Dignity Therapy Lets Gravely Ill Leave Behind Their Stories
The therapy, which involves multiple 30- to 60-minute question-and-answer sessions usually conducted by a psychologist, social worker or trained chaplain, is becoming more popular for those at the end of life.
Sacramento Bee:
What Will Your Last Words Be? Legacy Therapy Helps Dying Patients Tell Their Stories
Maureen Cleveland inhaled deeply as she recalled the scent of the fresh tomatoes that her father brought home each summer from the cannery where he worked. The thin 60-year-old woman, who’s battling late-stage breast cancer, talked for an hour in her Carmichael home, smiling almost constantly as she described picnic days with her family of seven and other scenes from her Bay Area childhood. Visiting hospice chaplain Connie Johnstone listened intently from the foot of the bed, egging Cleveland on with questions and scribbling down the occasional quote. (Caiola, 6/6)
In other aging news —
The Mercury News:
Burden Of Care For Elderly Afflicted With Dementia Falls Mostly On Women
After Steve Williams’ dementia worsened a year ago, his wife Noree quit her job as a school music teacher to care full time for her husband of 46 years — and decided they should move closer to their eldest daughter and her family in San Jose for additional support. “There came a point when I could no longer leave him by himself,” said Noree Williams, 65. “It was hard. I’m at the point now when I can no longer get him out of bed. It’s very hard on my body — he needs help with everything now.” (Bansal, 6/6)