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Our Monthly Tip: Say Goodbye with Flower Petals
A simple flower ceremony sends a loved one off with beauty and respectOur Tip of the Month Sometimes the simplest of ceremonies is the most meaningful, and this is particularly true when someone dies. All too often, when we are searching for some way to pay homage to a loved one, we are too caught up in our grief and sadness to see that a simple gesture…
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Death Cleaning: A Thoughtful Act for Family and Friends
It’s much kinder to handle clutter before you die rather than leaving it to your loved ones after you’re goneIn Sweden, the people have an expression — “dostadning.” The word translates to the words death and cleaning, or death cleaning for short. It refers to the practice of middle-aged and elderly people cleaning out their homes so that their family and friends need not be burdened with the task after they die. Paper Trail…
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How Do You Empower Your Loved Ones Before You Die? (Interview)
Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Colleen Ferguson: Hi Holly, before we dive in can you first talk a little bit about what you do with Last Respects Consulting and end-of-life preparation? Holly Blue Hawkins: I act as part concierge, part chaplain, and part coach. I like to meet people…
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New Advance Directive To Permit The Withholding of Food And Water In Late-Stage Dementia
A new advance directive document gives people the option to refuse food and water in the event of late stage dementiaIn March, End of Life Choices New York approved an advance directive document allowing patients to record in advance that they wish to refuse food and drink in the event that they develop late-stage dementia. Rejecting food and drink is a way of accelerating the dying process once a person has been overcome with symptoms…
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“Housebreaking”
Read between the lines of this well-told tale for the insidious effects of complicated griefHousebreaking has all the makings of a good beach read – and so much more. Since the main characters and their supporting cast span three generations — aging grandfolk, dysfunctional parents, and rebellious teens — there’s bound to be one of its highly sympathetic characters to whom the reader can relate. And if you happen…
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“Keg on my Coffin”
The upbeat folk song asks us to celebrate our loved ones who have died“Keg On My Coffin” by Chris Trapper is a lighthearted folk song written from the perspective of someone who has died. In fact, preceding a live performance of the song, Trapper said, “I tried to imagine what it would be like if I was to send a postcard home after I died.” Though he wrote…
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Medicare to Tie Nursing Home Payments to Hospital Readmission Rates
Will trying to curb the “boomerang effect” place more patients at risk?Beginning this October, Medicare will begin penalizing nursing homes with higher than average hospital readmission rates, according to a June 19 report in MedPage Today. In an ongoing effort to curb preventable hospital readmissions, the agency will reward nursing homes that keep hospital readmission numbers low and decrease reimbursement to those whose residents wind up…
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“Sonnet 71”
The works of William Shakespeare often have disguised or ironic meaningsMost people know Shakespeare for his plays, such as “Romeo and Juliet,” “Macbeth” and “Hamlet.” He was also, however, a gifted poet, penning 154 sonnets. In 1609, he wrote “Sonnet 71.” “Sonnet 71” was part of a series of poems known as the “Fair Youth” sequence. This sequence takes the point of view, or persona,…
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