Guest BloggerLife (and Death) Happens: Why a Plan Is So Important
Growing up as the youngest of seven children I was surrounded by many maternal figures. The age difference between me and my oldest sister is sixteen years. In addition to the love from my parents, my siblings made sure I had everything I needed – everything except a plan for the unthinkable. At 10 years old, life was “normal.” I was doing well, going to school and hanging out with my friends. My childhood home was in the suburbs of Palm Desert, Calif. My siblings and I really didn’t want for anything. My father owned his own contracting business and
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SilveradoDoes Going on Hospice Mean Giving Up?
Hospice is a special kind of care focused on providing patients with a terminal illness comfort and dignity as their disease takes its course. Because hospice means that treatment will no longer be focused on curing the disease, many families feel that they are giving up on their loved one. While it may be easy to think that, understanding what hospice provides in the context of the patient, their family, and the overall disease progression can provide a new perspective on choosing hospice. Things to consider about hospice: A doctor will only place an order for hospice care when they
Continue readingWhat Hospice Can Do For Your Loved One and You
November is National Hospice & Palliative Care Month. Although the concept of hospice care has been around for centuries, it is still an area of medical practice that many people today aren’t aware of. Hospice provides comfort and support during the final stages of one’s life. It does more than just meet the physical needs of patients. In many cases, patients require more than just physical comfort. It may be that the patient has spiritual or psychosocial needs that could be fulfilled before their passing. Hospice offers many resources and programs to meet these needs and ensure the patient has
Continue readingAnswers to 5 most Frequently Asked Hospice Questions
While most people have heard of hospice, a surprising number don’t have a complete understanding of the actual details of the method and purpose of it. November has been declared National Hospice and Palliative Care Month by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), a time to help build awareness of comfort-based care among those it may benefit. Here are just a few common hospice questions and answers to them: What is the purpose of hospice? Hospice is a change of focus from curative treatments to a different set of goals - comfort and quality of life. Comfort care
Continue readingUltimate Guide to Burial Insurance
With about 40% of adults in the U.S. foregoing life insurance, it makes sense to discuss how this can affect family members and close friends. For those of you who have played a part in financing a funeral when an uninsured family member or friend has passed away, certainly, you are intimately familiar with the financial burden that can accompany the grief of losing a loved one or close friend. When the market crashed in 2007, practically every working person in America felt the impact. Many seniors who were hoping to stop working postponed their retirement parties for financial reasons
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Kylie JohnsonEnd of Life Planning Part 2
Planning a Memorial As your loved ones age, it’s important to know how they want to be memorialized and buried. While many people still prefer solemn, formal funerals or mourning ceremonies, others are beginning to lean more towards parties and celebrations of life. Knowing the kind of memorialization that your loved one wants will take the decision making off your shoulders when the time comes to carry out their wishes. Detailing these wishes as part of a legal document will ensure that your loved one is honored and memorialized as they want. If you’re concerned about the cost of funerals,
Continue readingHow to Make End of Life Plans Part 1
According to the CDC, around 60 percent of U.S. adults have no plan in place for the end of their lives. Consequently, close friends and family are left to sort through personal belongings, funeral arrangements and asset distribution while they’re mourning. Solidifying an end of life plan can ease the minds of everyone involved. Your loved one’s final wishes can be known and recorded as an objective legal document. This gives you and your family a map to follow. This process involves discussing all the conditions surrounding someone’s death before they die, as opposed to during or after. Having these
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Barbara Bates SedoricIncapacity Happens
What does Dad want? Have you asked? How about Mom? Does anyone know what her wishes are? Has anyone asked her? And is anyone really listening to what they are saying? Incapacity Happens Life can turn on a dime. Incapacity happens. Wouldn't it be better to take some time now to get prepared? There is no time like the present to ask questions and get some answers. It’s never too late until it really is too late! Engaging in conversations about what to do in the event of incapacity or death and formulating a plan ahead of any crisis situation is
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Kendall VanBlarcomDealing with Life after Loss
When you are trying to cope, dealing with life after loss, it can be very, very difficult. When we lose someone close to us, particularly if it is a family member or a lifelong friend, the grief can be an exceptionally powerful force in our day-to-day lives. While we can logically understand that loss is part of life, when we lose someone close, it can cause confusion, sadness, and depression. How each person copes with grief can differ, but typically time passing is what helps. But that time period may be months or even a year. There is no set
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