Managed dying. The new palliative care?
Managed dying should be about shared decision making but it rarely is. It’s usually a doctor telling patients what the most conservative option is and why they should choose it.
I have dementia – is it too late for an Advance Care Plan?
An Advance Care Plan needs to be made when you still have the mental capacity to make decisions about your health care, and to understand the consequences of your decisions. If someone cannot understand their options, or the consequences of those options then it is too late to complete an Advance Care Plan. However, if […]
Dementia: 5 ways you can help make a difference
There are many ways you can help with dementia – whether for yourself or for someone close to you. We’ve collected some of the easy ones here. Tell people your wishes Decide and tell others what medical care you do and do not want early – before people need to know. Careful Advance Care Plans […]
You Can’t Predict the Future, But You Can Plan For It
Working as a doctor, I have seen first hand what happens when we don’t face up to our mortality. The sad truths about hospital that no one tells you One night when I was on duty a 95 year old gentleman came into our hospital with severe flu and pneumonia. He caught the flu […]
What is palliative care, and what isn’t it?
Palliative care has been in Australia for years, but is often misunderstood. People often think that palliative care just means that they stop treating your illness and only treat your pain. Actually, it has a lot more to offer than just pain. But many are confused about what it actually is, so we’ve made it […]
Planning A Funeral? Think outside The Box
Planning A Funeral? Think Outside the Box In this video, Dr Merran Cooper is with Liz from Picaluna. They talk about ensuring funerals are authentic to who the person is, from selecting a celebrant to including pets in the ceremony.For more information see https://www.picaluna.com/ Funeral planning doesn’t have to be any grand thing […]
Speech Pathology: Swallow, Advance Care Plans and Decisions about Eating
Between them, Colleen Kerr and Dijana Dragicevich have seen it all. Whether you have a new diagnosis of stroke or your parent with dementia is “losing their swallow” these savvy Speech Pathologists have tricks and techniques to help you or your loved one live their best life, all their life. Most impressively they can help […]
How to Manage Oxygen, Breathlessness and Shortness of Breath
Often people want to help care for someone but just don’t know how or what they should do. Patients who are in bed for long periods of time are prone to pneumonia and therefore shortness of breath. If they become restless, agitated or confused it can be because of lack of oxygen in their blood. […]
