Aging: The Good, the Bad, and the Tolerable X is for eXit life . . . older persons tend to fear death less than the young, and many can accept the idea of personal death with equanimity. At times it represents a welcome relief from the pain of a terminal illness. In other situations,…… Continue reading Blogging from A to Z April 2024 Challenge: X
Category: Death & Dying
Blogging from A to Z April 2024 Challenge: D
Aging: The Good, the Bad, and the Tolerable D is for Death I believe that ageism is intertwined with our cultures’ avoidance with dealing with death. Which is why aging has a bad rap. Older people serve as a symbol of the eventual ending of life. As a new gerontological nurse practitioner who worked with…… Continue reading Blogging from A to Z April 2024 Challenge: D
Lois Roelofs and Jimmy Carter and Hospice
Learn about the benefits of hospice from Lois Roelofs and Jimmy Carter.
Choosing How to Die
Review of a important new book: Marv Taking Charge: A Story of Bold Love and Courage
Remembering Doris
I submitted this essay to the Jersey City Medial Center School of Nursing Alumni Association Newsletter for the Fall publication. Limit: 500 words. Remembering Doris Dolan (December 31, 1926 – January 10, 2021) Class of 1947 I met Doris back in 1965 when we both worked at Pollack Hospital in Jersey City. We became friends…… Continue reading Remembering Doris
Through the Eyes of Nurses
On February 25th in the New York Times, two stories appeared about nurses. Both sobering. Both timely. Both essential. In my last post, I celebrated the fact that although the pandemic is killing scores of people and putting a strain on resources, including health care personnel, nurses have been in the forefront of the media getting…… Continue reading Through the Eyes of Nurses
Country Music
I’m not writing my second book whose working title was to be “Home Visits.” The Pandemic has cast a spell on my brain, resulting in lethargy and an inability to focus on structuring another book. So, instead, I’ve decided to take each home visit story and submit it to a literary magazine for potential publication…… Continue reading Country Music
A Physician’s Story
I haven’t posted any stories about what physicians face when working on the front lines during the Covid-19 pandemic. Of course, my Blog is about nursing. In more recent years, the collaboration between nurses and physicians has grown. The professions work together with more mutual respect than when I began my nursing career. And…… Continue reading A Physician’s Story
Stories that Need to be Told
I almost forgot about Dennis. That’s what Carol Novembre thinks his name was. Carol and I worked together in the early 60s at Pollack Hospital in Jersey City. It was a county-run hospital. Dennis was head of maintenance. I learned a lot from him about the political corruption that went on behind the scenes. Not…… Continue reading Stories that Need to be Told
Nurses Give Their Expert Advice on Understanding the Broken Health Care System
I have been on the lecture circuit. My topic is Empowering the Patient: How to Navigate the Health Care System. Two presentations down and two to go with another in the negotiating stage. I’m fine-tuning the presentation based on the feedback I have received from my audience each time I give the talk. Sana Goldberg’s…… Continue reading Nurses Give Their Expert Advice on Understanding the Broken Health Care System
Getting Older: Charting the Uncharted 