Death and dying

Is It Normal to Grieve Before Someone Dies?

Nearly everyone involved in caring for an ill or aging loved one is experiencing some degree of grief. However, we don’t usually identify the...

Hospice Care: Help During End Stages of Life

…We knew Dad was wearing down. He didn’t have long to live, but did he have to be in such discomfort? I wanted him...

We see a very closeup image of harp-like stringed instrument

Music-Thanatology: Providing Harmony at the End of Life

The mission of hospice providers is to help people live their last months or weeks of life in the most comfortable, dignified, and satisfying...

This indoor image shows two cupped hands containg small pills. One is a white capsule, one is a small round orange tablet.

Losing the Ability to Swallow: How to Help Someone With Dysphagia

Coping with an ill loved one’s difficulty swallowing can be frustrating and frightening for everyone involved. Caring for someone we love means nurturing and...

this indoor image shows a close up view of a white pillow and slue blanket framed by a wooden bed.

When Your Loved One Rallies Before Death

Family members are often relieved and hopeful when a dying loved one suddenly becomes more aware of their surroundings or begins talking or eating...

Why So Many Long-Married Couples Die Close Together

While death rarely brings pleasant feelings, from time to time we’ll see a story about death go viral on the Internet because it touches...

An extreme closeup of a the lower portion of a feminine face and black clad shoulder is all we see. We can see a portion of the ear and lower eye, half the nose, and half of the mouth that wears rose lipstick. Quiet tears stream down the cheek.

How to Engage in Self-Care While Grieving

Many caregivers watch their loved ones endure a long, slow decline that will eventually end in death. As they age, we grieve every mental...

This indoor image shows a woman with long brown hair streaked with gray. She has she holds hands up cupping her face in grief. Her vace is completely hidden

Life As a Caregiver: How to Make Tough Care Decisions

Many of us feel honored to provide care for our aging parents or ill spouses, but this honor can also present serious challenges. Even...

This indoor image shows an open door in the background with a large plant barely in view. In the foreground is a young mane with dark hair and a beard and wearing a white short-sleeved shirt standing over an older man feeling his forehead. The older man is Black. He has gray hair and is lying in bed. We see his pajama-clad arm laying on top of the white sheet.

Breaking the News That a Loved One is Going on Hospice Care

When the paperwork was finally signed to get hospice care for my dad, I was grateful. There would now be a routine of care...

Confused About Palliative Care Vs. Hospice Care? You Aren’t Alone

Dear Carol: My mom has advanced lung disease as well as late-stage Alzheimer’s. We know that there are no cures for either of her current...