end-of-life-conversations

Advance Care Directives – do they really work?

An elderly man sits at a computer

Circling back to advance care directives, which we like to do regularly, newly published research shows: The study only involved 16 A&E professionals. But these take-outs show a lot more work needs to be done on advance care directives in Australia. “Experiences of Australian emergency doctors and nurses using advance … Read more

Who Am I Without David?

a single glass of wine

David, my partner of nearly 30 years always said that I was his ‘right arm’.   When he died suddenly while we were overseas, just over four years ago, I felt as though all I had left was my right arm.    My whole body, my whole sense of self, had completely turned on … Read more

The things people say

older women walking

I have just come through another Christmas without David and am being catapulted (it feels) into the forthcoming anniversary of his sudden death in Italy.   Being nearly four years in one would hope that I would not only be used to the variety of things people can say (both helpful … Read more

Wishes about organ donation and the twist in advance care directives.

Operation being performed

In Australia, your advance care directive wishes about organ donation won’t be followed if you haven’t taken one crucial extra step. You need to register your donation at donatelife.gov.au, even though you’ve clearly stated in your advance care directive that you want to donate your organs. DonateLife explains. It seems … Read more

Reflecting on grief for Body and Soul.

We were reflecting on grief recently, when Cockatoo Media’s Body and Soul podcast’s Jason Dasey and Alex Hyndman Hill interviewed me. If you’d like to listen, here is the interview. Alex asked about the good death. “A Good death is defined differently from one group to another. In our culture … Read more

Crucial end of life conversations

The many allied health professionals oncology patients have to navigate can be overwhelming. Photo - National Cancer Institute.

by Sandra Moon. This article was updated on April 13, 2023. It discusses end of life conversations. ‘I feel his organs are shutting down,’ my mother said on the phone. But how? Two days before Mum had rung me to ask for help getting Dad to the emergency ward at … Read more

Artificial Intelligence in the end of life space.

This article was updated on September 12, 2022. It discusses artificial intelligence at the end of life. Suggesting artificial intelligence (AI) be used in the end of life space, might make the heart race, or cause you to recoil in horror. Do we really want to use artificial intelligence at … Read more