt no anger at either her or the other … Read more
Just the sort of conversation we need: thought provoking discussion over a cup of tea. The program looks great and the speakers inspiring. North Sydney Council continues to provide community events (in Covid-19 safe times). In Conversations – Death and Dying The North Sydney Community Centre also hosted these great … Read more
A friend on the other side of the world is grieving today because her father has died. When I go to pick up the phone it is her night time; our dark and light are not in sync. So no words seem quite right just now. Instead, just thoughts…… Megan … Read more
What a wonderful idea! The Reflected Legacy project with artist Flutter Lyon has been started to bring comfort, support and creativity to the Palliative Care Ward at Liverpool Hospital,Sydney. The goal is to transform a grey hospital ward with colour and conversation, and capture the life stories of people who … Read more
“Oh dear!” Linda Hansen groaned as she looked at yesterday’s goodgrief60.wordpress.com posting. Linda is the Executive Officer of Palliative Care NSW and every time a story comes out, like the one I posted yesterday, she frets that the good people working in palliative care will feel undervalued. That posting picked … Read more
The Conversation Project is dedicated to helping people talk about their wishes for end-of-life care. Statistics show that everything Ellen Goodman says about the American experience is the same in Australia. That is, we have the same gap between the death people say they want and the death they have. … Read more
When Mark’s partner Jane died, he didn’t expect the reaction of her family.
If an expected death happens in the middle of the night definitely wait until morning…
Traecey was in a car accident when she was in her early twenties and nearly died. She spent many long days in the intensive care unit, fighting for her life. One day Traecey was unconscious and delirious. She told her mother, Pat that her Auntie Bonnie had been to visit. … Read more