All are laying the groundwork for their imminent deaths, negotiating in advance whether or not they want to be resuscitated, what comfort measures will be taken, and whether to go to a hospital or die at home. Brigham shares the story of his wife Cay's prolonged death from multiple sclerosis and explains how that experience affected the way he views the end of life. Physician Monsen explores how to meet the needs of the dying and their families and looks at the choices involved in treating what has no cure with the right balance of technology, compassion and care. Through interviews with patients, physicians, family members and interactions between medical personnel and their terminally ill patients, this video addresses the increasingly controversial problem of health care providers often excessive and restrictive focus on the disease, not the patient. This program discusses how to relate to a terminally ill patient.
Emphasis is placed on how to actively listen and speak to the patient.
Also addresses the three phases of dying experienced by the terminally ill. Producer and host, Jennifer Stache discusses her own painful ordeal and with others whose lives have been touched by this tragedy. This video is a discussion of physician assisted suicide vs pain management and patient's right to die. In this program the Dr. Bolen weaves myth, experience and story to show that facing one's mortality can be a life- transforming and even life saving process. Describes criteria and techniques for determining brain death, tests for confirming brain death, protocols for diagnosing comatose patients, and how a nurse might explain the patient's condition to family members.