Advance Directives

Sep 03

4

‘Til Death Do Us Part!

By Sonali Mantoo | Advance Directives, Death, Death Wellness, Dying, End-of-life care, End-of-Life Planning, Good Death, Grief, Healthcare Power of Attorney, Healthcare Proxy, Paliative Care | 8 Comments

Death. Mortality. End of Life. Something inevitable, yet rarely discussed and a source of intense discomfort for most. When mentioned, it is considered inauspicious and rude in many cultures. Death is an integral part of the workday for a Critical Care Physician like me. But it was never a topic of discussion in Medical School or training.

May 21

4

Voluntary Assisted Dying Legislation Should Respect Human Rights

By Dr. David Swanton | Advance Directives, Dementia, Discrimination, Euthanasia, Mental Illness, Paliative Care, Suffering and Death | 5 Comments

With the assistance of the World Federation of Right to Die Societies and Exit International, I surveyed voluntary assisted dying (VAD) advocates and supporters around the world to inject some much-needed data and objectivity into the VAD debate.

Apr 09

0

End-Of-Life Conversations Can Be Hard, But Your Loved Ones Will Thank You

By Deborah Carr | Advance Directives, COVID-19, Dying, End-of-life care, End-of-Life Planning, Funeral Planning, Healthcare Power of Attorney, Hospice, Living Will, Paliative Care, The Five Wishes | One Comment

End-of-life conversations can ease suffering for families, not just patients. You can start these conversations simply, like saying, “I need to think about the future. Can you help me?”

Mar 19

1

You’re Suing Me BECAUSE I Kept Your Husband Alive?

By Althea Halchuck | Advance Directives, Dementia, DNR, End-of-life care, End-of-Life Planning, Healthcare Power of Attorney, Healthcare Proxy, Living Will, MOLST, Paliative Care, POLST, Suffering and Death, Surrogate, The Right to Die | 5 Comments

“They made the end of his life horrible and painful and humiliating,” Elaine Greenberg said. “What’s the sense of having a living will if it’s not honored?”

Feb 12

2

The “Good” Death

By Diane Carter | Advance Directives, Dementia, DNR, End-of-life care, End-of-Life Planning, Final Exit Network, Healthcare Power of Attorney, POLST, Surrogate | 3 Comments

A “good” death is one in which you exert maximum autonomy over your end-of-life journey. Here are some checklists for what needs to be done.

Jan 08

1

Times to Have “The Conversation”

By Karen Purze | Advance Directives, Choice, Completed Life, Death With Dignity, Disability, DNR, End-of-life care, End-of-Life Planning, Funeral Planning, Healthcare Power of Attorney, Healthcare Proxy, Hospice, Medical Aid in Dying, Mental Illness, PAD, Paliative Care, Rational Death, Religion, Spirituality, Suffering and Death, Surrogate, VSED, Wills | 6 Comments

“The rest is up to you,” he finally said, ending the conversation for good. He didn’t have any more guidance, and certainly no more patience to talk about it. I was surprised. To me, it felt slightly irresponsible to leave all these decisions to other people.

Nov 06

0

The Ways Inequality Affects Black Americans at the End of Life

By Rochaun Meadows-Fernandez | Advance Directives, Dementia, Discrimination, End-of-life care, Funeral Planning, Hospice, Paliative Care, Religion | 3 Comments

“It’s no secret that wage gaps, discrimination and institutional racism limit Black Americans’ access to health equity. However, what’s discussed a lot less frequently is that these factors impact the way this group experiences death, too.”

Oct 23

4

Growing Towards VSED

By Nancy Simmers | Advance Directives, Death, Death Doula, Death With Dignity, Death With Dignity Act, Dying, End-of-life care, Funeral Planning, Hospice, Medical Aid in Dying, VSED | 4 Comments

In 2019, three community women asked to meet with me about a compelling community education concern. The spouses of these women had all struggled to use the VSED end-of-life option because our county’s only hospital, and associated hospice program, had religious affiliations and, therefore, was unable to support VSED.

Sep 11

2