When my wife’s mother, “Grandma G,” died, she left us many gifts and intangibles. She also left us something very tangible, that in the immediate hour of need, was her most thoughtful gift. She had prearranged and paid for her funeral in exacting detail. This single act, greatly lowered the magnitude of stress that her death had caused. (more…)

Elderly adults are becoming increasingly interested in learning about end-of-life issues. As a woman in her late 80s observed, ‘‘I am still responsible for my life. I have end of life choices in me. I think I should take some responsibility for my death, too, don’t you?’’

It may be necessary first to overcome the resistance of adult children (more…)