WEBVTT 00:00:00.360 --> 00:00:02.620 Hi everybody, Clayton Vandiver, your Lightkeeper 00:00:02.620 --> 00:00:05.400 here, and for this summer we have a real treat 00:00:05.400 --> 00:00:09.500 for you. Lightkeepers Podcast Shorts. No, that's 00:00:09.500 --> 00:00:11.880 not a new clothing line. What it is, is short 00:00:11.880 --> 00:00:14.259 versions of some of our most popular episodes 00:00:14.259 --> 00:00:17.800 that we keep getting requests to show you again. 00:00:18.320 --> 00:00:21.000 So we've cut them down, made them all less than 00:00:21.000 --> 00:00:24.120 10 minutes long, and here you go with part one 00:00:24.120 --> 00:00:29.359 of the Lightkeepers Podcast Shorts. Hi, and welcome 00:00:29.359 --> 00:00:31.640 to this edition of the Light Keepers podcast. 00:00:31.940 --> 00:00:34.340 I'm Clayton Vandiver, your Light Keeper, with 00:00:34.340 --> 00:00:37.020 the show dedicated to everyone who wants to get 00:00:37.020 --> 00:00:40.420 the most out of life that they can. We don't 00:00:40.420 --> 00:00:43.140 talk about the end of life. We talk about the 00:00:43.140 --> 00:00:46.340 quality of life. My co -host on this episode, 00:00:46.579 --> 00:00:48.960 Charlene, a licensed clinical social worker in 00:00:48.960 --> 00:00:51.179 the state of Florida, is going to be talking 00:00:51.179 --> 00:00:55.520 with us today about palliative care. hospice. 00:00:55.520 --> 00:00:59.500 It isn't just for the end of days. It isn't just 00:00:59.500 --> 00:01:02.740 for the last few hours. And that's going to be 00:01:02.740 --> 00:01:05.900 very, very interesting to learn more about. Also, 00:01:05.939 --> 00:01:08.560 we're going to be talking about advanced directives 00:01:08.560 --> 00:01:13.859 on this edition of the Light Keepers podcast. 00:01:42.030 --> 00:01:44.250 Before we start, I'd like to invite you to please 00:01:44.250 --> 00:01:46.670 leave your questions or comments below. We love 00:01:46.670 --> 00:01:49.209 to hear from you, and every week we answer those 00:01:49.209 --> 00:01:52.129 questions and comments that appear online every 00:01:52.129 --> 00:01:57.069 Wednesday evening at 7 p .m. Eastern. And last 00:01:57.069 --> 00:01:59.769 week we had a question, Charlene, from one of 00:01:59.769 --> 00:02:04.269 our listeners. It was on one of our RSS feeds. 00:02:04.390 --> 00:02:08.009 We're on every podcast feed for audio and also 00:02:08.009 --> 00:02:11.419 on YouTube for video. But we had someone send 00:02:11.419 --> 00:02:13.900 in a question and it was about, what was our 00:02:13.900 --> 00:02:19.500 subject last week? Last week it was about DNR. 00:02:19.800 --> 00:02:24.139 DNR. They were asking what, if we would define 00:02:24.139 --> 00:02:28.039 frail, how frail do you have to be for DNR not 00:02:28.039 --> 00:02:33.439 to be, well, to be considered? So frail can have 00:02:33.439 --> 00:02:36.560 a lot of different definitions depending on. 00:02:37.289 --> 00:02:39.669 where you are in life but most of the time in 00:02:39.669 --> 00:02:42.129 the medical world when we're talking about frail 00:02:42.129 --> 00:02:44.689 we're talking about someone who has a compromised 00:02:44.689 --> 00:02:48.030 immune system someone who is frequently sick 00:02:48.030 --> 00:02:52.509 a lot of hospitalizations someone whose body 00:02:52.509 --> 00:02:55.729 is not strong enough to be able to withstand 00:02:57.569 --> 00:03:01.250 something that can be as violent as CPR. I understand. 