In palliative and hospice care, our work often hinges on recognizing subtle cognitive changes before they escalate into crises. When most people—clinicians included—think about dementia, they think about memory loss and confusion. While these are hallmark features, they are not always the earliest signs of cognitive decline. One
Agitation is a frequent and distressing symptom in individuals with advanced dementia. It may manifest as restlessness, verbal outbursts, pacing, aggression, or resistance to care. For patients in hospice or palliative care settings, these behaviors can pose significant challenges for caregivers, impact the dignity of the patient, and strain the
As palliative care professionals, we’re trained to focus on comfort, dignity, and whole-person care—especially in the face of progressive neurologic illness. But recent findings from researchers at Caltech challenge long-held assumptions about where diseases like Parkinson’s truly begin—and offer new insight into how gut
In the complex landscape of symptom management in palliative and hospice care, nausea and vomiting are frequent and distressing symptoms that demand careful clinical attention. Among the arsenal of antiemetic medications, ondansetron (Zofran) is often recognized for its effectiveness in specific settings such as chemotherapy-induced nausea and postoperative emesis.
In hospice and palliative care, healthcare providers offer not only clinical support but also emotional, spiritual, and physical comfort to patients facing serious, life-limiting illnesses. This compassionate work often involves physically demanding tasks such as repositioning bedbound patients, transferring those with limited mobility, and spending prolonged hours at the
For years, popular advice about preventing dementia has centered on the idea that brain games—crossword puzzles, Sudoku, language apps—can preserve cognition and slow decline. But what if this advice is not only misguided, but actively harmful? What if it offers patients and families false reassurance, while the root
For centuries, pneumonia has been described as “the old man’s friend,” a term first attributed to the renowned physician Sir William Osler. While modern medicine has rightly moved beyond the romanticization of illness, the core sentiment behind this expression still resonates in hospice and palliative care: pneumonia, when it
In the evolving landscape of metabolic disorders, the term “Type 3 Diabetes” has emerged as a provocative and multifaceted label—one that resonates in two vastly different yet clinically relevant contexts. While not officially recognized by the American Diabetes Association, “Type 3 Diabetes” is used informally to describe both Alzheimer’
Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are among the most commonly prescribed medications worldwide. While their short-term efficacy in managing acid-related disorders is well established, their long-term use—especially in older adults and hospice patients—raises important concerns about safety, necessity, and alignment with patient-centered goals of care.
In an era where genetic testing is accessible to nearly anyone with an internet connection, palliative care clinicians are increasingly encountering patients—and family members—who are anxious about their APOE4 status. Popular genetic platforms like 23andMe often alert users to their APOE4 allele status, sparking fears that a diagnosis
As the population ages and chronic disease burdens deepen, palliative care and hospice teams are increasingly faced with the intersecting trajectories of metabolic and neurodegenerative disease. Among the most clinically significant—and often overlooked—intersections is the strong association between Type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. Understanding this
Helping Families Navigate the Complex Terrain of Dementia with Compassion and Clarity “How long do we have?” It’s the question every family asks when dementia becomes part of their reality—and it’s one of the most challenging to answer. For years, many of us in hospice and palliative