Most of us have never seen a death up close, let alone many. How, then, can we know what to do or say to support someone else who's dying? How can we know what to expect for our own deaths? "With the End in Mind" by Kathryn Mannix is a book of stories drawn from the author's long career in palliative care. Each story gives perspective on a different aspect of the dying process, providing insight and information to help the reader be more prepared. In this episode, I discuss the book and why I th...
Jul 25, 2024•12 min•Ep. 44
So it's time to write an obituary. Who should do it and how? What needs to be included? What should be left out? Where does it go? What is an obituary for, anyway?
Jun 14, 2024•18 min•Ep. 43
The phrase "quality of life" comes up often, particularly when completing an Advance Directive or when dealing with the medical system. But what does it mean? And who gets to define it?
May 30, 2024•13 min•Ep. 42
Hello! After a long while, I am restarting this podcast. Because it's my birthday and that's my present to my self (and to you).
May 16, 2024•8 min•Ep. 41
A brief overview of the range of issues faced by LGBTQ seniors towards the end of life.
Jun 22, 2023•14 min•Ep. 40
Do you have art that means a lot to you? Will others know why they mattered to you or what they're worth? Here are some quick tips to help other treasure your treasures.
Jun 03, 2023•7 min•Ep. 39
I haven't posted a new episode for a couple of months. I've been grieving the death of my friend, Jen Angel. Some good articles about Jen: Food, Love, and Revolution: Jen Angel's Legacy by Carwil Bjork-James, Yes! Magazine Jen Angel Wanted to Abolish Police and Prisons. She Wouldn’t Want Her Death to Be Used to Incarcerate Anyone. by Brook Anderson, In These Times and Jen's entry in Wikipedia...
May 05, 2023•6 min•Ep. 38
I want to do what I can to age well, including preventing getting dementia. I'm learning (and sharing) a range of steps to protect my brain. One of the big ones is deciding to reduce my alcohol intake, going alcohol free. Interviews with Joshua James & Danny Meeks, Ocean Beach Cafe Referenced: Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age by Sanjay Gupta Huberman Lab podcast episode, "What Alcohol Does to Your Body, Brain, and Health" "Alcohol and Dementia — What's the Link? a Systematic Revie...
Jan 31, 2023•30 min•Ep. 37
What you can expect for Dying Kindness in 2023, including ways that the decisions we make decades before retirement impact our ability to age well, and affect others in our immediate circle, beyond those we know, and for generations to come.
Jan 06, 2023•13 min•Ep. 36
Most people want to die at home, but the ability to stay home depends heavily on how well it's set up to age in place. This holiday season, take advantage of being home to look around and take notes on what might make it hard to age well at home.
Dec 23, 2022•25 min•Ep. 35
Do you have a signature dish? Have you written down the recipe? Why you should record how to make foods associated with you so others can make it when you're gone. Buy "Like Water for Chocolate" by Laura Esquivel at Bookshop.org (affiliate link) DyingKindness.com
Dec 08, 2022•14 min•Ep. 34
Maybe you've told people what you want done with your body when you die. Have you also written down exactly what you want for your funeral? And have you paid for it? Dean Lambert from the Love Always Project knows firsthand how easy it can be to miss important details when planning a funeral. He shares his 30 years of experience as well as personal stories to encourage everyone to arrange and fund their own funerals in advance. In this episode: https://www.lovealwaysproject.org/ https://www.dyin...
Nov 11, 2022•58 min•Ep. 33
Samhain. Halloween. All Saints Day. All Souls Day. Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). All of these holidays are about the connection between the living and the dead. And they all present the dead in different ways. Taking a look at these differences can be a fun way to think about where we get our concepts about death and how our loved ones might relate to us after we die.
Oct 27, 2022•16 min•Ep. 32
What is a revocable living trust and who needs one? What's the difference between a will and a trust? If you have a will, do you need a trust? Mentioned: Natural Organic Reduction in California: https://recompose.life/2022/california/ https://www.dyingkindness.com/ Dying Kindness bookstore: https://bookshop.org/lists/dying-kindness...
Oct 14, 2022•16 min•Ep. 31
A discussion with Edward Bixby of the Green Burial Council on eco-friendly burial options – and the consumer's role in helping expand what's available. Mentioned in this episode: https://www.dyingkindness.com/ https://www.greenburialcouncil.org/ GBC map of certified providers: https://www.greenburialcouncil.org/interactive-maps.html https://destinationdestinymemorials.com/ https://www.steelmantowncemetery.com/ " Climate Change: The massive CO2 emitter you may not know about " by Lucy Rodgers for...
Sep 30, 2022•26 min•Ep. 30
In addition to choosing an emergency contact, you should prepare contact lists for who they should call if you ended up in a crisis or need longer-term support. In this episode, Cianna goes over what kinds of contact lists you should prepare for different situations.
