How do you know if someone is dead?
[Editor’s note] While it seems a little inappropriate to share, this article raises some good points. Many people think of death as black and white — you’re alive or you’re not — those of us who’ve been around death know it’s...
Crossing the bridge
When you are a caregiver, you are the guide for your loved one as they cross the bridge toward death. The world, with colors and noise swirling around, keeps tugging and pulling on you, wanting you to come back, but the labored last few breathes of your loved one...
Death sentences: the language of bad news
When discussing death, the words we choose can speak volumes. In the 1970s and 1980s, Susan Sontag wrote about the metaphors that surround TB, AIDS and cancer, arguing that their use can add to the suffering of patients, stigmatising them and encouraging...
‘More At Peace’: Interpreters Key To Easing Patients’ Final Days
Alfredo David lay in bed, looking deflated under an Avengers blanket, as a doctor, two nurses, and medical interpreter Veronica Maldonado entered his hospital room. He wrapped up a call from his wife, then fiddled idly with his phone. He had received distressing news...
Aid-In-Dying: Not So Easy
Starting June 9, terminally ill Californians with six months or less to live can request a doctor’s prescription for medications intended to end their lives peacefully. If that sounds simple, it won’t be. California’s End of Life Option Act creates a long list of...
Why talking about death is an act of love
The only parent-child conversation more excruciating than the birds and the bees is the death talk. In a fantasy world, our parents would record their end-of-life wishes in a legal document and set aside a good chunk of change for funding. They would include a...
Why Are We in Denial About Death?
Physicians and family members must find the courage and compassion to talk about dying before it’s too late.
Understanding Anticipatory Grief in Caregiving
“No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear.” -C.S. Lewis
A Memorial for the Living: Don’t Wait to Celebrate Your Loved One’s Life
How many times have you sat in a memorial service and thought, “I only wish that he (or she) could be here to take all of this in”?
Harvesting memories during the holidays
Not only will these memories be precious to you now, but you will be able to hand down to the next generations the history, culture, and traditions of your family.
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