Tag: dementia

EOLPodcast

Ep. 393 End-of-Life Care for People with Dementia with Barbara Karnes RN

kwyattmd

Learn about the challenges faced by caregivers for dementia patients and some creative ideas for offering support.

In this episode I welcome back my recurring guest Barbara Karnes, hospice nurse, speaker, thought leader, and expert on end-of-life care. She is the author of the “little blue hospice book” Gone From My Sight and her most recent book By Your Side: A Guide for Caring for the Dying at Home. We discuss the challenges of caring for a person with dementia and the impact that care can have on family members. Learn more about Barbara’s work at her website:

www.bkbooks.com

Get the book here

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • There are now over 7 million people with dementia in the US
  • Dementia patients require twice as many hours of care as other patients
  • The late stage of dementia can last 1-2 years; patients are eligible for hospice care during the last 6 months
  • How the last stage of life for dementia patients differs from that of other end-of-life patients
  • Why caregivers for dementia patients are much more likely to suffer exhaustion and depression
  • A marker to use for determining when a dementia patient is eligible for hospice
  • Why it’s essential to create an advance directive early in the course of dementia while the patient can make decisions
  • The need for “dementia doulas” to guide and assist caregivers
  • What happens when a caregiver can no longer take care of their loved one at home
  • How some financial planners are doing a better job talking to their clients about preparing for healthcare needs than medical providers are doing
  • Simple tips to help caregivers in the moment

Links mentioned in this episode:

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially my newest patron Barbara Richardson and thank you also to Jen Blalock for buying me a coffee! Your contributions make all the difference.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 369 Practical Tools for Home Caregivers with Barbara Karnes RN

kwyattmd

Learn useful tips for caring for a dying loved one at home and how to be better prepared for the challenge.

My special return guest is Barbara Karnes RN, hospice nurse, author, thought leader, and expert on end-of-life care. Barbara is going to be a recurring guest from now on, joining the podcast every other month to talk about hospice care. Today we discuss practical tools that caregivers need in order to care for themselves and their loved ones at the end of life. Barbara has written a new guide for caregivers called By Your Side that offers a tremendous number of resources and practical tips and she’ll share many of them with us today. Learn more about Barbara’s work at her website:

www.bkbooks.com

Get By Your Side here

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • The needs of caregivers are often overlooked by both hospital and hospice staffs
  • What caregivers need to know about food intake for patients at the end of life
  • The importance of keeping a written record of patient’s status throughout the day because it’s too hard to remember
  • The impact of sleep deprivation and fatigue on caregivers including lack of patience and flexibility
  • Why self-care for caregivers is essential and not selfish
  • How to set boundaries with a patient and why they are necessary
  • It’s not a failure to decide that home caregiving is too difficult
  • Why understanding the dying process is important for caregivers
  • How to find support in your community as a caregiver
  • How care of patients with dementia differs from other hospice patients
  • Basic information about pain management and symptom control

Links mentioned in this episode:

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If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially my newest patron Donna Fleming, and to those who have bought me a coffee and made a donation through Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 293 When Your Aging Parent Needs Help: A Step by Step Guide with Leslie Kernisan MD

kwyattmd

Learn about a helpful guidebook for people caring for elderly parents that addresses all the major challenges.

My guest Dr. Leslie Kernisan is a practicing geriatrician and the founder of the popular aging health website and podcast Better Health While Aging. She recently published the book When Your Aging Parent Needs Help to answer the many questions she has received from people struggling to care for their elderly parents. She shares many of the helpful tools and resources included in the book for dealing with our most pressing issues when we become involved in providing care to our older loved ones. Learn more at her website:

www.betterhealthwhileaging.net

Get the book here

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • Why good communication skills are important in caring for our parents
  • How to approach a challenging subject (e.g. the COVID vaccine) with reluctant elders
  • Remembering to respect what matters to our elders (your goals vs your parents’ goals)
  • What to say when the conversation hasn’t gone well
  • How to negotiate doctor visits with your parents: what to bring, what to ask
  • Self-care tips for caregivers feeling the strain of dealing with parents
  • When to let go and accept things as they are instead of trying to be perfect caregivers
  • What to do if parents become paranoid and blame you for things
  • Steps and tips to slow brain health decline due to Alzheimer’s

Links mentioned in this episode:

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu! Your contributions make all the difference!

EOLPodcast

Ep. 184 Caring for a Loved One with Dementia with Kathy Flora

kwyattmd

Learn some helpful advice for being a caregiver for a patient with dementia.

