Ep. 48 July End of Month Update on the End-of-Life with Dr. Karen Wyatt

In this episode Dr. Wyatt thanks her newest Patreon supporter, Elaine den Hoed. If you’d like to make a small donation to help cover the expenses of this podcast and the EOLU interview series go to www.patreon.com/eolu. Your help is greatly appreciated!

This episode includes:

• Nebraska’s plan to improve services for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients
• “Memory Cafes” taking place in Minnesota
• Study that looked at the utilization of Assisted Dying laws and found that none of the feared consequences have occurred: usage has been very low and there has been no “slippery slope” decline to euthanasia
• University of Vermont study showed significant disparity between physicians’ estimations of prognosis and patients’ understanding of their own prognosis, pointing out the need for better  doctor-patient communication
• Survey of Hem-Oncology MD’s showed that they feel patient’s unrealistic expectations of cure or prolonged life are the most common barrier to quality end-of-life care
• Study that found Palliative Care conversations about patient prognosis created PTSD  for family members has been widely criticized for the way it was set up
• Seniors are the fastest growing group of social media users
• Article discussing mourning rituals among animals
• Stephen Hawking declares “There is no afterlife.”
• Photo of fatal motorcycle crash site in Kentucky shows what some believe is a “spirit” hovering over the site
• Elderly couple in San Antonio who both have dementia died within 3 hours of one another while holding hands

Thanks for tuning in to the EOLU podcast! Be sure to come back every Monday and share these episodes with someone else who might find them helpful!

Remember:

Face Your Fears.          BE Ready.             Love Your Life.