La Bohème: A Old Lesson in Living and Dying Stan Goldberg December 3, 2014 End of Life, Thoughts of the Day7 CommentsLast night with my wife I attended La Boheme, an opera by Puccini showing how little attitudes about dying changed since 1896 when the opera was...
Life Lessons From People Living With and Dying From Cancer Stan Goldberg November 19, 2014 Cancer, Thoughts of the Day11/18/14 I often think about a patient I served in hospice who was dying from cancer. Once a week we would go to a place he chose—usually...
Want Enlightenment? Think Less, Do more Stan Goldberg March 30, 2012 Grieving and Recovery, Life12 CommentsWhen I gave a workshop on change at a well-known retreat center, one participant told me that this was the tenth week-long workshop he attended in...
The Zen of Eating Cream of Wheat: A Journey Into Dementia Stan Goldberg November 10, 2010 Alzheimer’s/dementia9 CommentsAs a bedside hospice volunteer in San Francisco, I always have the choice of whether or not to accept an assignment. Some, I immediately know are right for me, such as sitting with a man my age who was estranged from his family and desperately wanted to reconnect with them. With others, especially those with advanced Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia, I occasionally question whether the assignment makes sense—but not anymore.
The Zeniness of Aging Stan Goldberg August 5, 2010 AgingIt began when I dropped a ceramic pie dish for no apparent reason. Expensive, but replaceable. Not a big deal I thought, just my new clumsy self. But the next day when I tripped going up the stairs and sprained my ankle, I questioned that it was clumsiness. And when I fell off my bicycle, again for no apparent reason and tore up the left side of my body, I became concerned—really concerned.
Dying Stands Logic on its Head Stan Goldberg January 13, 2010 End of Life2 CommentsWe often harshly judge behaviors we don't understand. They can involve someone's ingratitude, anger, or actions we label as foolish. I recently was guilty of the same thing here in the San Francisco Bay area with one of my hospice patients.
Helping Our Loved Ones Die-2: Sitting Stan Goldberg December 29, 2009 End of Life, Helping Our Loved Ones Die Videos2 CommentsLessons for the Living-2: Sitting. Few people understand the importance of sitting down next to a person who is dying rather than standing at the...
Helping Our Loved Ones Die-3: Create a Positive Environment Stan Goldberg December 28, 2009 End of Life, Helping Our Loved Ones Die VideosHelping Our Loved Ones Die:3 Create a Positive Environment. The focus should be on life, even as a loved one's life is slipping...
Helping Our Loved Ones Die-4: Simplifying Life Stan Goldberg December 27, 2009 End of Life, Helping Our Loved Ones Die VideosHelping Our Loved Ones Die: 4-Simplifying Life. As a loved one comes closer to dying, interests become more defined. There is much you can do to...
Helping Our Loved Ones Die-5: Listen More, Talk Less Stan Goldberg December 26, 2009 End of Life, Helping Our Loved Ones Die VideosHelping Our Loved Ones Die: 5-Listen More, Talk Less. We tend to fill periods of silence with words, almost as if it was a requirement. Yet, it's...
Helping Our Loved Ones Die-7: Talk About Death Stan Goldberg December 24, 2009 End of Life, Helping Our Loved Ones Die VideosHelping Our Loved Ones Die: 7-Talk About Death. People who are dying usually know it and if given permission to talk about it, will want...
Helping Our Loved Ones Die-10: Private Experiences Stan Goldberg December 21, 2009 End of Life, Helping Our Loved Ones Die VideosHelping Our Loved Ones Die:10-Private Experiences. People close to death may relate visits by loved ones who have died. Whether or not you think...
Helping Our Loved Ones Die-11: Giving Permission to Leave Stan Goldberg December 20, 2009 End of Life, Helping Our Loved Ones Die VideosHelping Our Loved Ones Die:11-Giving Permission to Leave. One of the hardest things you may have to do is give permission to a loved one to...
Helping Our Loved Ones Die-12: Final Thoughts Stan Goldberg December 19, 2009 End of Life, Helping Our Loved Ones Die Videos2 CommentsHelping Our Loved Ones Die:12-Final Thoughts. Some final things to think...
View From the Bay-KGO (ABC), Janelle Wang/Spenser Christian (video) Stan Goldberg December 2, 2009 InterviewsKGO (ABC) View From the Bay Janelle Wang and Spenser Christian Stan talks about his book, Lessons for the Living: Stories of Forgiveness,...
Cudos to 60 Minutes Stan Goldberg November 23, 2009 End of LifeThe 60 Minutes segment on end of life expenses did more than highlight inappropriate medical costs. It spoke to the role of medical technology in our...
Hospice care. False charges from Health Care Bill Opponents Stan Goldberg October 11, 2009 End of LifeAs Congress debates the new health bill, whipping boys are paraded out to create fear. The latest, and most deplorable is that hospice will be used...
Cyrus Webb (audio) Stan Goldberg September 28, 2009 InterviewsCyrus Webb How Stan's book Lessons for the Living can be used throughout one's life. September 28,...
Elese Coit-A New Way of Handling Absolutely Everything (audio) Stan Goldberg September 25, 2009 InterviewsA New Way of Handling Absolutely Everything Elese Coit Life sometimes brings pain with it. Stan and Elese talk about how you can't have joy with...
David McMillian-Strategies for Living (audio) Stan Goldberg September 7, 2009 InterviewsStrategies for Living David McMillian An insightful review of Lessons for the Living. Blog Radio September 7,...
