Dr. George Davis

While partly based on the knowledge of the physician, decisions and care in these areas depend on the values, wishes, concerns of the patient and family. I am expert in helping families through the difficult patient care of advanced illness, especially dementia illnesses, and the painful decisions needed during end of life care. Pain management is often needed in these situations and I have extensive experience in the use of medications for pain control. I have been a Hospice care medical director and was trained as a Palliative Care specialist. Palliative Care knowledge offers options in care often not raised by untrained practitioners. These options often resolve what otherwise would be a major obstacle and conflict in the care of a loved one.  

 

My commitment is to help patients and families, hospital staffs, or individual practitioners in coping with these challenging areas of care. Unnecessary treatments, prolonged interventions, prolonged suffering, and preventable pain can be limited with better communication, better prognostication, a better understanding of the issues and values involved, and better identification of patient wishes and identification of who the decision maker is. Active listening is actually a method of clarifying communication and relieving conflict by not promoting one’s own agenda, but by helping others to express their feelings, concerns, and wishes. Knowledge about grief and grief counseling often helps families to express their fears during the dying process of a loved one. These concerns and wishes can be expressed in various legal forms, often called advanced directives. DNR orders, living wills, MOLST are examples of these. Some are done by lawyers, some are done by doctors, all cause confusion to patients, families, and caregivers. I can help to clarify their use, not from a legal point of view, but within the real, honest context of caring for advanced illness.