Resources and Avenues to Explore
Advocate By Your Side
Susan Creech, BSN, RN
Susan worked as an oncology nurse for years. She is the person to call when you need an advocate to improve your healthcare. Her experience, training and advocacy skills make her your secret weapon so you don’t have to face medical challenges, including insurance challenges, alone. I’ve known her for years and endorse her without hesitation.
Hospice
https://hospicefoundation.org/
National Institute On Aging
This government agency is part of the National Institute of Health. It was created to improve the health of older adults through research. You will find a great deal of information and help for caregivers on its website at https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/caregiving/caregiver-worksheets
Cake
I can’t say enough good things about Cake. It’s the motherlode of information about death and life and everything in between. Its name reflects its celebratory spirit and the goal of living our best lives as we plan good deaths. Take a look.
https://www.joincake.com/welcome/
Raleigh Geriatric Care Management
Lauren Watral is the person to call when your loved one needs support. She’s an experienced, compassionate social worker who has decades of experience in geriatric care right here in the Triangle.
Green Burial
There are many changes happening as people strive to care for our planet. One such change is looking at how our bodies are cared for after we die. Green burial and other options may be available to you and here is one place to learn more about that.
https://www.greenburialcouncil.org/
Death Positivity
You may have heard the term death positive and wondered, “what in the World?” Here is a website that explains it all, including what death positivity isn’t.
https://www.orderofthegooddeath.com/
B.J. Miller’s Ted Talk
There are lots of good Ted Talks about death. I especially value the power of this one because it is an extraordinary story that somehow most everyone can relate to.
https://www.ted.com/speakers/bj_miller
Dr. Miller is part of The Center for Dying and Living which offers a wealth of resources:
https://www.thecenterfordyingandliving.org/about-bj-miller
Dying is a community matter and two of the communities that factor in are the legal and medical ones.
Here are links that provide general information. Of course, the best place to start important conversations is with your own health care provider and attorney.
North Carolina Medical Society End of Life Resources
https://ncmedsoc.org/healthync/end-of-life-resources/
North Carolina Bar Association
Protecting Your Assets: Wills, Trusts and Powers of Attorney
Death Doula Training
Here’s where I was trained as a death doula.
University of Vermont
It was a great program. Take a look if you’re interested. I’m happy to talk with you if you’d like.
My mentor there, Francesca Lynn Arnoldy, has written several books about life and death and being a death doula. You might find them of interest as well.
https://francescalynnarnoldy.com/
Books
Good Grief by Granger E. Westberg
A classic, Christian book offering support to those who are grieving.
The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margareta Mugnusson
This book and others like it invites us to prepare our homes and our souls for death through decluttering and moving our focus to what is essential while living.
I’m Dead. Now What?
There are several varieties of this organizer. They provide a way to prepare the information and resources your loved ones will need when you are gone. For many, a hard copy, hands-on book is preferable to what websites offer.
The Grieving Brain
The Surprising Science of How We Learn from Love and Loss by Mary-Frances O’Connor
Late Migrations by Margaret Renkl
This author takes us through the cycles of life and death with family and the natural world as our guide. Her beautifully written essays juxtapose the mundane and the mystical in a way that is poignant and powerful.