This I Believe - Rhode Island: Hospice

By Frederic Reamer

Providence, RI – Death. It's not a pleasant subject, of course, yet all of us know of its inevitability, in our own lives and those of the people we love. Sadly, for many the end of life is filled with a toxic mix of pain, suffering, and an agonizing loss of control. But, as Dr. Joan Teno notes, life does not have to end this way. Indeed, we know better.

Dr. Joan Teno is the daughter of Doris Teno, who died on October 15, 2008. She is professor of community health at The Warren Alpert School of Medicine of Brown University and Associate Medical Director of Home and Hospice Care of Rhode Island.