March 06, 2023

Ep. 393 End-of-Life Care for People with Dementia with Barbara Karnes RN

1 hour 5 minutes

Learn about the challenges faced by caregivers for dementia patients and some creative ideas for offering support.

In this episode I welcome back my recurring guest Barbara Karnes, hospice nurse, speaker, thought leader, and expert on end-of-life care. She is the author of the “little blue hospice book” Gone From My Sight and her most recent book By Your Side: A Guide for Caring for the Dying at Home. We discuss the challenges of caring for a person with dementia and the impact that care can have on family members. Learn more about Barbara’s work at her website:

www.bkbooks.com

Get the book here

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Listen here:

This episode includes:

There are now over 7 million people with dementia in the US

Dementia patients require twice as many hours of care as other patients

The late stage of dementia can last 1-2 years; patients are eligible for hospice care during the last 6 months

How the last stage of life for dementia patients differs from that of other end-of-life patients

Why caregivers for dementia patients are much more likely to suffer exhaustion and depression

A marker to use for determining when a dementia patient is eligible for hospice

Why it’s essential to create an advance directive early in the course of dementia while the patient can make decisions

The need for “dementia doulas” to guide and assist caregivers

What happens when a caregiver can no longer take care of their loved one at home

How some financial planners are doing a better job talking to their clients about preparing for healthcare needs than medical providers are doing

Simple tips to help caregivers in the moment

Links mentioned in this episode:

FAC-AZ Annual Meeting in March: Register here (you can attend in person or virtually)

What Really Matters Podcast

NEW Archives Page

Family Caregiver Alliance: Website Caregiver College Videos

A Place for Mom

Book recommendation: Connecting the Dots by Judith London

Leave me a message by email: [email protected], Twitter, Facebook or Instagram

Support your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to Soul

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Check out the Series I’ve recorded in the past here

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If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially my newest patron Barbara Richardson and thank you also to Jen Blalock for buying me a coffee! Your contributions make all the difference.

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By Karen Wyatt MD

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