End-of-Life Planning

Christopher Gray was a devoted husband who wanted his wife Lily to have the best care available when she was diagnosed with a terminal illness. However she spent all but the last week of her life [...]

The concept of all adults-from the age of 18 and up, having an end of life conversation with their family and loved ones is difficult for many. Most often, end of life conversations happen in a [...]

There has been a push in recent years for adults 18 and over to create an advance directive to tell their loved ones what type of care they would like to receive at the end of life. This advance [...]

Guest Blog: Tarron Estes, Founder of the Conscious Dying Institute When I look back on how I came to teach “Sacred Passage: End of Life Doula” education, I see a beautiful pattern of connections [...]

If you have been caring for a loved one with life-limiting illness who has chosen or been advised to stop treatment for that illness you may be considering hospice care as an alternative. Hospice [...]

When my mother was diagnosed with biliary cancer at the age of 89 it was relatively easy to choose our next steps because I had worked as a hospice physician for many years and understood the [...]

Guest Blog: Katie Ortman, blogger A couple years after my mom died, I had a very vivid dream where she descended from the sky in a hot air balloon. I ran to the basket and she said, “Katie, know [...]

Guest Blog: Katie Ortman, blogger Two topics often overlooked in estate planning are beneficiaries and belongings. Beneficiary designations are separate contracts and are not subject to the terms [...]

Guest Blog: Katie Ortman, blogger My lawyer/friend Julia recommends that people think about estate planning holistically and consider ensuring that they have a Will, Living Will, and Powers of [...]

Guest Blog: Katie Ortman, blogger My dad designed an Advance Directive form thirty years ago for his patients. It is one page. It states things like, “If I have a terminal condition, in general, [...]

Guest Blog: Katie Ortman, blogger For every other 30-something year-old I know, the hypothetical scenarios of getting your affairs in order are just that. Very hypothetical. But whatever age you [...]