Category Archives: end of life

The American Health Care Industry Is Killing People

Won’t you spare a thought for America’s medical debt collectors? And while you’re at it, will you say a prayer for the nation’s health care billing managers? Let’s also consider the kindly, economically productive citizens in swing states whose job … Continue reading

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Lovers in Auschwitz, Reunited 72 Years Later. He Had One Question.

From the NYT: The first time he spoke to her, in 1943, by the Auschwitz crematory, David Wisnia realized that Helen Spitzer was no regular inmate. Zippi, as she was known, was clean, always neat. She wore a jacket and … Continue reading

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As homeless Washingtonians near the end of life, hospice workers offer comfort wherever needed

From Crosscut: Social workers, doctors, and nurses meet patients in untraditional settings, including tents, vans and shelters. Chuck King has experienced homelessness, off and on, since he was a teen. While he worked in construction from the time he was 18 until … Continue reading

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This amazing, animated chart shows the aging of America

From the Washington Post: This is a mesmerizing little animation created by Bill McBride of Calculated Risk. It shows the distribution of the U.S. population by age over time, starting at 1900 and ending with Census Bureau forecasts between now and 2060. … Continue reading

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The Trick to Life Is to Keep Moving

By Devi Lockwood in the NYT For many people, roommates and romances are the most important relationships of their late teens and early 20s. For me it was Cora Brooks, a poet and activist 51 years my senior. She taught me … Continue reading

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Dax on the right to self-determination

From the NYT: Dax Cowart and his father, Ray, were ready to drive home on July 25, 1973, after inspecting some land that Ray had hoped to buy in East Texas, but their car would not start. Dax tried the … Continue reading

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Thoughts on living to 100

Thanks to Gordon G for finding this

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‘Very Smart People,’ but a Keyless Car’s Downside Killed Them

Ed Note: I had a similar tragic case where a car was inadvertently left running in a garage as a young mother had to rush into the house with a crying baby. Unfortunately the furnace was in the garage and … Continue reading

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“What almost dying taught me about living”

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Reverse Living

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Memory Sunday Builds Alzheimer’s Awareness

Did you know? Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, and the fifth leading cause of death of older African Americans. African Americans are generally diagnosed at later stages of Alzheimer’s disease. The risk … Continue reading

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People’s Memorial Association – May Newsletter

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Dying Is No Reason to Stop Fighting

This article is an opinion op-ed from the NYT. Thanks to Pam P for sending it in. “Ady Barkan rolled into Washington this week in a motorized wheelchair, unable to talk or to chew food or to lift his arm to scratch … Continue reading

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Seinfeld – Kramer’s deliberation on when to “pull the plug”

Ed note: One day in my office a Microsoft programmer told me, “Hey, if anything happens just pull the plug.” Then he smiled and went on, “But quickly plug me back in, because I’m likely to reboot.” I hope you … Continue reading

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ECO-FRIENDLY PET AFTERCARE AND DISPOSITION

A different type of pet aftercare is now available – see https://restingwaters.com/ Thanks to Pam P for sending this information along.

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The funeral as we know it is becoming a relic — just in time for a death boom

By Karen Heller April 15 (in the Washington Post – thanks to Frank C for sending this in) Dayna West knows how to throw a fabulous memorial shindig. She hired Los Angeles celebration-of-life planner Alison Bossert — yes, those now exist — … Continue reading

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Meet the surgeon Buffett, Bezos and Dimon trust to fix health care

Ed note: Atul Gawande is aware of the problems in the health care system – access, quality and cost. He has now teamed up with Buffett, Bezos and Dimon to try to bring these runaway problems under control. If anyone … Continue reading

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Seattle, It’s Time to Talk About Death

There are many things we want to talk about with family and friends; death isn’t usually one of them. But from Death Salons to Death Cafes and dinners, there are plenty of signs in Seattle that this is changing BY: JEN … Continue reading

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Washington could become the first state to legalize human composting

Washington residents “are very excited about the prospect of becoming a tree or having a different alternative,” state Sen. Jamie Pedersen said. A process known as “recomposition” reduces human remains to compost. CAHNRS Communications / Washington State UniversityDec. 29, 2018, 10:06 … Continue reading

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What the psychic saw

When the US filmmaker Matthew Palmer’s mother was 28 and childless, she received an unsettling prediction from a psychic: she would have a son, and her husband would die when their son was 13, but it would be ‘okay’. Uninterested … Continue reading

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What Doctors Know About CPR

We are all signed up for CPR unless we indicate otherwise. I think we all wish for a peaceful end, much like that of President George H. W. Bush – with caring family and friends at our bedside. The alternative … Continue reading

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“Tour of Grief”

From the NYT sent in by Pamela P The Orca, Her Dead Calf and Us Among the many quirks of human nature, one that has always struck me as particularly worthwhile is the tendency to project our own feelings onto … Continue reading

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Do we die?

“When the body is no longer able to continue to function in the natural world, a person is said to die. Yet they do not die, but are only separated from the body which was of use to them in … Continue reading

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Loving Legacy Video

At a conference today I met the owner/filmmaker of Seattle based Loving Legacy Video today. He noted, “Your kids don’t want your stuff, they want your stories!” Connect generations of your family members Have a profound impact on your life … Continue reading

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Lawsuit for “Wrongful Life” after unwanted but successful CPR

Ed note: Do you have that POLST form stored where 911 and your loved ones can find it? We can have all the documents completed but what happens if they don’t pay attention to them. Now lawsuits are springing up … Continue reading

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