“I Want Her to Be Respected”
"I know she's dying. I just want her to be respected." (Continue reading ...)
2025 Report: An Investigative Analysis of Implementation Barriers Across U.S. Jurisdictions Where Medical Aid in Dying is Legal
Last year, the Completed Life Initiative commissioned Sarah J. Kiskadden-Bechtel, MBe to conduct a landscape analysis of common barriers and best practices of medical aid in dying (MAID) in the United States. How jurisdictions address the implementation challenges documented in the report will shape how legal authorization translates to meaningful access for all eligible patients who choose MAID as an end-of-life option. (Continue reading ...)
How Can We Die a Good Death?
End-of-life decisions are best made in the light of day, not under the harsh glare of an ICU monitor at 3:00 a.m. For only then can we bid a fond farewell and know that it truly is. (Continue reading ...)
When Truth Meets Compassion: The Permission Conversation That Changes Everything
"In less than 10 minutes, the air in the room felt lighter – not because the situation changed, but because truth, spoken with tenderness, created space for autonomy, comfort, and connection." -- Cathy Yuhas (Continue reading ...)
Learning to Talk About Death and Dying Should Start Early in Doctors’ Careers
"When I started medical school ... one of the things I needed to learn, but didn't, was how to talk to people about death and dying." -- Junaid Nabi, MD, MPH (Continue reading ...)
For-Profit Hospice – When Money Becomes the Mission
"Several years ago, my husband and three children and I were driving through rural Pennsylvania on a family trip and saw a billboard that asked, somewhat ominously: 'Is Your Hospice Letting You Down?'" -- Theresa Brown (Continue reading ...)
No One Dies Alone – Reflections of a NODA Volunteer
No One Dies Alone is a compassionate volunteer program that ensures people with no one else available have someone by their side at the end of life, bringing dignity and comfort through human presence. (Continue reading ...)
Bridging the Divide: Exploring Hospice Advance-Care-Planning Partnerships
Decisions at the end of life reach beyond an individual’s medical condition and involve in-depth consideration of how each person defines quality. (Continue reading ...)
When Dying Loved Ones See Things You Cannot
Consider the importance of focusing on your loved one's perspective during their final moments, rather than being consumed by your own grief and emotions. (Continue reading ...)
The Vigil – A Tender Time
Many of us feel the need to do something. Now is not the time. (Continue reading ...)