Q. I read somewhere that there is a screening tool that was developed to more accurately predict someone’s risk of dying based on different factors. Do you know more about this or other screening tools that are out there and how they work? Is this too much information, or can people use this information to […]
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 […]
Hospice is Not a Death Sentence: What Happens When Someone Graduates from Hospice?
U.S. Army veteran, Iwao Nagata, was under hospice care for a year. At 94, he couldn’t remember conversations, his legs started getting weak, and he started falling frequently. Things went downhill fast for Iwao. He was frustrated, confused, and wasn’t eating. He became frail, constantly dizzy, couldn’t sit up, and lost his will. Fit all […]
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 […]
Getting Loved Ones the End-of-life Care They Deserve
Q. My mother is in her 80’s and has been in the hospital several times this year with pneumonia and urinary tract infections and has been suffering with Parkinson’s for decades. There have been times when I’ve visited her and a doctor hadn’t been in in a couple of days, other times when she is […]
Virginia and Washington, DC Both Earn ‘A’ on National Palliative Care Report Card
Dear Magic, I recently read that the state of Virginia and Washington, DC both received an ‘A’ grade for their palliative care offerings. Can you explain the difference between palliative care, hospice care, and end-of-life care? Thanks for your help! Palli Attive — Dear Palli, End-of-life care is the term used to describe the support […]
Many Hospice Workers Lack Their Own End-of-Life Directives
Dear Bebe, Hospice workers come into contact with people who are dying every day. I read recently that many of them don’t even have their own advance medical directives. Is this true? Seems like a no-brainer to me! Noah Directivs-Ovtherown — Dear Noah, What you read is correct. Many hospice care workers, who deal with […]
TED Talks: New Ways to Think About Death
Most people don’t like to think about dying. We’d rather focus our energy on the people and the things we love, happy times, and things that bring us joy. But, as we all know, death is inevitable, and shouldn’t be ignored. Despite what most think,these conversations don’t have to be sad and depressing. They can be positive and thought-provoking. As […]
Overcoming the Fear of Death
Q. My mother always said that there are two topics to avoid in conversation, whenever possible: religion and politics. Unlike some of my Facebook friends and others I have known, I took this advice to heart and don’t have many enemies. Now that she is in her 80’s, and I am in my 60’s, and my daughter is nearly […]