Does the internet help our grief – or make it worse?
For all the advances in medical technology we still have a need to attend funerals and services, setting aside human knowledge and replacing it with the wisdom of the earth.
The link between loneliness and early death.
This article has been updated on 26 August 2022. It discusses loneliness and early death. “When Vivek Murthy accepted the role of Surgeon General under Obama, he thought his main focus would be tackling the opioid crisis and obesity. Instead, he discovered a much larger health crisis, one that connects … Read more
When the fear of running out of money is greater than the fear of death.
This article was updated on 24, August 2022. It discusses poverty in retirement. “Some people fear running out of money more than death itself,” said ABC TV’s financial commentator Alan Kohler’s on poverty in retirement. You can see why. Kohler was making the point because with the Covid-19 led recession, … Read more
Advance care planning and dementia patients.
This article on advance care planning and dementia patients was updated on 23 August, 2022. A patient who doesn’t have legal capacity because of dementia, even the early signs of it, can’t sign documents such as wills and the assigning of their power of attorney. But what about their advance … Read more
Choosing the executor of your will.
This article on choosing the executor of your will was updated on 19 August, 2022. Choosing the executor of your will is one of the most important decisions you will ever make. But what does an executor actually have to do? Who makes a good executor? And what do you … Read more
The ‘Wecroak’ app.
This article was updated on 17 August 2022 and discusses WeCroak app. Here’s a thing: the Wecroak app. The founders believe daily reminders of death help relieve death anxiety – and that this in turn is at the heart of many mental health problems today. Co-creator Hansa Bergwall says death … Read more
But it doesn’t look too serious.
This article updated on 16 August 2022, discusses pressure sores in palliative care. With all our attention recently focused on the big threat of Covid-19, the little things that don’t appear to be a problem could sneak up on us. A reader raised her concerns about the way her mother … Read more
Where will I be buried?
‘Where will I be buried?’ was updated on August 12, 2022. This issue may seem odd to some – but to others it’s very important. In Australia the final resting place has deep significance for Aboriginal people. But I knew a non-Indigenous woman who was troubled by not knowing where … Read more
What happens when a child wants to talk about death?
This article was updated on August 3, 2022. In Debbie Pepin’s case (pictured) the adults got her into trouble for wanting to talk about death. Debbie who lives in Austin, Texas, USA is a speaker, writer, entrepreneur, educator, and advocate for talking openly about and making plans for the one certainty … Read more
Death doulas are becoming increasingly popular in Australia – so what exactly do they do?
Death doulas are becoming increasingly popular in Australia – so what exactly do death doulas do? Because theirs is only an emerging field, roles and what we can expect from people who define themselves as ‘death doulas’ can vary. But what is becoming increasingly clear is that more and more … Read more
More questions than ever about advance care directives.
This article on advance care directives has been updated on August 5, 2022. Advance care directives are evolving – and there’s so much more to know beyond the usual questions of “Do I need to have an advanced care directive?” and “Who needs to know about it?” For example how … Read more
What has grief taught Susan Marcuccio?
This article has been updated on August 4, 2022. Often people come to professional grief work in response to the death of someone they love. But in a strange and horrible reversal of that, Susan Marcuccio’s experience has been the reverse. After establishing a reputation for her work in chaplaincy, … Read more
How was palliative care left out of this?
This article was updated 3 August, 2022. Palliative care advocates, this one’s for you, as a new palliative care community of practice has been announced by NSW Health. And what’s better, they are calling for participants for their palliative care community of practice. This is incredibly important work as Covid … Read more
An isolated carer pays it forward.
This article was updated on 25 July 2022. For over eleven years, Paul P Winbanks was a cancer carer and then a palliative carer, to his beloved, late wife. “There were very few resources written from a male carer’s experience,” he explains. “I promised myself that I would ‘pay it … Read more
Living with Grief.
The Calvary Bereavement Counselling Service, Kogarah, will be running a ‘Living with Grief ‘ seminar for anyone who wants to learn a little more about grief. We’ll share a cup of tea and listen to the seminar sessions in a warm, friendly atmosphere where you can hear a range of … Read more