PodcastFlora

Today I talk with Kathy Flora who has served as her mother’s caregiver as she has journeyed through dementia. Kathy shares her wisdom and advice for those who find themselves in a similar role with a parent or other loved one. She is the author of the book “Walking My Momma Home: Finding Love, Grace, and Acceptance Through the Labyrinth of Dementia.” Learn more at Kathy’s website:

www.kathyflora.com

WalkingMomma

Get the book here.

Listen here.

 

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This interview with Kathy Flora includes:

  • How to recognize when an elderly loved one is declining if you live far away
  • How to talk to a loved one about necessary life changes such as giving up driving, managing finances, and living independently
  • The difference between an independent living facility and assisted living
  • How to deal with role reversal as our parents age
  • The “long goodbye of dementia” and coping with anticipatory grief
  • Who should be on a caregiver’s “essential team”
  • How to maintain relationships and communication with siblings who live at a distance
  • The hidden blessings from caring for a loved one with dementia

Links mentioned in this episode:

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on Patreon.com/eolu, especially my new patron Kate Riley!

 

Aging, End of Life, EOLPodcast, Grief

Ep. 57 September End-of-Month Update and film Extremis

kwyattmd

 

In today’s episode Dr. Wyatt thanks 3 new supporters on Patreon.com/eolu:

  • Joan Roellchen-Pfohl, RN
  • Martha Johnson – author of the upcoming book “Take Charge of the Rest of Your Life”; learn more at www.meetmarthajohnson.com
  • Marggie Hatala – author and teacher of a writing class related to end of life; her books are “Sally: A Memoir” and the forthcoming “Life as Prayer”; learn more at www.marggiehatala.com

Next she begins the Update for September by talking about the new documentary film currently streaming on Neflix: Extremis, which won 1st place at the Tribeca Film Festival. Please see this film which takes place in the ICU at Highland Hospital in Oakland and features Dr. Jessica Nutik Zitter. This is a must-see film that brilliantly depicts the conundrum that exists at the end of life when painful decisions must be made. By showing the real-life conversations that take place in the ICU between staff, family members and patients, a case is made for everyone to complete their advance directives and prepare their loved ones to honor their wishes at the end of life. But the painful process of decision-making becomes apparent as each individual struggles with the unknown and the unknowable in these dire situations.

The other topics covered this month include:

  • BMJ Online report that patients who receive hospice care for the last 6 months of life have better pain control, fewer hospital days, and are less likely to die in the hospital or ICU.
  • Researchers at John Hopkins found that their palliative care program led to  savings of ~ $19 million over 5 years in addition to improved quality of care and patient satisfaction.
  • Study originally published in Health Affairs and reported on Reuters online showed gaps in palliative care in the US. Read the article.
  • “What it feels like to die,” an article in The Atlantic discusses the active dying process from the patient’s perspective. Read the article.
  • Friends and Family Letter Project by Dr. VJ Periyakoil at Stanford includes 7 prompts for letter writers to leave messages for their loved ones. Read the article.
  • “7 Songs for a Long Life” documentary from Scotland that depicts how terminally ill patients use singing as therapy. Read the article.
  • The Friendly Atheist Julie Stahl reminds us not to impose our own religious or spiritual beliefs on those who are grieving and may not share your perspective. Read her blog.

Thanks for tuning in to the podcast! I hope you enjoy this information. If you feel inspired to offer a little support go to Patreon.com/eolu to join the community!

Until next week remember:

Face Your Fears.               BE Ready.               Love Your Life!!!

End of Life, EOLPodcast, Hospice

Ep. 22 End of Month Update on the End-of-Life with Karen Wyatt MD

kwyattmd

In this episode from January 25, 2016 Dr. Karen Wyatt does an end-of-month review of news and happenings in the end-of-life arena. Subjects covered include:
-deaths of David Bowie and Stephen Levine and their possible influences on societal acceptance of death and dying
-studies on monthly stipends being paid to post-9/11 caregivers
-Facebook videos of preschool being held in a nursing home and dementia patient caring for a baby doll
-NHPCO infographic showing hospice trends over the past 6 years
-JAMA special issue on death and dying and Atul Gawande’s editorial
-study showing unnecessary screening for breast and prostate cancer in older Americans
-Story from Australia of Pat and Peter who died together in a suicide pact to avoid having to seek out medical care in later life

End of Life, EOLPodcast

Ep. 21 Natural Dying: Advance Care Planning for Dementia with Stanley A. Terman MD, PhD

kwyattmd

Dr. Wyatt interviews Dr. Stanley Terman about his strategy for helping dementia patients die a natural death without prolonged suffering.

In addition during this interview you will learn:
-how to create a living will that will ensure your wishes are met when you reach the end-of-life
-why an “ironclad strategy” for the end-of-life may be necessary
-resources for caregivers and professionals who deal with Advanced Dementia
-how to talk with family members about natural dying

Read transcript here.