DYING: Journey | Veterans | Hospice | Art / Poetry | Organ Donation | Mortuary / Burial | Grief | Peace & Grace
Fear not death. Befriend death. A holy mystery awaits you for your own deepening, and your own healing.
Native American Blessing
Possibilities for a Peaceful Death
Where To Start With End-Of-Life Decisions – Joshua Johnson for NPR 1A
Discussions about end of life choices after first Lady Barbara Bush chose Comfort Care at the end of her life.
Listen to the Podcast
Deciding About Treatments That Prolong Life
MedlinePlus US National Library of Medicine
Read the Article
Read two helpful articles from the Crossroads University:
How Do I Initiate a Hospice Talk?
Understanding Your Loved One’s Hospice Team
Walking Each Other Home – Conversations on Loving and Dying
by Ram Dass and Mirabai Bush
After impacting millions of people through the years with these teachings, they have reunited once more with Walking Each Other Home to enlighten and engage readers on the spiritual opportunities within the dying process.
In Walking Each Other Home, the two authors and respected spiritual teachers provide guidelines for being a “loving rock” for the dying, how to grieve fully and authentically, how to transform a fear of death, leaving a spiritual legacy, creating a sacred space for dying, and much more.
“Everybody you have ever loved is a part of the fabric of your being now,” says Ram Dass. The body may die, but the soul remains. Death is an invitation to a new kind of relationship, in the place where we are all One.
Find this book in your local library or order it online.
Conscious Aging – On the Nature of Change and Facing Death
by Ram Dass –
Find the Audio CD here
Moments of Living
Created by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, this wonderful website where you will find stories from across America, from the patient, family caregiver, and hospice professional points of view. And you may be surprised to see how much more ‘living’ hospice enables in the last chapter of life. Learn more
Hospice at Home
Preparing for a Loved One to Die at Home
By Susan Seliger – New York Times
Read the article
See also: Human Dignity Care – Hospice Care
Keep the Conversation Going
Advance Care Planning is an ongoing process. Your thoughts and preferences for care at the end of life may change as a serious illness or condition progresses. It is essential that you keep having the Conversation about your end of life preferences with your Agent, your primary care physicians, and loved ones. Remember you may always change your stated preferences, or your choice of your Agent.
Having the Conversation is Not Enough
by Susan Ducharme Hobsen
Read the article
Having the Conversation: Basic Skills for Conversations about End-of-Life Care
Institute for Health Improvement Online Course
Learn more
Join a group of people interested in talking about end of life concerns.
Here are two organizations that facilitate such gatherings:
Death Cafe
Informal gatherings of people in various places around the country simply to drink tea, eat cake
and discuss death and dying. In such gatherings there is no formal agenda other than to expand
understanding of dying and death. Learn more
Death Over Dinner
An organization that will help facilitate you organizing friends and family around a table to talk
about issues around death and dying. Learn more
Decide What Matters Most to You
An excellent Values Checklist and Guide: My Choices Near the End of Life is available for download from CaringCommunity.org.
Also: Go to Advance Care Planning – Decide What Matters Most section of this website.
Review Your Advance Directive & POLST forms
If you already have an Advance Directive or a signed POLST form, it is essential to keep both forms up to date and consistent in your statements about your choices and preferences for end of life care. Make certain to discuss your choices with your primary care doctor and any other specialists treating you so that you are all in agreement. Ask hospice personnel to assist you in this process if needed. Give up to date copies of your Advance Directive and your POLST forms to your Agent and loved ones as well. Keep them readily available should an emergency situation arise.
Go to Advance Care Planning – Review – Revise section for more information
Learn How to Be an Effective Health Care Agent
Making Medical Decisions for Someone Else – A How to Guide
Harvard medical School provides this free download document that will not only give you ideas about how to bean Agent but can also be used as a guide for how to effectively advocate for yourself in health care.
Download it free HERE
Learn How to Select & Assign Someone to be Your Health Care Agent
GO TO the ADVANCE CARE PLANNING section of this website
to learn how to select and designate an Agent if you have not already done this essential task.