Howard Fischer, a 63-year-old investor in New York, made his wishes to his family known that he is committed to having his body composted when he dies. According to Fischer, “(w)hatever his family chooses to do with the compost after it’s done is up to them.” Michelle Skaff agrees. When she dies, she’s wants to […]
“Hospice Nurse Julie” Dispels Myths about Death and Dying to Over a Million Followers on TikTok
Julie McFadden is a TikTok-famous hospice nurse with 1.1 million followers. She loves her job because she helps people find peace in death, and she uses her social media presence to share her knowledge on the subject. Julie has also appeared in articles by Newsweek, People magazine, and many other magazines, newspapers, and podcasts. According […]
What if I Don’t Want a Funeral?
Q. When a family friend died last year, his family made it clear there wouldn’t be a traditional funeral service for him. At first I thought this was because of the pandemic, but now I’m not so sure. Instead, they held a celebration of his life on his next birthday, almost a year after his […]
Why Would Someone Want to Preplan Their Funeral?
Dear Angel, My father told me yesterday that he is preplanning and prepaying for his funeral. I just listened as he spoke, but didn’t ask any questions. It was such a serious topic that I didn’t want to look disrespectful by questioning him. But, maybe you can tell me . . . why would someone […]
How One Journalist Helped Her Father Die
If you’re someone who is suffering from a terminal illness, and you have only a few months to live, should you be allowed to choose how and when to die? Ten states in the United States now let patients do just that — a practice referred to as medical aid in dying — under highly […]
How to Prepare for the Final Step: Words of Wisdom from an Optimistic Death Doula
Ruth McGill talks about death every day. She listens to her clients, all of whom are terminally ill, and helps them to decide where they might like to die – at home, in a hospice, or someplace else. She helps them to have conversations with family or loved ones that would otherwise be much more […]
What to Do When You Are Blindsided by a STUG
Q. Five years ago, my father passed away after suffering from dementia for years. The entire family was there to say goodbye to him, and we felt like we had closure. He planned well, so everything was taken care of and he took the time to leave us notes before his dementia got bad and […]
End-of-Life Doula Shares Advice on Talking About Death and Dying
Dear Magic, I just found out that a close friend of mine’s mother has terminal cancer. My friend often wants to talk about it, and I try to be a listening ear. Sometimes she asks me for advice, and to tell you the truth, I don’t know what to say to her. Do you have […]
When Medical Aid in Dying Is Legal, But Still Not Accessible
Q. I recently attended my 50th high school reunion and connected with several teammates with whom I played varsity basketball. I heard about a teammate who had terminal cancer who wanted to die on his own terms. Although death with dignity is legal in his state, he still had a rough time finding a doctor […]
Top 19 Articles of 2019
Those who read our newsletter or follow our blog know that we covered a lot of ground in 2019. This past year, the Federal Tax Act increased the federal estate and gift tax exemption from $11.18 million dollars per person to $11.4 million dollars per person ($22.8 million dollars per couple). On the gift tax […]
Alternate Endings: Six New Ways to Die in America
Attitudes about death and end-of-life choices are rapidly changing in America. As the baby boomer generation is aging, more and more people are rethinking the ways end of life is recognized and are deciding to take control of what will happen when they die. Some people who are nearing death and others who are recently […]
Stanford Scientists Can Predict When A Loved One Will Die
Richard has had Parkinson’s for more than two decades. He has been hospitalized several times this past year, and each time, his ability to swallow and other motor skills have regressed and have needed to be relearned through therapy. Since there is no cure for Parkinson’s and since Richard has had it for so long, […]
Is Planned Suicide Different Than Dying with Dignity?
Q. My neighbor, Sam, is a ninety-year-old widower who has lived alone in his home for several years. His health has deteriorated over the past few months and he frequently comments about how much he misses his wife. His daughter lives far away and only visits on holidays and special occasions. Sam barely manages to […]
10 Intriguing Things to Do with Your Cremains When You Die
Pictured: Forevurn Kaleidoscope Urn Steve Munt is a cat lover with a keen interest in outer space. While most grieving pet owners keep their furry friends’ remains at home in an urn or buried in the yard, Munt wanted to do something special for his cat, Pikachu, who passed away after a long battle with […]
How to Attend Your Own Funeral
In Diana Gabaldon’s book, “A Breath of Snow and Ashes,” one of the character’s mothers awoke at her own wake. She took notice of her uncomfortable coffin, lack of brooch that she hoped to wear when she was buried, and lack of food for guests. She sat up and admonished her son who was scared […]
What to Do When a Loved One is Terminally Ill
When Leanne’s father was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), his family knew the prognosis was not good. The average survival time for FTD is typically 3-5 years, and Leanne’s father has already had the disease for two years. Leanne and her brother really want to spend quality time with their father, but they’ve come to […]
Navigating an End-of-Life Rally
Michael, an advanced Alzheimer’s patient, was in hospice care and didn’t have much time. He was experiencing what some believe to be precursors to death, such as loss of appetite, changes in breathing, and more confusion than usual, and his organs were shutting down. His family all flew in to spend his remaining time with […]
Your Last Wishes Can be as Unique as You Are
Katie was born on July 4th. She got married on that day also and gave birth to her son on July 6th (he was due on the 4th). She was in the military and is a proud American. For her, Independence Day and fireworks have special meaning. So, when she indicated her wishes in her […]