00:03:01.610 --> 00:03:04.729 We talked a lot about the measures that happen 00:03:04.729 --> 00:03:07.949 when you don't have a DNR in place and the most 00:03:07.949 --> 00:03:10.310 ideal times to have them. And being frail is 00:03:10.310 --> 00:03:12.110 certainly one of them. I hope that helps you 00:03:12.110 --> 00:03:14.490 and your loved one. And of course, please send 00:03:14.490 --> 00:03:17.189 those questions and comments to us because that 00:03:17.189 --> 00:03:19.969 dialogue, that communication is exactly how we 00:03:19.969 --> 00:03:22.889 can help you the best. Of course, this is just 00:03:22.889 --> 00:03:26.590 a conversation. Go to yourownpersonalcare .com 00:03:26.560 --> 00:03:30.800 personal medical team, financial advisors, whoever 00:03:30.800 --> 00:03:33.280 it is that helps you and knows your particular 00:03:33.280 --> 00:03:36.639 needs the best. That's who you actually need 00:03:36.639 --> 00:03:39.439 to seek counsel from. We just put ideas in your 00:03:39.439 --> 00:03:41.639 head to be thinking about so that you know the 00:03:41.639 --> 00:03:44.879 right questions to ask when the time comes. The 00:03:44.879 --> 00:03:47.039 Light Keepers podcast is an exclusive production 00:03:47.039 --> 00:03:49.240 of Guiding Light Incorporated. We'll tell you 00:03:49.240 --> 00:03:51.060 more about a guiding light at the end of the 00:03:51.060 --> 00:03:53.780 show, but we don't have much time. We want to 00:03:53.780 --> 00:03:58.379 get right into palliative care, hospice, all 00:03:58.379 --> 00:04:00.719 of the things that we are talking about this 00:04:00.719 --> 00:04:03.240 week in a sort of a free -flowing conversation. 00:04:03.419 --> 00:04:05.500 So we're not sure where this is going to take 00:04:05.500 --> 00:04:08.199 us. Tell us more about the difference between 00:04:08.199 --> 00:04:11.169 palliative care and hospice. So there is a difference 00:04:11.169 --> 00:04:13.229 and that's something that a lot of people don't 00:04:13.229 --> 00:04:18.029 realize. Palliative care is when you have an 00:04:18.029 --> 00:04:21.329 illness that can be considered terminal, can 00:04:21.329 --> 00:04:24.870 be considered life limiting, but you're not ready 00:04:24.870 --> 00:04:28.029 to stop treatment yet. So when you have someone 00:04:28.029 --> 00:04:31.490 who is in palliative care, this is someone who 00:04:31.490 --> 00:04:36.649 wants to be comfortable, wants to focus on relieving 00:04:36.649 --> 00:04:40.199 those symptoms. but also wants to continue receiving 00:04:40.199 --> 00:04:45.339 treatment and, you know, not ready to go to hospice 00:04:45.339 --> 00:04:49.480 yet. And hospice is basically where you're focused 00:04:49.480 --> 00:04:53.860 on managing the symptoms, focusing on being comfortable, 00:04:53.920 --> 00:04:57.259 and you've stopped treatment. You've made that 00:04:57.259 --> 00:04:59.519 decision that you don't want the chemotherapy 00:04:59.519 --> 00:05:02.000 anymore. You don't want the radiation anymore. 00:05:02.160 --> 00:05:04.920 And you just want to basically make the best 00:05:04.920 --> 00:05:10.139 of the time that you have. I understand. You 00:05:10.139 --> 00:05:14.139 receive hospice care. Most people assume, I believe, 00:05:14.279 --> 00:05:16.699 that you just go in for the last few days or 00:05:16.699 --> 00:05:19.279 last few hours of your life. That is so true. 00:05:19.459 --> 00:05:21.759 That is so true. And it's such a sad assumption 00:05:21.759 --> 00:05:24.920 because there's so many people out there that 00:05:24.920 --> 00:05:27.560 could be receiving better care and their families 00:05:27.560 --> 00:05:30.939 could be receiving better support if they had 00:05:30.939 --> 00:05:33.879 known that hospice was for more than just the 00:05:33.879 --> 00:05:36.579 last few days. What other sort of services does 00:05:36.579 --> 00:05:40.600 hospice provide? Well, your basic hospice team 00:05:40.600 --> 00:05:44.879 usually includes a physician, someone who is 00:05:44.879 --> 00:05:47.040 signing the orders for you to get the medication 00:05:47.040 --> 00:05:52.240 that you need. It includes a nurse, someone who 00:05:52.240 --> 00:05:56.220 comes out to check on you and make sure that 00:05:56.220 --> 00:05:58.019 the medications that you're being prescribed 00:05:58.019 --> 00:06:03.620 are working. Okay. And it includes a CNA, an 00:06:03.620 --> 00:06:05.839 aide, someone who comes out and helps with your 00:06:05.839 --> 00:06:08.579 personal care needs like bathing and shampooing. 