Steve Jobs, founder of Apple Computer, died this afternoon at age 56, several years younger than I. In my second career, as a graphic designer (which I occasionally practice today), I was used to using computers to generate type. Those systems were proprietary to the printing trade. I typed away, then processed lengths of photosensitive […]
I’m finessing a plenary session I’ll be doing in a few days titled, at the conference’s request, “How to Avoid a Terminal Hospitalization” (that’s The Option to Die in PEACE by another name). This one focuses like a laser on its topic, altho of necessity I’ll begin with as condensed a version as I can […]
. One impetus towards patient-advocates focuses on stories. Our stories. Stories of harm, shock, abuse, neglect, pain, suffering, injury, death, and their outcome, including our phoenix-like rise from them. I perceive a dark side to storytelling in the context of patient-family members relaying their stories to audiences of medical professionals. On the IHI Patient Activist […]
. In order to achieve a peaceful death, patient-families, that is all of we citizens, actually need to do something. “Something” is a range of things comprising a bit of study and contemplation. I’ll share what I consider to be the most important aspects. 1. Become familiar with how we die in a technological society. […]
. Compassion & Choices President Barbara Coombs Lee made a comment during an end-of-life (EOL) panel discussion that resonated fully: to help more people die in peace we need to “redefine the standard of care at end of life.” Think about this. Redefine the standard of care at end of life. This compact statement is […]
Every Patient Matters, an IHI Patient Activist member on Facebook, writes: Imagine a hospital where a patient who says they feel unsafe is asked, what’s wrong? What can we do to make you safer? Rather than being flagged as difficult. So many times, it’s the hospital that is wrong. I don’t care if you think […]
Compassion is a core aspect of care. Without it we simply get bodily repair services (I’ve said this before but it needs repeating). In fact, New Zealand Dr. Robin Youngon’s Compassion in Healthcare is devoted to compassion. Here’s another tie-in: an old friend and colleague of mine, Paul Shippee of Crestone, Colorado, teaches non-violent communication […]
Since words matter, and based on some up-to-the-minute chatter on the IHI Patient Activists Facebook page, we know that getting provider visitors to the bedside in hospitals to disinfect their hands is an ongoing challenge. One very experienced patient advocate, in for surgery herself, was snidely rebuked when she requested that the a visiting doctor […]
Tell you true, I’m not into the Super Bowl. But I am into analogy, and Bill Thatcher of Cautious Patient Foundation has come up with a doozy. It’s said that the new Dallas stadium where Super Bowl 2011 will be played seats 108,000. Medical data has shown that that’s roughly the number of people who […]
Every now and then I post a blog on another site that’s relevant to patient safety and end of life matters this site’s devoted to. Such is the case with ‘Challenging Topics, Humanely’ at About55.com. Enjoy. Plus, it’s an interesting new community for midlifers.
