Stapely Care Home in Liverpool, England, is trialling a scheme where exercise bikes and videos are used to enable residents living with dementia to go on virtual cycling trips to locations around the world.
Staff say the project, which originated in Norway, has boosted wellbeing and happiness.
This 2-minute video explains more.
Watch the videoFilming and editing: Tom Brada
The answer might seem simple, but in the hands of Lesley Hazleton, the question takes us on a surprisingly humorous and thought-provoking journey into what it would actually mean to live forever. And whether we’d truly want to. A frequent TED.com speaker and ‘Accidental Theologist,’ Hazleton uses wit and wisdom to challenge our ideas not only about death, but about what it is to live well.
Lesley Hazleton has traced the roots of conflict in several books, including compelling ‘flesh-and-blood’ biographies of Muhammad and Mary, and casts “an agnostic eye on politics, religion, and existence” on her blog, AccidentalTheologist.com. Her newest book, Agnostic: A Spirited Manifesto, celebrates the agnostic stance as “rising above the flat two-dimensional line of belief/unbelief, creating new possibilities for how we think about being in the world.”
In it, she explores what we mean by the search for meaning, invokes the humbling perspective of infinity and reconsiders what we talk about when we talk about soul.
Getting a restful night’s sleep is a challenge for many cancer patients. Pain from the cancer itself, fatigue and discomfort from chemotherapy, and medication side effects are just a few of the things that make sleep elusive for cancer patients. Worse, not getting enough sleep weakens the immune system and can exacerbate symptoms or negative side effects.
An increasing amount of research has found links between poor sleep and several cancers. Keep reading to learn what the latest research suggests about the connection between cancer and sleep, and how you can get better sleep if you’re undergoing cancer treatment.
Regularly getting a good night’s sleep is an essential part of your overall health. While sleep itself has not been deemed a causal factor for cancers, researchers have associated certain sleep disorders with an increased risk of cancer. The three main sleep issues correlated with cancer are chronic sleep deprivation, sleep apnea, and shift work sleep disorder.
Anyone who has missed a night’s sleep understands the reality of sleep deprivation. Lack of sleep worsens your mood, increases fatigue, and reduces your ability to concentrate. Chronic sleep deprivation (getting less than sufficient sleep over a sustained period of time, usually 7 to 8 hours for adults) is associated with:
Dear Hospice Advocate,
NHPCO and the Hospice Action Network have some big news to share- the publication of a new study in Health Affairs by Dr. Amy Kelley from the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine. Dr. Kelley’s research shows what we in the hospice world have known for years- that hospice care provides better quality care at the end of life, while saving Medicare money. This is big news for the hospice community!
HAN has set up a web page with links to the Health Affairs article, some key findings, and a press release about the study.
Hospice Advocates, 2013 is going to be an active year for hospice- a tightening federal budget and the possibility of entitlement reform will continue to drive the discourse here in Washington. This article proves the value of hospice to patients we serve, as well as our value in saving the federal government precious Medicare dollars. We encourage you to use it in all of your advocacy efforts and interactions with your elected officials. Together we can make a difference for hospice!
Suze Orman February, 2012
CNBC
A closer look at hospice programs and how they can help families in time of need. Watch the clip…
Elaine Woo February 19, 2012
Los Angeles Times
“I’m not sick; I’m only dying,” a friend told Dr. William Lamers Jr. The man had inoperable cancer and wanted to go home to die, but his doctor wouldn’t let him out of the hospital.
It was the early 1970s, when most people with incurable illnesses died in a hospital, in a lonely room, attended by doctors and nurses with no specialized knowledge of the dying patient’s emotional and physical needs. There was no system for caring for the dying at home.
The experience opened Lamers’ eyes to a major failing of the healthcare system. Read full article…
The room was small, but the questions were huge.
What kinds of treatment would you want — or not want — if you are dying?
How do you choose someone to make medical decisions for you if you are incapacitated?
What happens if you don’t know anyone you can ask?
In a meeting room at the Frisbie Senior Center in Des Plaines, attorney Kathryn Casey was talking about how to plan for medical decisions at the end of life.
By Michelle Balani
Rock Center
Originally published: Sept. 19, 2012.
After being married for 21 years, Paul and Jean Pearson thought they had mastered the art of navigating life’s tough decisions, but nothing could have prepared them for Paul’s illness. Paul, a 73-year-old retired architect, was diagnosed in February with inoperable lung cancer. Although the couple had talked about their healthcare wishes throughout their marriage, the experience forced them to confront how Paul wants to spend the rest of his days. Read full article…
