Empowering caregivers, families, and nurses in end-of-life care
Author: Peter Abraham, BSN, RN
Peter Abraham is a seasoned nurse committed to supporting nurses, caregivers, families, and patients in their learning, growth, and well-being journey. His extensive nursing career includes practical experience as a cardiac telemetry nurse in a dynamic cardiology unit at a Magnet-awarded teaching hospital. Additionally, Peter has served as a second-shift RN supervisor, managing an entire building in a Skilled Nursing Facility/Long-Term Care (SNF/LTC) setting with 151 residents. Notably, during the initial wave of COVID-19, the facility achieved an impressive near-100% recovery rate before the completion of Operation Warp Speed.
Peter's nursing career also extends to rural home hospice care. As a visiting hospice registered nurse case manager, he provides compassionate care to patients in various settings, including private homes, personal care homes, assisted living facilities, skilled nursing facilities, and hospitals. His dedication to compassionate care led to the establishment of the Peter Abraham Wound Care Scholarship, which offers education in wound care. This scholarship, associated with the theme of "Wound Care: Enhancing Healthcare for the Aging Population," underscores Peter's commitment to improving care for those in need.
This guide covers the essentials of palliative sedation for hospice patients, including ethical dilemmas, timing, recommended medications, and monitoring effectiveness, ensuring comfort during the end-of-life journey.
Navigating interstate hospice transfers can be complex. This guide explores the process, challenges, and considerations for patients and families. Learn about Medicare regulations, coordination between hospice agencies, and how to ensure continuity of care when moving across state lines during end-of-life care.
Learn how to communicate effectively with healthcare professionals when caring for a loved one with a terminal illness. Improve communication, advocacy, and coping skills to ensure your loved one receives the best care possible.
Hospice care is a unique medical approach that prioritizes comfort and peace for the terminally ill rather than vital signs or curative treatments. It offers holistic support, addressing physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. This compassionate care improves the quality of life, dignity, and a peaceful end aligned with the patient's values.
Managing bowel problems in terminally ill patients is crucial for their comfort and dignity. This guide offers practical tips for caregivers and hospice nurses to address constipation, diarrhea, bowel obstruction, and ascites, ensuring patients' better quality of life.
Dementia is a complex condition affecting millions worldwide. Diagnosing dementia requires the expertise of medical professionals specializing in cognitive disorders. By guiding families and caregivers through the diagnostic process, you can empower them. In this article, we'll explore the steps to find the right specialist for a dementia diagnosis and how families can prepare for the crucial doctor visit.
Getting a formal diagnosis of dementia is essential for understanding the condition, accessing appropriate treatments and support services, and ensuring the best possible care. This comprehensive guide explores the importance of a specific diagnosis in predicting patient needs for comfort and quality of life, as different types of dementia require distinct care approaches. Avoid the risks of a generic diagnosis and empower yourself with knowledge.
Caregivers can find it challenging to ensure dementia patients wear their CPAPs overnight. This article offers practical tips and strategies to help caregivers ensure comfortable and uninterrupted CPAP use for their loved ones.
This guide covers how to write effective hospice nursing narratives, key documentation areas, and the importance of detailed and negative-based wording to support continued hospice eligibility.
Kennedy ulcers are skin lesions that can develop in individuals nearing the end of life. This guide explores their appearance, causes, diagnosis, and treatment. It offers insights into identifying Kennedy ulcers and providing comfort through pain relief, hygiene, and repositioning. Additionally, it addresses the emotional impact and coping strategies for caregivers and loved ones.
The journey towards the end of life can be a challenging and emotional time, both for the individual facing the end of their life and for their caregivers and family members. One aspect of this journey that may be unfamiliar to many is the presence of self-soothing sounds made by the patient during the transition and actively dying phase. These sounds can be puzzling and sometimes unsettling for caregivers and family members who have never witnessed them. This article will explore self-soothing sounds, why they occur, and how caregivers and family members can distinguish between self-soothing sounds and signs of discomfort.
This article delves into the intricate relationship between dementia and seizures, offering insights on identification, safety protocols, and advocacy for caregivers.
Caring for a terminally ill loved one can be challenging and emotional. As an experienced hospice nurse case manager, you understand the importance of providing compassionate care and support to loved ones and their families. In this educational article, we will explore the common journey that terminally ill loved ones and their caregivers face as they approach the end of life. We will summarize this journey's various aspects, offering guidance and separating fact from fiction.
As a hospice nurse, you are vital in providing compassionate care to terminally ill patients and their families. To ensure the best possible outcomes, you rely on a systematic approach known as ADPIE: Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation. This process guides you in delivering holistic and individualized care, addressing not only the physical needs of patients but also their emotional, spiritual, and psychosocial well-being.
As a hospice admission nurse, asking the right questions is crucial for assessing patients' eligibility and providing compassionate care. This article explores critical questions to understand the patient's condition, decline timeline, hospitalizations, functional abilities, cognitive status, and comorbidities. By gathering this information, nurses can support informed decisions, tailor interventions, and ensure a "good death" for patients and families.
As a nurse who has cared for many terminally ill individuals with Alzheimer's disease over the years, I understand the importance of accurately assessing their functional decline using the Functional Assessment Staging Tool (FAST). The FAST scale provides valuable information about the progression of Alzheimer's disease and helps guide appropriate care planning for patients and their families. In this guide, I will walk you through the process of assessing patients on the FAST scale, starting from stage 1 and discussing when to stop reading the scale for determination. I will also provide three examples of patients at various stages of the FAST scale.
This comprehensive guide helps caregivers understand why urinary tract infections (UTIs) are prevalent in dementia patients. It provides practical advice on prevention, early detection, and effective treatment strategies. Empower yourself with the knowledge to provide the best care for your loved ones.
This article delves into the growing importance of End-of-Life Doulas in hospice care. It provides insights into their role, their support to patients and families, and their impact on the quality of end-of-life care.
Discover essential time management strategies for hospice visiting nurses. Learn how to balance patient care, documentation, and self-care while navigating the unique challenges of rural hospice work. Improve your efficiency and effectiveness in providing compassionate end-of-life care.
The end-of-life journey can be challenging and emotional for patients and their loved ones. A dedicated team of professionals provides comfort, support, and holistic care in hospice care. Each team member has a unique role, ensuring the patient's physical, emotional, and spiritual needs are met. Let's explore the roles of different hospice team members and how they contribute to your care journey.
Exploring Hospice Eligibility Criteria for Alzheimer's, Vascular, Lewy Body, Frontotemporal and other Dementias: Empowering Hospice Nurses to Provide Compassionate End-of-Life Care
This guide delves into Logopenic Primary Progressive Aphasia, a unique form of dementia. It provides crucial insights for family members and caregivers, helping them understand the condition and provide adequate care.
In the realm of nursing, the spirit of Florence Nightingale, the pioneer of modern nursing, continues to illuminate the path for nurses across various specialties. Her legacy, rooted in compassion, patient-centered care, and unwavering dedication, resonates deeply with nurses from all walks of life. However, we discover a profound connection to Florence Nightingale's nursing model within hospice nursing. This article will explore the distinctive qualities that set hospice nurses apart, including their remarkable autonomy, acute assessment skills, problem-solving abilities, and holistic approach to patient care.
