One Year, Five Surprises—and a Growing Movement for Choice in Dying
I knew I had a lot to learn when I stepped into this role. Here's what surprised me the most. (Continue reading ...)
A Hidden Species
"Society would be well-served to understand what proportion of the population chooses to hasten their death. Only by measuring a phenomenon can we hope to understand it and craft beneficial public policy in response to it." -- Doug Wussler (Continue reading ...)
I am an End-of-Life Doula: Listening, Supporting, and Advocating
My job is listening, holding space, being present – and it’s also educating and advocating. (Continue reading ...)
If I Should Get Dementia, What Choices Do I Have?
Until now, there has been no form of advance directive that put these questions squarely in front of the person with early dementia. Last July, I published such a form. (Continue reading ...)
Expanding Access to Medical Aid in Dying
What if the laws intended to give people more control over dying actually fail many of those who need them most? (Continue reading ...)
There at the End: Voices from Final Exit Network
"There at the End: Voices from Final Exit Network: A Celebration of 20 Years" shares powerful testimonies from individuals connected to Final Exit Network (FEN), showcasing the organization's dedication to supporting mentally competent adults suffering from terminal conditions in their right to choose death. (Continue reading ...)
Who Needs An Elder Law Attorney?
"Does the contract allow you to have access to your own doctors? What is the facility’s position on VSED? If you enter hospice, will they commit to providing adequate pain relief? If you live in a state with MAiD, will the facility cooperate?" (Continue reading ...)
What’s Positive About Death?
"To be 'death positive' doesn’t mean that you are happy about dying." (Continue reading ...)
Having Dementia Wishes Followed
"Whose wishes for his medical treatment were we to honor? Those of my father back when he was a healthy, highly functioning geneticist? Or those of the simpler, weakened man my father had become?" (Continue reading ...)
VSED: The Least Bad Option
“Your mother didn’t choose a terminal illness. She only chose not to let the disease pick when and how she would die.” (Continue reading ...)