By Larry Patten for Next Avenue (This is a personal essay by retired pastor Larry Patten, who now works in a Fresno, Calif., hospice facility.) Answering the innocent question of…
How to Beat the “Heat”
By Greg Schmidt, hospice chaplain It’s July in Kansas, and the heat is real. What is the best way to “beat the heat?” Obviously, you should look for a vacation…
A Daunting Task: Cleaning Out a Late Loved One’s Home
By Randi Mazzella for Next Avenue After a parent or another loved one dies, one of the hardest tasks is cleaning out their home. Whether or not it’s the home you grew up…
The Risks of a Handwritten Will
By Jason Largey for Next Avenue When the “Queen of Soul” Aretha Franklin died last August, it was believed that she hadn’t prepared any kind of estate plan, including a last will and…
Best Ways to Manage Life Insurance Proceeds After a Spouse Dies
By Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell for Next Avenue I handled all the household finances and bills throughout my 32-year-marriage to my husband, Dale. But when he suddenly died of a massive heart attack at 57…
To Want to Be Set Free
By Greg Schmidt, hospice chaplain Earlier this month, our Heart & Soul Hospice team hosted a “Celebration of Hope: Celebrate, Honor & Remember” service at Wichita Presbyterian Manor. It was…
How to Get Through the Fog of Grief
By Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell for Next Avenue When my 57-year-old husband, Dale, suddenly died of a massive heart attack on Nov. 20, 2018, two days before Thanksgiving, to say I was in…
‘Living Memorials’ Allow Tributes Before Loved Ones Die
By Bill Ward for Next Avenue Linda Singer has had ovarian cancer for nine years. In recent months, her health has worsened significantly. Rather than dwelling on looming death and…
‘End Game’ Film Shows the Struggle in End-of-Life Decisions
By Deborah Quilter for Next Avenue In a pivotal scene of the documentary End Game, we listen in as a team of palliative care professionals discusses Mitra, a 45-year-old woman…
Learning from the birds
By Greg Schmidt, hospice chaplain I can hear a few birds talking to one another outside my office window. A Grackle is squawking that no one has dropped a sandwich…