Terminal Illness

Good communication between doctors, patients and caregivers is key, especially when it comes to the complex concerns surrounding end-of-life care preferences.

When we are confronted with a potentially fatal diagnosis for ourselves or a loved one, we can find ourselves caught up in endless cycle of "why." Don't get stuck questioning, take action for yourself and your loved ones.

Receiving the news of a serious diagnosis like cancer or dementia may cause a senior to consider suicide, but caregiver intervention and the development of productive coping techniques can help.

It's hard to find the right words to comfort someone who is dying. Experts and experienced caregivers share their insights on what to say to someone who is terminally ill.

Should terminally ill patients be able to voluntarily end their life? There are many ethical implications regarding this hotly debated topic, but many proponents of the right-to-die stress how such a choice can help patients avoid unnecessary suffering.

When I moved home to take care of my dad, I was determined to make the most of every remaining second we had together. I envisioned fun outings and reminiscing about the past, but it turns out that he had other plans in mind.

Many people associate end-of-life care with treating physical pain and discomfort. While that is an important part, complete end-of-life care also includes helping the dying person manage mental and emotional distress.

The Medicare hospice benefit provides comfort care for patients who are terminally ill and facing the end of life. Original Medicare does cover hospice services.

Calling in hospice for the care of an elderly parent or other a loved one means you need to come to terms, on all levels, with the idea that this person is dying.

A do-not-resuscitate order (DNR) is an advance care planning document that specifies what potentially life-sustaining medical interventions a person does not want to receive. A basic DNR order usually states a patient’s wish to avoid undergoing CPR.

Making a person who is dying more comfortable and alleviating physical pain is an important priority for family caregivers. Physical comfort and pain management should be the focus of providing end of life care.

The most noticeable symptom of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is memory loss, but this progressive condition ultimately weakens the immune system and prevents the body from functioning properly. Complications like infections are often the cause of death.

What would you like to accomplish with your care recipient before your journey together ends? A veteran caregiver shares her suggestions for creating and executing a bucket list with an aging or ill loved one.

Every woman needs a friend like Rhoda Morgenstern, the beloved roommate from the "Mary Tyler Moore Show." Here are 5 indisputable reasons why.

Advance directives are useful for end-of-life care planning, but there's another tool that goes one step further. POLST forms enable terminally ill elders to turn their future care preferences into explicit medical orders for doctors and first responders.

When my wife was diagnosed with Stage III cancer I knew our lives would never be the same. I'd been a caregiver once before, but this time would be much different.

Music has been used for thousands of years to heal the body and soul. Learn the science behind the benefits of music therapy for seniors and find ideas for musical activities you can do at home.

The day that you call hospice is not the day that you give up on your loved one. A former hospice nurse dispels common misconceptions surrounding end-of-life care.

What services does hospice provided to someone who has cancer and is terminally ill?

People receiving treatment for serious cancers may harbor false hopes for a full recovery. Chemotherapy can give someone suffering from late-stage cancer a few more weeks or months of life, but the likelihood of a cure in the later stages of these diseases is very rare.