Illness, dying and death can be troubling and fearful subjects. Not the kind of thing you bring up at brunch or over an after work beer. In a way that is too bad, these are things that happen to everyone, and by avoiding them, we give away much of our own power when...
Planning for the end of life is unique to any other human life experience. Raising the topic with family members or friends is not easy. Talking with our doctors about our end of life is also difficult and not commonplace. Even when confronted with a terminal condition, the sensitivity around death causes many doctors to be reluctant about initiating such discussions and to instead rely on their patients to raise the topic.
When is being comfortable and pain-free not a good idea? Most of us would say never. As we humans approach life’s end, though, that question can get trickier. Or at least more complex. A recent court case stirred renewed discussion of end-of-life care,...
We are happy to share the following op-ed submission written by Board member Fran Johns who recently sent it to the San Francisco Chronicle. It has yet to be published, but it is well worth sharing with our readers now. EOLCCA is very supportive of these changes in...
Most of the work we do at End of Life Choices California involves talking with people about dying: addressing their fears, providing support with problem solving, helping them access the resources they need to plan for the kind of death they wish for. Some people...
People seeking MAID are vibrant, courageous, and thoughtful. They know who they are, define the rules of their life, and are clear on their values, including the meaning of living. My last visits with them are typically marked by a sense of clarity and peace.” ...
As I contemplate life on my porch in late-May 2020, I feel many different emotions. As a nursing home and hospice physician, I mostly feel sad that so many of the people I care for are dying—often without the basic comfort of a family member at the bedside. I...
Every day my Google Alerts send me interesting articles about death and dying. Some I read, some I pass by, but this one caught my eye. A medical student wrote a piece about the medical practice of “physician-assisted suicide” as a collaborative process. While he...
A recent story about the firing of Dr. Barbara Morris, a courageous geriatric physician in Colorado who went to court to fight for the right of her patient to use the state’s medical aid-in-dying law, is yet another warning for those of us in California and other...
The Revolution is upon us The recent Washington Post article, “We’re in the middle of a revolution on death” is gently thought-provoking and describes a trend that we hope will become the reality for more Californians. Specifically, those who are facing terminal...
