Death is a certainty, and everyone will be touched by it sooner or later. According to the American Hospice Foundation, all Americans know what hospice is, and they will make it an explicit part of their long-term plans. It is important to...
Hospice comes from the word "hospis," which means both host and guest in Latin. Over the years, it has come to refer to a place of rest on a journey, a guesthouse, and that's exactly what a modern hospice program attempts to create. Hospice in...
Patient cares continues even when medical treatment for terminal illness ends. Healthcare focus then turns to insuring patient comfort, as well as managing the progression of the terminal illness and its impact on loved ones. The National Hospice...
Home health care consists of skilled nursing and therapy or non-skilled general assistance for people who are home-bound, recovering from an illness or accident, or medically fragile and under the care of a physician. The Macomb, Michigan area...
Opiates, also called opioids or narcotic analgesics, are prescription medications used to treat moderate to severe pain, according to the American Cancer Society. Opioids, considered the standard of care when treating pain associated with advanced...
Manuka honey, a particular type of honey that comes from New Zealand's manuka tree, appears to stimulate the body's immune responses to help fight infection. Manuka honey has high antibacterial properties. To use manuka honey for infections, it...
Illinois is home to more than 820,000 U.S. veterans. Of those, more than 68,000 receive monthly disability compensation, and 9,000 receive pensions from the U.S. Veterans Administration (VA). Many qualify for VA home health care benefits, defined...
Whether it takes place in a patient's home or in an institutional setting, hospice care in the United States and other wealthy countries often includes artificial nutrition and hydration, or food and fluids -- sometimes called assisted or...
The death of a loved one is traumatic no matter what the circumstances. In the case of a terminal illness or injury, no amount of time is enough to fully prepare yourself or determine how you will react when your loved one passes. However, when a...
Diabetics nearing the end of life face numerous complications carrying over from long-term medical conditions. In many patients, food intake is problematic, in addition to pain management for neuropathy. The primary concern of palliative or...
Melanoma is a very dangerous form of skin cancer that readily spreads via lymph nodes to other parts of the body. Melanoma originates in the melanocytes, the cells that produce pigmentation or coloring of our skin, hair and eyes, according to the...
The diagnosis of a terminal illness begins a difficult period for a patient and his family. For those who have limited time left due to terminal illness, hospice provides comfort and assistance for end-of-life care. Hospice professionals are...
When a loved one is diagnosed with a terminal illness, it is natural for both patient and family to feel fear and anxiety. During this emotional time, it can be difficult for family members to express their feelings. However, by directly...
Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) orders fall under the category of advance directives for health care. DNR orders are a written order from your doctor. A DNR order represents a deliberate decision to withhold life-saving measures, such as cardiopulmonary...
There is probably no more important time to be sure you and your physician can communicate than when you have to talk about a serious illness. If you try to discuss difficult questions and you don't seem to establish good rapport, it may be time...
When people are diagnosed with cancer, it is a frightening time for them and their families. Their medical teams will work with them to meet not only their medical needs, but their emotional needs, as well. Each patient's case is different and...
Brain cancer is a type of cancer that originates in the brain. Normal cells begin to divide into clusters and form cancer cells that eventually take over the organ or spread to other locations. If the cancer in the brain does spread to nearby...
The word "hospice" is often equated with end-of-life medical care. But hospice benefits reach far beyond a patient's physical condition to cover spiritual, psychological and social needs as well. The services even extend to a patient's family in...
Home health care is provided in a variety of ways by a wide range of health care professionals in Minnesota. For those without health insurance, the state offers Home Care, which provides home health services at a reduced cost. It's not easy to...
End-stage dementia is marked by severe cognitive decline, and is an indication that the brain has lost the ability to communicate with the body. When dementia patients reach the final stages of the disease, most require around-the-clock nursing...
The specific type of surgery your oncologist will recommend depends on the stage your lung cancer has reached. Surgery is usually recommended only for large cell lung tumors that are still in stage 1 or 2 of development, meaning they haven't yet...
ALS is also referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease. It affects your central nervous system and can eventually be fatal. As ALS progresses, so do debilitating symptoms that affect muscle movement. One symptom is weight loss. This is caused from not...
If you have a family member who is elderly and ill, or struggling to maintain a home on her own, a nursing home is no longer the only option. There are other alternatives available depending on an individual's needs. Statistics reported by the...
If you are having conversations with loved ones about alternatives to nursing homes in Buffalo, New York, consult the state Department of Health's county-by-county list of quality care measurements. Chances are they have already evaluated your...
The prostate is located within the male reproductive system. The size of a walnut---the prostate produces a secretion that makes up semen. Prostate cancer is a type of cancer that occurs in and sometimes around the prostate. Once a man has had...
The terminal, or last stage, of cancer is also referred to as stage four. This criteria suggests that the cancer is no longer a local tumor, and that cancer cells have spread, or metastasized, to other areas in the body. The National Cancer...
The elderly population is growing, and many people need assistance and care in a healthy and safe environment. The elderly face a broad range of medical and physical needs that require assistance and supervision on a temporary or full-time basis,...
When someone receives the news they have Stage IV metastatic breast cancer, it can be devastating. Most cancer, including breast cancer, is diagnosed and evaluated in stages, the higher the number; the less chance of beating the disease. Breast...
Several types of institutional care, often grouped together under the generic title "nursing homes," include independent care facilities, skilled nursing facilities and supported living facilities. When looking for an appropriate facility for...
