SEPT. VOLUNTEER SUPPORT GROUP CANCELLED

(Due to LABOR DAY, Monday, Sept. 4th)

Our Sept. 4th Support Group is cancelled since it falls on the Labor Day holiday. And, the following Monday, Sept. 11 is not an option due to conflicts with other meetings. So instead, please mark your calendars for Monday, October 2nd at 5:00PM and I look forward to seeing you then. Mahalo!

TED TALK: WHY THINKING ABOUT DEATH HELPS YOU LIVE A BETTER LIFE

BY: ALUA ARTHUR (18:38 minutes)

Alua Arthur is the founder of the organization Going with Grace. As a death doula, or someone who supports dying people and their loved ones, Arthur spends a lot of time thinking about the end of life. In a profound talk that examines our brief, perfectly human time on this planet, she asks us to look at our lives through the lens of our deaths in seeking to answer the question: "What must I do to be at peace with myself so that I may live presently and die gracefully?" Click to watch -- it's a good one!

FORBES ARTICLE: 3 LIFELINES TO HOLD ONTO WHEN GRIEVING THE LOSS OF A LOVED ONE

Mark Travers, lead psychologist at Awake Therapy, reminds us that healing and happiness are possible even when grieving. "By actively engaging in the healing process and incorporating strategies to manage grief, we can find solace, growth, and transformation amid the pain of loss," Travers writes. This article explores how seeking meaning, embracing self-transformation and incorporating rituals into one's daily routine, can be effective ways to cope with grief. Read more...

ART URNS GO AROUND THE WORLD – FABRIC ARTIST JULIE MOORE

Cremation urns have become a recognized art form with shows and competitions around the world. In 2013, Julie Moore, Fiberactive Organics’ founder and CEO, launched Earth To Earth Burial as a place to show and sell her organic burial and cremation fiber art. She got into funerary art through her own interest in “green burial.” She started with shrouds, pillows and quilts to be placed in simple pine boxes. Then, urns were a natural progression. Oftentimes families will send her items of the deceased’s clothing (like T-shirts), so the urn becomes colors of THEIR life. Julie says: "being able to talk about death and plan for the end of life is important to me. It’s a joy to serve people in such a profound time of their lives." Click here to see a sampling of her amazing fabric urns, created from organic, biodegradable materials.

ONLINE STORY MAP: CICELY SAUNDERS’ USA TOUR 1963

An engaging, interactive story map of Cicely Saunders’ U.S. tour was compiled using material from the Dame Cicely Saunders collection at King’s College London Archives. It shares little known personal stories of Saunders, the founder of the modern hospice movement and takes us through her journey in the U.S. where she met, befriended and inspired some of the key players in the area of palliative care. The tour provided her with a wealth of new ideas, access to large network of related health care professions and reinforced her own convictions. For those she met, it provided a catalyst for bringing together and inspiring people to push for better care for the dying and chronically ill. She visited at least 12 different hospitals in New York, Connecticut, Boston, Washington, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Click to explore this informative visual tool. 

ARTICLE: HOW PRES. JIMMY CARTER HAS CHANGED THE CONVERSATION AROUND HOSPICE

BY: JOSEPH CHOI (THE HILL - 07/21/2023)

Former President Carter’s public disclosure in February that he was entering hospice care — where he remains nearly six months later — is shifting the perception of end-of-life care for patients and their families. Many assumed the 98-year-old former president was on his deathbed, but his family says he has continued to enjoy ice cream and stay up to date on the work of the Carter Center. A study released by NORC at the University of Chicago in March found that patients and their families experienced “increased satisfaction and quality of life, improved pain control, reduced physical and emotional distress, and reduced prolonged grief and other emotional distress” regardless of how long patients were in hospice. Continue reading. 

DEMENTIA CARE RESOURCE GUIDE

The National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI), Aliviado Health, and the Center to Advance Palliative Care recently announced the release of a new dementia care resources guide that will improve quality of life for dementia patients, reduce hospitalizations, and ease the burden for families and caregivers. The Guide is designed to support the home care of people living with dementia and to assist caregivers, including families, with the skills and necessary information to care for, manage safety, and provide comfort for the patient while reducing caregiver burden. Click to download the 64-page guide.

"LIFE FILE" CHECKLIST FOR END OF LIFE PLANNING

A "Life File" is a central place to keep the “how and what” documents that ensure your wishes are honored at the end of your life. It allows your loved ones to have the information they need to take care of your affairs when you die. Click to download this helpful 2-page resource which includes a checklist of additional components such as your care (advance directive); your possessions; your legacy (obituary, funeral/remembrance ceremony). A preview follows:



… Create a password list. Include phone, tablet, computer, email, social media accounts, etc. Consider using password software like LastPass or 1Password, which allows you to pass on your passwords to your heirs.

… Review your social media accounts and decide what you’d like to happen with them when you die. Every social media platform has different options.

… Document your bank account information, including safe-deposit box locations.

… Document any life insurance policies and beneficiaries, including information on funeral insurance or pre-paid burial plot, if applicable.

… Include your will. Consider updating it if things have changed in your life since you last updated it.

… Make a list of bills with due dates and amounts. Note how statements are received and payments made. Identify which bills are ongoing and which have an end date.