NOVEMBER VOLUNTEER SUPPORT GROUP - CANCELED



ALOHA VOLUNTEERS! I've ticked off all my tasks and my inbox is empty, so I'm headed out for an extended holiday. In my stead, co-worker and super-star Candace Rego, Social Service Liaison, can assist you in all regards. Please refer to my October 18th email for her contact information, how to handle submission of your Volunteer Activity Records, and more... MAHALO! 

ARTICLE:  9 POWERFUL LESSONS ON LIFE YOU CAN LEARN FROM EXPERTS ON DEATH

BY: Robert Pearl, MD (Forbes, August 12, 2024)

Dr. Robert Pearl, former leader of the Permanente Medical Group, has dedicated season 10 of the Fixing Healthcare podcast to exploring life’s final chapter and addressing the shortcomings in end-of-life care. He says, “the eight experts who joined me this season have profoundly reshaped how I view life and death… offering guidance and comfort as we navigate life’s culmination.” Pearl found that it gave him a more optimistic outlook on life's final chapter. Launched August 2018, Fixing Healthcare is a “podcast with a plan” to solve the American healthcare system’s biggest problems; co-produced by Dr. Robert Pearl. Click to read this excellent article in Forbes.

ARTICLE: THE OVERLOOKED DOWNSIDES OF AGING IN PLACE

By Edd and Cynthia Staton (NextAvenue, June 20, 2024)

EXCERPT: A recent study indicates that 88% of adults 50 and older say they want to age in place. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines it as having "the ability to live in one's own home and community safely, independently and comfortably, regardless of age, income or ability level." However, the National Census Bureau reports that only 10% of all houses in the U.S. are “age-friendly”, meaning suitable for older residents. Around 36 million older people fall down in the U.S. every year, which means someone has fallen every second of every day. According to the CDC, one out of every five of these accidents results in a serious injury. And, almost 75% of falls occur in the home, with the vast majority of them taking place in bathrooms or on steps and stairs. Social isolation, upkeep and maintenance, and in-home health care expenses are other factors to consider. Click here to read the article.

ARTICLE: COPING WITH STUGs (Subsequent Temporary Upsurges of Grief)

BY: Marty Tousley (Grief Healing Newsletter, September 30, 2024)

Individuals experiencing grief after the loss of a loved one may experience "STUGs," or subsequent temporary upsurges of grief, that may render them unable to continue their daily activities for the moment or longer. These surges of grief may be a signal that "the person you thought you were, and how you relate to your world, are changing because of your loss," writes grief expert Marty Tousley. The author has focused her counseling career on issues of loss, grief and transition. She was a hospice bereavement counselor for 17 years and is a certified Fellow in Thanatology. Her website is a great resource! Click here to read article.

THE END-OF-LIFE DECISIONS GUIDE AND TOOLKIT

FROM: COMPASSION & CHOICES 

Compassion & Choices offers a host of tools and resources to help you and your loved ones plan your end-of-life experience, even after a dementia diagnosis. This Advance Planning Guide helps you think through your priorities and guide you in having valuable conversations with your healthcare providers and loved ones. When you download this 40-page resource, you can fill out the interactive PDF and save and print your end-of-life documents for your records. Some important features of this toolkit include a Values Worksheet; an Assisted-Living Facility Rider; a Hospital Visitation Form; and My Particular Wishes. We all need encouragement to NOT put off making decisions about EOL care. Visit their website to learn more. Compassion & Choices, the nation’s oldest, largest and most active nonprofit organization is committed to improving care and expanding choice at the end of life.

ARTICLE: WHY WE’RE NEVER PREPARED FOR DEATH— EVEN AFTER YEARS OF MEDICAL TRAINING

By: Shayla A. Sullivant, MD (September 25, 2024)

"I remember the first time I pronounced a patient dead—that’s something they make sure you learn well in medical training, as nobody wants to get it wrong. They taught us how to apply pressure to the fingernail to ensure the patient does not respond to pain while holding the patient’s hand, watching for breaths, and feeling for a pulse. They taught us to take our time to ensure we got it right. What we did not experience, or at least I did not, was the ongoing dying process." Continue reading…