Imagine being John McCain and told you have an incurable brain tumor. What thoughts run through your mind? What’s your main priority? How would you want others to treat you?

“I don’t know” is the most likely answer.

Without question, John McCain served his family and country with distinction and deserved to be treated with dignity. But what did "dignity" mean within the context of his physician-patient end-of-life conversation? This headline made it perfectly clear: "Senator McCain Stops Medical Treatment."

After the shock and awe, a silent "Hallelujah!" rang across the nation in praise of John McCain’s self-determination and personal freedom. "The Maverick" was now free to die with dignity!

Yet was his proclamation another case of too little, too late to make a difference or set an example? As a society, can we agree that medical treatment is often incompatible with personal dignity? Is dignity subjective and personal, or a matter of fact? How can we know if John McCain was free to die with dignity if we fail to clearly define what this means in "proper society?"

When you become a new caregiver, there is often a huge learning curve, especially when it comes to performing certain medical procedures. The A-Z Home Care Handbook: Health Management How-Tos for Senior Caregivers offers tips and how-tos to help guide you through the health management tasks caregivers are most commonly responsible for performing. The book is due out Summer 2018.

Is Palliative Care Right For YOU?
by Kevin J. Haselhorst, MD