This writer finds beauty in the pain she feels over the loss of her sister By Jill Smolowe for Next Avenue In the almost seven years since I laid my…
How to prevent a real life nightmare at life’s end
A Next Avenue Influencer in Aging urges conversations around death By Barbara Coombs Lee for Next Avenue Editor’s note: This article is part of Next Avenue’s 2015 Influencers in Aging project honoring 50…
The importance of a plan
“LAND OF THE GIANTS” was a science-fiction series that aired on ABC in 1968. Taking place 15 years in the future – in 1983 — the series chronicled the adventures…
Don’t wait to talk about hospice
It’s an all too common situation. A family is at the bedside of a loved one who is seriously ill and nearing the end of life. Each member of the…
Heart & Soul Hospice makes patient’s One More Time wish come true
Heart & Soul Hospice in Farmington, in partnership with Meadowbrook Assisted Living in Pilot Knob, Mo., made a One More Time wish come true for community resident James Degonia. Degonia,…
Vulnerability comes with options
Some of the paintings I enjoy most are landscapes. Scenes like calm, peaceful, endless miles of ocean or turbulent, churning, white-capped waves amidst twenty foot swells. Or how about soft,…
Learn what hospice care really means to patients and their families
What makes a good death? This is a question that many people prefer not to think about in their day-to-day lives. However, for patients facing an uncertain future, it is…
Valentine’s Day a celebration of life, love
Some of my most cherished memories of the days I spent as a Youth Pastor back in the 80s are those related to making Valentine’s cakes and cookies. The baking,…
How palliative care can help
There’s an important medical term that you may not have heard of: Palliative Care. “Palliate” means to make comfortable by treating a person’s symptoms resulting from a serious illness. Hospice…
Paying for end-of-life care
How to pay for the rising costs of health care? Concerns over these costs are shared not only by elected officials but by almost every family across the country. Many…