00:06:09.459 --> 00:06:11.779 There's also a social worker that makes sure 00:06:11.779 --> 00:06:14.139 that your family is being well supported and 00:06:14.139 --> 00:06:16.759 making sure that there are no gaps in resources. 00:06:17.899 --> 00:06:20.860 And then there's usually also a chaplain, some 00:06:20.860 --> 00:06:23.620 sort of spiritual support, if desired by the 00:06:23.620 --> 00:06:26.000 family. Well, of course, this sort of begs the 00:06:26.000 --> 00:06:29.600 question, how early then could someone become 00:06:29.600 --> 00:06:34.220 into the hospice care system so that they could 00:06:34.220 --> 00:06:37.740 receive? So I know a lot of folks, a lot of caregivers, 00:06:37.980 --> 00:06:41.300 a lot of families are concerned with where do 00:06:41.300 --> 00:06:43.560 they find a lot of these services that you just 00:06:43.560 --> 00:06:46.959 mentioned? And they could be provided for them, 00:06:47.019 --> 00:06:49.959 but how early, how soon, and when do you qualify? 00:06:50.459 --> 00:06:53.639 So in the United States, in order to meet the 00:06:53.639 --> 00:06:56.579 criteria to be eligible for hospice, you have 00:06:56.579 --> 00:07:01.220 to have a terminal diagnosis. This means a diagnosis 00:07:01.220 --> 00:07:03.600 that with or without treatment is going to cause 00:07:03.600 --> 00:07:07.240 the end of your life. Within six months or less, 00:07:07.360 --> 00:07:09.519 and that has to be certified by two different 00:07:09.519 --> 00:07:12.259 physicians. Well, six months is a lot longer 00:07:12.259 --> 00:07:15.519 time than most people that I've spoken with know 00:07:15.519 --> 00:07:18.660 that they could get into the hospice system and 00:07:18.660 --> 00:07:23.220 receive all of those helps, those assistances. 00:07:23.319 --> 00:07:27.139 Correct. Most people who come on to hospice services... 00:07:27.899 --> 00:07:30.800 come on to hospice services within the last month 00:07:30.800 --> 00:07:34.259 of their life. And that's five more months that 00:07:34.259 --> 00:07:36.680 they could have been receiving better symptom 00:07:36.680 --> 00:07:39.860 management, better care, and their family could 00:07:39.860 --> 00:07:43.160 have been receiving better support. Well, one 00:07:43.160 --> 00:07:46.560 very interesting... piece of trivia that I've 00:07:46.560 --> 00:07:48.480 stumbled across. A lot of folks tell me that 00:07:48.480 --> 00:07:50.480 when a family member goes into hospice, they 00:07:50.480 --> 00:07:52.680 actually begin to get a little bit better. They 00:07:52.680 --> 00:07:55.600 do. How does that work? That can happen. That 00:07:55.600 --> 00:07:58.680 can happen. And there's actually a lot of different 00:07:58.680 --> 00:08:02.459 reasons behind it. So let's... Say, for example, 00:08:02.600 --> 00:08:05.079 you have someone with a diagnosis of cancer, 00:08:05.220 --> 00:08:08.639 which cancer is a very common diagnosis that 00:08:08.639 --> 00:08:12.120 leads to hospice care. It's a major malady that 00:08:12.120 --> 00:08:15.319 many families share. So you have someone who's 00:08:15.319 --> 00:08:17.360 been going through chemotherapy. They've been 00:08:17.360 --> 00:08:20.439 