Sep 13, 2022•12 min•Ep. 29
We all know we should write a will, but how do you get started? Here are some tips on what to prepare that will make it easier and will save you time and money when you sit down to write your own will. Referenced: DyingKindness.com Episode 4: The Value of Physical Stuff Book: The Poetry of Impermanence, Mindfulness, and Joy (affiliate link)...
Aug 17, 2022•11 min•Ep. 28
People are living longer and longer. While generally that's a good thing, it also means that more of us are going to need long-term care – and that can get expensive. What is long-term care? What options are there? And how can we plan for it? In this episode, Cianna talks with leading LTC expert Matt McCann. McCann is recognized as one of the nation's leading long-term health care specialists, and is the publisher of LTC News. Mentioned in this episode: Consumer focused news & resources: LTC...
Aug 03, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 27
If you were to become incapacitated or die suddenly, what would your people need to know? This is a replay of Episode 1, updated to include an announcement for BinderDash, a workshop + co-working session to help you get the Essentials of your Death Binder done: https://binderdash-august2022.rsvpify.com
Jul 20, 2022•17 min•Ep. 26
The decisions made by the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) during this past session raised some concerns about how certain classes of people and situations will be different treated from state to state. Cianna shares some initial thoughts about steps to take related to advance directives and other concerns around death and dying moving forward.
Jul 09, 2022•8 min•Ep. 25
What's the point of obituaries? Why are some people so into reading them? Should you draft your own obituary as a Dying Kindness? Today we talk with Michael Osborne from the podcast Famous & Gravy, a podcast about what really matters in life, and what's gravy... one dead celebrity at a time. Referenced: Famous & Gravy Generation Anthropocene New York Times Obituaries Obituary for Shirley Temple Black Famous & Gravy episode on Shirley Temple Black...
Jun 21, 2022•46 min•Ep. 24
For most of us, there will come a point when we'll need to have someone else help manage our finances. Two common approaches are to set up a joint bank account, or use a Power of Attorney for Finances. Which is better? How do you decide which to use?
Jun 07, 2022•21 min•Ep. 23
A funeral can get expensive. In this episode, I break down the elements of a traditional burial funeral in the United Stages, and the median costs.
May 24, 2022•15 min•Ep. 22
After a lifetime of independence, it can be tough to age or get ill and start to need help. So many of us fear becoming a burden so we resist asking for help. But at what point will our independence become a problem? What's the difference between asking for help and being a burden?
Apr 19, 2022•16 min•Ep. 21
A discussion of the kinds of things that you could (and should) include in your living will, including examples that Cianna wrote into her own. Topics: Living Will, Advance Directive Mentioned: DyingKindness.com NOLO Press Book: The Art of Dying Well Book: A Beginner’s Guide to the End Dying Kindness Bookshop The Death Deck The Conversation Project Estate lawyer: Kathleen Hunt Book: Death Poems...
Apr 05, 2022•33 min•Ep. 20
Living Will. DNR. Advance Directive. POLST. You know these forms are important. But are they the same? Do you need all of them? What are they for? And when would you need them? Forms are location specific. Do an online search for "[where you live] and [name of form]" or ask your lawyer to get the right version for you. Recap of summary: Everyone over the age of 18 should specify their wishes and designate a health care proxy, ideally with an Advance Directive or Living Will and Medical Power of ...
Mar 22, 2022•23 min•Ep. 19
Selecting the right Health Care Agent is a critical factor in ensuring that we get the kind of care we want when we're critically injured or nearing the end of our lives. Your agent will be responsible for implementing your Advance Healthcare Directive, and (even more) for understanding why you made the decisions you made so they can respond to unanticipated situations. How do you choose the right person? What, exactly, would you be asking them to do? Referenced: Review of studies on racial bias...
Mar 02, 2022•22 min•Ep. 18
Thinking about dying has me thinking about aging. And as I took my aging body on a hike, I decided maybe it's time to get used to using hiking poles—and this had me thinking about what we can do now so that we can keep what we love doing for longer.
Feb 24, 2022•8 min•Ep. 17
Do you want to be buried near your parents? Want your children to scatter your ashes at your favorite beach? Would your family visit your memorial tree in a forest? What kinds of things do you need to take into consideration when you're choosing your final resting place? Bonus in this episode: An interview with Mike Szymanski, creator of the #DoxieTombstone in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
Feb 16, 2022•16 min•Ep. 16
Burial or Cremation? That question is important, yes, and it's not the only thing that needs to be decided about what will happen with your body after you die. This episode covers some of the practical decisions that need to be made regarding final disposition.
Feb 01, 2022•20 min•Ep. 15
