Diane, End of Life Doula

04/06/2026

How many can you check off?

01/28/2026

Using brightly colored bowls, particularly red or blue, can increase food intake by up to 25% for individuals with dementia. High-contrast colors help overcome diminished visual contrast sensitivity and depth perception, allowing them to better distinguish food from the dish. Simple, solid colors without busy patterns or glare work best to reduce visual confusion.
Why Colored Bowls Help
Enhanced Contrast: As dementia progresses, visual perception changes, making it difficult to differentiate food from white plates (e.g., mashed potatoes on white).
Increased Intake: Studies show a 25% increase in food consumption with red plates, and up to 84% more fluids when using high-contrast, colored drinkware.
Improved Focus: Solid, bright colors (red, blue, bright yellow) help users focus on the food itself, rather than becoming distracted by patterns.
Recommended Colors and Usage
Red Dishes: Often the best choice for providing high contrast against both light and dark backgrounds.
Blue Dishes: Highly recommended because blue is rare in natural food, providing maximum contrast with most meals.
Yellow Dishes: Good for contrasting with green foods.
Color Matching: Use bright plates for pale foods (rice, potatoes) and light-colored plates for dark foods (meat, chocolate).
Other Tips for Mealtime
Avoid Patterns: Busy patterns or glossy finishes can cause confusion or glare.
Use Functional Design: Specialized sets like Eatwell feature slanted bottoms and high contrast to assist with self-feeding.
Simplify the Table: Keep the table setting simple to reduce distraction.
Add Utensils: High-contrast or built-up utensils can help with gripping and maneuvering food.

01/28/2026

Here's a reel that I just love. It shows what I do as an end of life doula

12/05/2025

A bed bath.

As I'm filling up the basin with water this morning and gathering supplies, I start to think how the circle of life is happening. You give a baby a bath and some, like me have given them in the kitchen sink. Now I'm filling this basin up with soap and wash cloths to give a bed bath to a hospice client.

The circle of life. Morning thoughts on caring for our young and our old. Caregiving.

09/27/2025

A heartwarming story ❤️

09/08/2025

Singapore needs 20-30% more hospice staff workers as their population ages.

Interesting...I'm curious what US stats are.

The Singapore Hospice Council warns the sector needs at least 20 to 30 per cent more home hospice staff as the population ages.

09/07/2025

You’ve seen it in movies or in the news: Sweethearts married for decades die within a few days of each other. People call it “broken heart syndrome,” and it’s real.

Link⤵️
https://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/can-you-die-broken-heart?ecd=soc_fb_250519_cons_ref_brokenheartsyndrome&linkId=100000365400988&fbclid=IwdGRjcAMq5SZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHlcZvTL7cY4OYObNhkElBGZI2q0BQ5DJaNnm1HR_ogi6KHC6Z1UV1AFZHsY-_aem_M-LcI0JumIwu9NVimp-_oA

09/01/2025

🌟 Empowering caregivers with compassionate hospice & dementia strategies.



🕊️ Practical tools to reduce stress, honor dignity & navigate challenges. Lifeline for meaningful moments.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DZ1B6851?binding=paperback&linkCode=sl2&tag=nursingtips0d-20&linkId=0716a7ffbff7a0590aec0a49eb7cd543&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl&fbclid=IwdGRjcAMiy6RjbGNrAyLLkGV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAAEdCz3pjFUeJW9Xgz8Cn5w8Vt5hslgjxBWNYCjCuL7ZtJqDy55VS3KFnXz7_aem_hx9TNrVbAY649vVEJWlyVg

Care Planner: Organize, Communicate, and Provide Consistent Care at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DCGFPXLF?&linkCode=sl1&tag=nursingtips0d-20&linkId=bbb9dcfbb12a041d6f6f59c5ad9e0cc3&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl&fbclid=IwdGRjcAMiy61jbGNrAyLLqGV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAAEd3cPLjV8Ni1HZdXkOTSZR1CeWo8SCbH6oIjEQKaIo37hMC7WTUCP1GHOy_aem_gfOoDHRm6RO67xjvyQ_aNQ

08/15/2025

Taking care of hospice clients daily you don't always see the weighloss.

Yet this morning with one of my clients I noticed the hip bones were becoming more noticeable. Their clothing becoming more loose. I notified the hospice nurse.

Yet on a good note, my client is still in good spirits.

06/22/2025

Documentation from a published case study:

Purple urine bag syndrome (PUBS) is rare and was first reported in 1978.[1] and is signified by purple discoloration of the urine usually seen in women and chronically debilitated patients with long term indwelling urinary catheters.[2,3] PUBS can be distressing for patients, family members and healthcare workers who are unaware of this association. This condition is often associated with urinary tract infection. Discolouration of the urine bag is due to the presence of indigo and indirubin pigments which precipitate and react with the synthetic materials of the catheter and urinary bag.

06/20/2025

This PDF is intended for caregivers to help them understand the key risks associated with the most common diagnoses that may lead to either palliative care—comfort care without the need for a prognosis, allowing the patient to receive aggressive treatment—or hospice care, which requires a terminal prognosis for comfort care.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1f3vaLG5p_y78FTJrC4JkvQ3MtEkAQXah/view?usp=drivesdk