Ep. 56 - Risking Love: Hospice, Palliative Care, and Humanity Behind Bars

About this episode

Linda Blum discusses her experiences training incarcerated caregivers in hospice care and the ethical complexities involved.

In this powerful episode, longtime HPNA member Linda Blum, APRN shares experiences from the last few years of her rich nursing career in volunteerism —training incarcerated caregivers in a California state prison hospice program. Linda explores the ethical complexity of end-of-life care behind bars, from POLST conflicts and CPR decisions to pain management in a correctional setting where Medicare rules don’t apply. Through ELNEC education and interdisciplinary collaboration, she’s helping nurses, correctional officers, and incarcerated caregivers reclaim agency and restore dignity at the end of life. This conversation examines moral distress, serious illness communication, and the transformative power of “risking love” in some of the most marginalized settings. A moving reflection on bearing witness, professional courage, and the light within us all. About Humane Prison Hospice Project The Humane Prison Hospice Project is developing a humanitarian, cost-effective, and transformative solution to ensure that those aging and dying in prison receive compassionate care. Since 2017, the Humane Prison Hospice Project has worked to ensure that incarcerated individuals receive…

People in this episode

Guest: Linda Blum

Topics covered

• hospice care
• palliative care
• end-of-life care
• incarcerated caregivers
• ethical complexity
• moral distress
• interdisciplinary collaboration

Keywords

• hospice
• palliative care
• incarceration
• end-of-life
• caregiving
• ethical dilemmas
• healthcare
• California
• Humane Prison Hospice Project

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: HPNA, Humane Prison Hospice Project

Places: California

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