going through radiation. They've been in intense 00:08:20.439 --> 00:08:23.759 pain. They've been sick. So they've been in this 00:08:23.759 --> 00:08:26.300 situation where they've been struggling, and 00:08:26.300 --> 00:08:28.860 they've been fighting, and they're worn down. 00:08:29.610 --> 00:08:32.610 And then they enter hospice. There's no more 00:08:32.610 --> 00:08:36.350 chemotherapy. There's no more radiation. There's 00:08:36.350 --> 00:08:38.730 no more hospitalizations where someone's coming 00:08:38.730 --> 00:08:41.070 in every 15 minutes to poke you, to prod you, 00:08:41.129 --> 00:08:43.409 to monitor you, to inject you with something. 00:08:44.129 --> 00:08:47.090 You're at home. You're being given medication 00:08:47.090 --> 00:08:52.980 to alleviate the pain. you're allowed to be comfortable 00:08:52.980 --> 00:08:55.700 and rest. So basically the things that were making 00:08:55.700 --> 00:08:58.580 the greatest impact on your life and wearing 00:08:58.580 --> 00:09:02.899 down your reserve strengths are all alleviated 00:09:02.899 --> 00:09:06.559 and you're just there to rest, relax and be pain 00:09:06.559 --> 00:09:08.850 -free. Correct. As much as is possible. Correct. 00:09:08.909 --> 00:09:11.690 And a lot of times when people hear that, they 00:09:11.690 --> 00:09:15.429 jump to the other end of the spectrum in assumptions, 00:09:15.549 --> 00:09:18.649 which is that hospice kills people. And that's 00:09:18.649 --> 00:09:22.929 not true. That is actually fueled by the fact 00:09:22.929 --> 00:09:25.549 that most people enter hospice at the very end. 00:09:25.950 --> 00:09:28.129 They're already at the end of their life. So 00:09:28.129 --> 00:09:30.509 they come on hospice and within a few weeks they 00:09:30.509 --> 00:09:32.629 die. And so people think, oh, hospice killed 00:09:32.629 --> 00:09:35.840 them. Well, no, truth is. they were just going 00:09:35.840 --> 00:09:37.940 through the natural progression of their illness. 00:09:38.039 --> 00:09:40.580 They were already there. Correct. They were simply 00:09:40.580 --> 00:09:43.259 taken there as the last measure. Normally in 00:09:43.259 --> 00:09:47.039 hospice support, the doctor, the hospice physician, 00:09:47.080 --> 00:09:50.480 will start someone off on the smallest dose of 00:09:50.480 --> 00:09:53.580 medication, and then they will only increase 00:09:53.580 --> 00:09:56.460 it as needed to control the symptoms. Medication 00:09:56.460 --> 00:10:00.740 to alleviate pain. Pain. Okay. Pain, shortness 00:10:00.740 --> 00:10:03.460 of breath, anxiety, which can be a common issue 00:10:03.460 --> 00:10:06.700 at end of life. The Light Keepers podcast is 00:10:06.700 --> 00:10:08.759 an exclusive production of Vanimation Studios 00:10:08.759 --> 00:10:12.679 and is brought to you by A Guiding Light, a 501c3 00:10:12.679 --> 00:10:15.960 nonprofit organization dedicated to education 00:10:15.960 --> 00:10:18.279 and information that allows informed preparation 00:10:18.279 --> 00:10:22.559 for living the very best life possible. For more 00:10:22.559 --> 00:10:24.519 information on A Guiding Light, please visit 00:10:24.519 --> 00:10:27.750 the website at aguidinglight .org. or to make 00:10:27.750 --> 00:10:31.230 a tax -deductible contribution, please visit 00:10:31.230 --> 00:10:33.830 the donation page on the website where you'll 00:10:33.830 --> 00:10:36.370 find tax information and the address to send 00:10:36.370 --> 00:10:39.730 a check, which is also on the screen right below 00:10:39.730 --> 00:10:42.570 me. Stay tuned for part two of this special episode 00:10:42.570 --> 00:10:45.590 of Light Keepers Podcast Shorts. Remember to 00:10:45.590 --> 00:10:47.309 subscribe. We'll see you next time.