end of life care

A photo of a patient receiving care in the hospital.

Doctor Considers The Pitfalls Of Extending Life And Prolonging Death

2:28pm January 30, 2017

In Modern Death, Dr. Haider Warraich says a slow dying process, during which patients move in and out of hospitals or nursing homes, is a "very recent development in our history as a species."

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Annette Schiller of Palm Desert, Calif., who was 94 and diagnosed with terminal thyroid and breast cancer, had trouble finding doctors to help her end her life under California's new aid-in-dying law.

Legalizing Aid In Dying Doesn't Mean Patients Have Access To It

2:04pm January 25, 2017

by JoNel Aleccia

People in the six states where aid in dying is legal can have trouble finding a doctor or hospital to assist. Reasons cited include religious objections and doctors' discomfort with hastening death.

Adox and Michaeli with their son, Orion, in the winter of 2015.

A Dying Man's Wish To Donate His Organs Gets Complicated

6:36am December 26, 2016

by Karen Shakerdge

Dying in America doesn't always go the way we plan. One terminally ill man's hope to be disconnected from his respirator and donate his organs was almost thwarted, despite his best laid plans.

Psychedelic drugs could provide relief for anxiety and depression among advanced cancer patients.

How A Psychedelic Drug Helps Cancer Patients Overcome Anxiety

7:00am December 03, 2016

by Robin Marantz Henig

Many cancer patients who took the psychedelic drug psilocybin under supervision said the experience erased their anxiety and depression over illness and death.

The Rev. Josephine Falls handed out stickers to voters while accepting ballots inside the Denver Elections Division offices on Tuesday.

After Contentious Fight, Colorado Voters Approve Aid-In-Dying Measure

1:17pm November 10, 2016

by John Daley

The fight pitted those who think the terminally ill should have the choice to end their lives with medication against those who worry people might be pressured into suicide.

"It's easier to sort of face the hard things in your life when you're not alone," says hospice chaplain Kerry Egan. "That's a big part of what a chaplain does, is she stays with you."

Hospice Chaplain Reflects On Life, Death And The 'Strength Of The Human Soul'

4:08pm October 31, 2016

Kerry Egan's job is to help dying people accept their own mortality. It's profoundly sad, but it's also rewarding. "I'm constantly reminded of ... how much love people have for each other," she says.

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When it comes to the end of life, hospital stays are more intensive and more expensive than alternatives.

Health & Safety

Dying In A Hospital Means More Procedures, Tests And Costs

1:25pm June 15, 2016

by Alison Kodjak

Hospital deaths are more expensive and intrusive than deaths at home, in hospice care or even in nursing homes. Financial incentives favor more care, even when it's not always wanted.

Lonny Shavelson has studied America's experiments with aid in dying. He's now helping patients and doctors in California come to grips with the state's new law.

This Doctor Wants To Help California Figure Out Aid-In-Dying

8:27am June 11, 2016

by Lisa Aliferis

It's now legal for doctors to prescribe lethal medications to terminally ill patients who want them. But many doctors say they feel queasy about it. Lonny Shavelson wants to help them with that.

Talking about end-of-life care may be difficult, but the stakes make the conversations worth the effort.

Doctors Unsure About How To Talk With Patients About End-Of-Life Care

3:18pm April 15, 2016

by Barbara Feder Ostrov

Medicare now pays doctors $86 to discuss end-of-life care in an office visit that covers topics such as hospice, living wills and do-not-resuscitate orders. But how should doctors get a chat rolling?

Steve Julian, a radio host with KPCC in Los Angeles, was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer last November. He and his wife, Felicia Friesema, turned to social media for solace, support and the space to process their heartbreaking journey.

Online Comfort For Real-World Cancer Can Be Surprisingly Sweet

10:10am April 08, 2016

Steve Julian is a morning anchor for KPCC-FM in Los Angeles, a playwright and a former cop. His communities are legion, and all cared deeply when he got his terminal diagnosis. How best to reach out?