Dying

No one indeed escapes death, yet how you die can be an extraordinarily personal experience. And those personal thoughts and choices as to what can happen appear to be having a moment, as even celebrities are now not only discussing their thoughts about death but are in fact choosing to…

Every year, April 16 marks the occasion for National Healthcare Decisions Day, a recognition of the importance of thinking about your end-of-life care decisions, documenting them on state-approved forms, and sharing your wishes with loved ones and health care providers, to ensure that your wishes are known and respected regarding…

You think the cost-of-living these days is expensive? Just wait until you see the cost-of-dying! According to a recent article in The Washington Post, the dire reality of how expensive the last days of your life can be is not well known to most people. Yet it’s critically important when…

The data are distressing, especially as they paint a portrait of older adults. As one of the leading causes of death in this country, suicide (harm to oneself with the intent to die) affects all age groups. In the year 2023 alone, close to 50,000 deaths- one every 11 minutes-…

As you may recall from previous years, April 16th has been declared National Healthcare Decisions Day. For those unfamiliar, this day is set aside to encourage us all to think about and document our wishes about medical treatments we would- or would not- want during a serious illness or at…

The evidence firmly exists that music plays an important role in almost everyone’s life, and for older adults, it can help support healthy brain aging and build cognitive reserve. We also have evidence of the therapeutic value of music in helping patients to recover from illness or to endure difficult…