Advance Directives: Nuts and Bolts

The term “advance directives” has been in use for decades now, particularly since the passage of the Patient Self-Determination Act of 1990 which propelled advance directives into hospitals and health care facilities as the document that would end confusion about treatment preferences and surrogate decision-makers. Unfortunately, this has not reflected the entire experience with advance [...]

The Delicate Issue of the DNR Order

   Hello again!  I’ve been looking at the discussions posted on GRACE, and noticed that there have been quite a few references to both do not resuscitate (DNR) orders and living wills, so I thought I’d put my two cents in as well.  Like Dr. West and Dr. Sanborn, I also have both of these [...]

Leah de Roulet, Social Worker, Discussing Challenges with Coping with Progressing Cancer

This is the second part of an interview I did with Leah de Roulet, Oncology Social Worker, in which she discusses some of the leading practical as well as emotional challenges facing patients and caregivers as a person progresses with cancer.   Whether we’re talking about helping a patient recognize that they can no longer live [...]

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