Patrick explores the challenging decisions facing hospice care workers, particularly around administering pain management and its ethical implications. Patrick clarifies the Catholic Church's teaching on end-of-life care, distinguishing between permissible palliative care and morally unacceptable euthanasia. Patrick discusses real-life scenarios with medical professionals, offering guidance and resources to navigate these complex situations ethically.

 

• Patrick continues his conversation with Jose from the end of the previous hour. Jose is asking if it’s sinful to administer medicine even if it ultimately leads to death. (00:50)
• Donna - In all the years that I was in hospice care I never heard of anyone wanting to kill people (12:38)
• Aaron - I volunteered as an extraordinary minister. Should I be giving communion to a big group at a nursing home even if I don’t know if they are Catholic? (15:52)
• Patrick shares his experience working with the elderly (23:22)
• Kathleen - Is it okay to take notes during the homily? (30:15)
• Andrea - Hospice is meant to be helpful but my experience has been different and I was warned by a cardiologist about it. (31:38)
• Joe - Chicago hospitals have a ward who will give you drugs to sedate you and starve you to death if you want to die.
• Barbara - What should a Catholic do if there isn't a priest in the area to hear confessions? (42:38)
• Karen - I was a nurse and I watched two relatives get morphine and I was wondering if it was euthanasia. (46:45)
• Jessica - Doctors made a friend of mine terminal to get her into hospice for pain management. They removed her IV nutrition so she would qualify.