Sue Montgomery, RN, BSN, MA a former certified hospice and palliative care nurse — and now a writer who often covers end-of-life topics — introduces her Dying Talks™ series for those facing end of life.
As a note … in this video, Sue mentions that she is still certified as a hospice and palliative care nurse. That was true at the time of recording, but her certification as since expired. But she still loves to write and talk about end-of-life!
What’s your understanding of your diagnosis?
If you’ve received bad news about your health, there can be a lot of stress involved.
It’s normal and common to feel overwhelmed, and to be unclear about the information that your healthcare provider has shared.
In this episode, Sue encourages you to ask the questions you need to help you better understand both your diagnosis and prognosis at end of life.
Should you share bad news with your loved ones?
Though many individuals at end of life may want to protect their loved ones from bad news, sharing it with those who love you may offer many benefits.
How to better ensure that your wishes will be honored
Having advance directives in place — as well as engaging in conversations with your loved ones about them — will help to better ensure that your wishes will be honored if you can’t speak for yourself.
Having essential conversations with your loved ones
No matter where we are in our journeys, it’s critical to have essential conversations with our loved ones about what our wishes are regarding end of life.
Embracing the Golden Season
Since energy levels typically lessen as an individual’s disease progresses at end of life, it’s important to plan accordingly so that important activities, such as bucket-list items, can be embraced and enjoyed.
In this episode, Sue discusses the need to take this into consideration in order to make the most of this Golden Season™.
Establishing priorities
For those at end of life, disease progression is typically accompanied by physical changes which will require an adjusting of priorities. Embrace your journey by understanding what that means for where you are now and focus on what matters most to you at this time.
Adjusting to new normals
Those traveling through the final season at end of life typically experience a number of transitions into “new normals” as disease progression and related physical changes occur. In this episode, Sue talks about how to embrace these changes to adjust to new normals safely and with the right amount of support.
These videos are for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider.