FAST Dementia Scale

Hospices use the FAST Dementia Scale to qualify patients for Hospice.

Here's a link : http://geriatrics.uthscsa.edu/tools/FAST.pdf 

Poetry Helps us Embrace Death

In an article called "How to Get Ready for Death," Rob Ruff says that "Poets have a unique and insightful way of helping us embrace the not-easily embraceable truth that death will come, without fail, for each of us." Some of his favorite poems on the subject are :

The Death Deal by Ron Padget
The Poet struggles against but eventually begins to look forward to his own eventual death.

When Death Comes by Mary Oliver, in which the poet voices her wish to live fully, with amazement, curiosity, and joy before death comes for her "like the hungry bear in autumn ..."

The Last Thing by the Irish poet Monk Gibbons.  The Poet reminds us that death is an experience common to all people.  Thus we can approach death's door bravely, trusting that "where so much greatness and gentleness have been already, you should be glad to follow." 

Pediatric Advanced Care Planning and Life Review Tools

5 Wishes : Aging with Dignity    Link to this Website.

Advance care planning for children with special health care needs: a survey of parental attitudes.

Wharton RH, Levine KR, Buka S, Emanuel L.   Pediatrics. 1996 May;97(5):682-7.   PMID:   8628607. 

Link to this Article. (HealthSource Nursing via EbscoHost)   

Care of the dying adolescent: special considerations.

Freyer DR.   Pediatrics. 2004 Feb;113(2):381-8.  PMID: 14754953.

Link to this Article. (AAP Website)

The Decision-Making Tool : Information for Families.  Seattle, WA : Seattle Children's Hospital ; 2003. 
Link to this Document.

Development, feasibility, and acceptability of the Family/Adolescent-Centered (FACE) Advance Care Planning intervention for adolescents with HIV.    Lyon ME, Garvie PA, Briggs L, He J, McCarter R, D'Angelo LJ.   J Palliat Med. 2009 Apr;12(4):363-72.   PMID:   19327074.  
Link to this Article. (PubMed Central)

End-of-life care preferences of pediatric patients with cancer.

Hinds PS, Drew D, Oakes LL, Fouladi M, Spunt SL, Church C, Furman WL.

J Clin Oncol. 2005 Dec 20;23(36):9146-54. Epub 2005 Sep 19.  PMID:  16172453.

Link to this Article (JCO Website).

How I wish to be remembered: the use of an advance care planning document in adolescent and young adult populations.    Wiener L, Ballard E, Brennan T, Battles H, Martinez P, Pao M.

J Palliat Med. 2008 Dec;11(10):1309-13.   PMID:  19115889.  

Link to this Article. (PubMed Central)

Is it safe? Talking to teens with HIV/AIDS about death and dying: a 3-month evaluation of Family Centered Advance Care (FACE) planning - anxiety, depression, quality of life.

Lyon ME, Garvie PA, Briggs L, He J, Malow R, D'Angelo LJ, McCarter R.

HIV AIDS (Auckl). 2010;2:27-37. Epub 2010 Feb 18.    PMID:  22096382. 
Link to this Article.   (PubMed Central)

Life's Toughest Moments : A Parent's Guide When Facing End-of-Life Decisions with Their Child.
Smith J, Kvinsland B.  Seattle, WA : Global-HELP ; 2006.
Link to this eBook. 

Memories Life Review Template.   Davis, Kathy.  University of Kansas Medical Center.
Link to this Document.  (Affinity Access Only)

Pediatric advance care planning.

Hammes BJ, Klevan J, Kempf M, Williams MS.   J Palliat Med. 2005 Aug;8(4):766-73.   PMID:   16128650.

Link to this Article.  (Academic Search Premier) 

What do adolescents want? An exploratory study regarding end-of-life decision-making.

Lyon ME, McCabe MA, Patel KM, D'Angelo LJ.    J Adolesc Health. 2004 Dec;35(6):529.e1-6.    PMID:   15581537. 
Link to this Article. (ScienceDirect)