The History of Hospice with Barbara Karnes

Barbara Karnes is a pioneer of the modern hospice movement in the United States. She got her start as a hospice nurse when medical professionals didn’t know how to pronounce the word hospice, let alone understand what care it could provide their patients. Thirty five years ago when Barbara was helping set the standard of care for people at the end of their lives, she wrote Gone From My Sight. It is a little blue pamphlet that uses simple, straightforward language to explain the dying process. And it is still widely used today by hospice agencies across the country. In this episode, Barbara explains what hospice actually does and how it helps people. We also talk about the dying process – what to expect, what it looks like and sounds like and what you need to know if you’re caring for a loved one who is dying. 

You can learn more about Barbara’s advocacy work and buy all of her pamphlets here: https://bkbooks.com/