Tag: history of hospice

EOLPodcast

Ep. 533 The Legacy of Hospice in the U.S. and Around the World with Dr. Robert Buckingham

kwyattmd

Learn the history of the hospice movement in the US from one of the original founders.

My guest Dr. Robert Buckingham is a Professor Emeritus of Public Health at the University of Michigan and has been a pioneer of the U.S. hospice movement, having played a role in the founding of the very first hospice program in this country. In addition he has co-developed 81 hospice programs across the globe including the firs hospice for children with AIDS in Thailand. He is the author of 12 books – 7 dedicated solely to hospice and palliative care. His latest book is Understanding Loss and Grief for Women. Learn more at his website:

rwbuckingham.com

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • The birth of hospice in America
  • Current threats to the hospice movement
  • Dr. Buckingham’s involvement in developing hospice programs around the world
  • The historical philosophy of hospice care
  • The benefits of providing hands-on care to a loved one at the end of life
  • How the AIDS crisis helped fuel the growth of the hospice movement
  • Lessons learned from dying patients
  • Why he wrote about loss and grief for women and why we need to make sure we include men in grief work
  • Remembering that change takes time and taking the long view on our work

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. And thanks to everyone who has bought me a coffee or made a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 356 What Keeps Me Up at Night (about Hospice and Palliative Care) with Ira Byock MD

kwyattmd

Dr. Ira Byock takes an honest and challenging look at worrisome issues within the hospice and palliative care field.

My guest today is Dr. Ira Byock who is a leading palliative care physician, author, and public advocate for improving care through the end of life. He is the Founder and Chief Medical Officer for the Institute for Human Caring of Providence St. Joseph Health. He is a frequent guest on this podcast and the author of Dying Well, The Four Things that Matter Most, and The Best Care Possible. Today he shares some of the concerns he has about current issues in hospice and palliative care. Learn more about his books and his work at the website:

www.irabyock.org

Watch on YouTube

Read the transcript

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • The history of hospice programs and how and why they began
  • For-profit hospices now outnumber non-profit hospices by nearly 3 to 1
  • Problems with for-profit hospices include poor staffing, patients are less likely to see a doctor or social worker, 10% fewer nursing visits
  • For-profits extract up to 20% margin from patient care and make it hard for non-profits to stay in business
  • Concerns about sending patients home for hospice care without providing training to family members
  • Staff are burning out because of moral distress and because of excessive case loads which are being imposed for the sake of profit
  • For-profit hospices are being traded on Wall Street and private equity firms are also buying up hospices
  • How a focus on marketing and “branding” is causing palliative care to distance itself from hospice and from death and dying
  • Why we have to be brave enough to talk about and deal with the things that people in our society are afraid of
  • Why the palliative care “brand” should be providing the best care possible through the end of life (instead of “at the end of life”)
  • What to do:
    • Don’t trust blindly – ask questions and be discerning
    • Don’t lose your outrage – speak up when you see poor care being given
    • Be strong advocates for one another
    • Support community-based non-profit hospices

Links mentioned in this episode:

  • Pre-order All the Flowers of the Mountain by Christina Holbrook here (and thank you!)

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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 to my newest donor Mary E. Moriarty! Your contributions make all the difference.