In a recent blog, "More Sex for Seniors", I discussed the upswing in the number of senior citizens having sex. A Swedish study found that more seniors are engaging ... Read More

I debated whether to even share this story because I found it to be a bit disturbing. Physician-assisted suicide, euthanasia, and self-suicide are not widely accepted by the palliative ... Read More

A post in the New York Times this past week by Jessica L. Israel, M.D, moved me to tears. She reminds us of the importance of slowing down to ... Read More

I was out seeing patients all day and came home to discover that Randy Pausch has died from pancreatic cancer at age 47. Randy had battled the disease courageously ... Read More

I see so many people benefit from hospice that it's easy for me to forget what they may have had to give up. Hospice is an amazing service that ... Read More

The proposed legislation to cut hospice rates is due to be finalized on August 1, 2008. Join me in contacting President Bush to ask him to stop the ... Read More

Warning: You may think this post contains too much information and it probably does. My husband got a disturbing phone call last night. His 72 year old mother called ... Read More

[p]Trisha Torrey, About.com's guide to Patient Empowerment, wrote a blog titled "Doctors, Passive Aggressiveness, and Being a Fly on the Wall" about a Readers Digest article 41 Secrets Your Doctor ... Read More

An article published today in The New York Times tells the story of Hazel Homer, a beautiful and youthful looking 104 year old. When Hazel was 99 years old, ... Read More

It's normal for us all to look back after a particularly trying time and reflect on what we should have, or could have, done differently. Things feelings aren't always ... Read More

A recent article in the New York Times is fueling the debate over cancer screening in the elderly - particularly breast cancer. Doctors recommend that women have yearly mammograms ... Read More

Beginning in December, Medicare will require that hospice agencies account for the quality of care they are delivering. This includes guaranteeing that patients have a say in the care ... Read More

I've heard grief described as a "bottomless pit", as "waves crashing down on you, not giving you a chance to catch your breath before another one comes", as "hurting physically, ... Read More

I met a family the other day who had brought their 91 year old matriarch home from a nursing facility to die. They wanted to honor her wish to ... Read More

Beginning this fall, Yale University will require medical students, and encourage nursing and divinity students, to participate in a comprehensive palliative and end-of-life care curriculum. The students will work ... Read More