Many of us are uncomfortable with the realities of death and are unsure of how to behave when we encounter it up close for the first time.
But for professionals who work in palliative care, death is a recurring part of life. And for those trained in helping people and families through these difficult situations, the work can be fulfilling and meaningful.
Today on AirTalk, we sit down with hospice workers to discuss how their experiences have changed their views on death and dying.
If you are a hospice worker, how has your profession changed your perspective on death? What commonalities have you observed? And how do you keep yourself from being drained by your work?
Guests:
Karin Clemente, R.N., nurse case manager with Mission Hospice and Home Care in San Mateo
Sunita Puri, MD, physician, assistant professor of clinical medicine and medical director for palliative care at the Keck Medical Center of USC; she previously served as a hospice physician in South Los Angeles; her upcoming autobiographical book “That Good Night: Life and Medicine in the Eleventh Hour” (Penguin Random House, 2019) dives into some of her experiences providing end-of-life care