In this final episode of 2016 Dr. Wyatt thanks all of the patrons who have generously made contributions on Patreon.com/eolu this year! Thank you for offering your support for this podcast and the End-of-Life University interview series!
In this look back at 2016 we talk about the following positive events in the end-of-life arena:
- In January JAMA dedicated a special issue to “Death, Dying and the End-of-Life”, which represents a positive breakthrough in awareness of EOL issues by the medical profession
- Medical schools began adopting new training programs for students in pain management, palliative care, and communication skills around advance care planning. There is a college-level program that pairs pre-med students with hospice patients
- Nursing homes and long-term care facilities are bringing in children and college students to interact with patients
- Dementia rates in the US have dropped in the past year
- Pilot studies are underway involving providing education and training to family caregivers and providing a small stipend to caregivers
- A demonstration project is underway to study the benefits of providing curative care simultaneously with hospice care
- Studies showed that palliative care lowers healthcare costs along with providing increased quality of life, improved pain management and fewer hospital days
- Harvard study of adult development showed that relationships are a key to longevity
- California and Colorado both passed assisted dying laws in 2016
- The nation’s first conference on VSED was held this year
- Conversation Sabbath took place for the first time in November, bringing discussions about death and dying into places of worship
- Dying to Know Day was held in the US, inspired by the movement in Australia
- Miss Norma, a 90-year old woman who refused treatment for her cancer, spent most of the year traveling around the country in an RV with her son and daughter-in-law, fully enjoying the last days of her life
Thank you for tuning in to the EOLU Podcast during 2016! I hope this has been a positive and productive year for you. May 2017 be filled with growth, surprises, peace and joy! See you next year and until then …
Face Your Fears. BE Ready. Love Your Life.
