Damiano de Sano Iocovozzi – Hospice Tools
This Week’s Featured Radio Podcast
Listen to Volume # 130 —“Damiano de Sano Iocovozzi – Hospice Tools” (Podcast)
“Caregiving 101” on KKYX Radio 680am San Antonio, Texas
Hosts: Starr & Bob Calo–oy
Guest: Damiano de Sano Iocovozzi
Broadcast Date: August 14, 2010
Damiano de Sano Iocovozzi shares hospice tools to help you take care of your loved one at the sunset of their life.
Damiano is a family nurse practitioner as well as a published writer of a book to help guide people in their struggle to come to terms with the immediacy of hospice care, titled, “Sooner or Later, Restoring Sanity to End of Life Care”.
Statistics show if you live 72 years most people die of natural illness, accidents or old age. 10 percent die suddenly and 90 of illness. About 250,000 people die in the world each day.
It is a hard and dangerous time when you must face death. Denial about death arises from the stigma of dying. For some reason there is a “War” attitude about passing, and that you must “fight”. This is wrong. People in America rarely get to keep their dignity as they leave this life, being intubated and surrounded by the bustle of nursed tubes and wires, with doctors pounding them back to this side.
None of us get out of this life alive. It is as natural a process as anything God has put into place. We’re born, we live and we die. Deal with it. When your time comes don’t you want to be at peace, surrounded by your family and at home? You can if you prepare.
Damiano’s book has a wonderful ‘Opinion Section’ to help. There are questions that help you face the whole reality, to help you analyze and get an idea of what is and will be happening. The person who is responding to these questions can’t hide from the truth of what is actually happening in your lives. They are very direct and honest to help you break through the denial process, to realize that you have choices to make NOW. Most people are disappointed. There is time to ask questions, and prepare for the end.
At the point of death do you want CPR? Do you want your pain eased? Will you want multiple machines connected to you, tubes and wires? Would you rather be in Hospice care? If you go to hospice you need to be a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) patient. You will get every consideration for pain, hunger and suffering, but when it’s time for you to “go” you will be allowed to pass naturally.
There are many agenda’s that surface at this time. If your children are dependent on you and your financial care, they may want you to live longest and confront your doctor. If your children have unresolved issues or guilt with/about you then they may be reluctant to let you die, and fight your wishes. It is important to prepare. Hospice care is not a state or destination, but a state of mind. It is not about the quantity of days you have left, but the quality of care.
Starr & Bob Calo-oy created CaregiversAdvice.net to help, encourage, and support caregivers. Through weekly Radio Shows on KKYX 680am San Antonio, they host special guests who cover many unique topics concerning caregiving. They also have weekly TV Segments on KENS TV 5 San Antonio where they share caregiving and marriage tips. All of these programs are archived as Radio Podcasts and TV Podcasts for your easy listening. Visit their sister site, Marriage101.net for marriage help and encouragement. Starr has written Four Books on Caregiving.
