Jan 16 Watch 3:14 Don’t wait till your dying words to say what’s most important By PBS News Hour "Should I plan out my last words?" As a hospice chaplain, Kerry Egan hears that question sometimes. But death isn't so easy to predict. Instead, Egan suggests making sure you ask forgiveness or share your wisdom now. Continue watching
May 05 Watch 7:39 Why African-American seniors are less likely to use hospice By PBS News Hour Black seniors are more likely than whites and Latinos to forgo hospice care. Due to deeply felt religious beliefs and a long history of discrimination in the U.S., African-American patients are often reluctant to plan for the end of their… Continue watching
Mar 28 5 things you should know about end-of-life conversations By Megan Thompson Here are 5 things that advocates from the "Conversation Project" say you should know about starting a conversation about end-of-life care with your loved ones. Continue reading
May 01 Medicare wants to stop paying twice for hospice patient drugs By Susan Jaffe, Kaiser Health News New Medicare guidance taking effect today aims to stop the federal government from paying millions of dollars to hospice organizations and drug insurance plans for the same prescriptions for seniors. But the changes may make it more difficult for dying… Continue reading
Apr 26 Watch Debating the Ethics of Rationing End-of-Life Care NewsHour analyst Susan Dentzer, editor-in-chief of Health Affairs, moderated a Miller Center of Public Affairs debate on the ethics of rationing end-of-life health care after the issue gained prominence in the health care reform discussions. Here's an excerpt:… Continue watching
Jan 18 Watch Satirist Art Buchwald Passes Away at Age 81 Washington Post columnist Art Buchwald succumbed to kidney failure at home with his family late Wednesday, but was able to spend his last year enjoying life and writing about his experiences. Here are excerpts from a March 2006 NewsHour interview… Continue watching
Nov 18 End-of-Life Care Found to Be Lacking, Study Says America does only a mediocre job of caring for seriously ill and dying patients, according to a study released Monday by Last Acts, a group working to improve end-of-life care. Continue reading