Pain is the Fifth Vital Sign
A well-meaning retired physician and husband of a patient with bone cancer vents his frustration, “My wife is no wimp. We’ve managed all right until recently, but now she’s crying, complaining of unbearable pain, even as I keep increasing her morphine… What’s going on!” So many misconceptions and misinformation about palliative and hospice care still […] Read more »
Story Studio Brings Hospice to Life
Welcome to our new advertising campaign on SFGate.com, the online edition of the San Francisco Chronicle. The purpose of these Story Studio ads is to create awareness of Hospice by the Bay and all that we do. The link below will take you to the first in the series. Once there, you can also access […] Read more »
6 Things I’ve Learned About Life by Working with Hospice
To many outsiders, being a Hospice volunteer seems like a noble but challenging path to community service. However, most volunteers will tell you that they get back as much as they give in helping patients through the most difficult transition in life. In her Huffington Post blog, Dawn Hafner shares the following lesson and five […] Read more »
The Life of a Hospice Nurse
Paige Prokop is a kind and patient person. You see it in her eyes and by the way she talks. The time she spends helping people as a Houston Hospice nurse is precious because time is something her patients don’t have much of. “That’s the number one question I get is ‘how long do you […] Read more »
Death Doula or Hospice Care?
A recent New York Times article highlighted the work of “death doulas,” people who work with the terminally ill and their families to prepare for the end-of-life. Some of these doulas volunteer their services — which can include help with funeral arrangements, organizing paperwork or just sitting with the dying — while others charge a […] Read more »