Yankee Deathcare

10/23/2025

“This is what happens when modern medicine evolves rapidly but our caregiving infrastructure does not.”

U.S. family caregivers are doing more than ever before — with less

09/22/2025

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Your Vision, Your Voice.

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09/18/2025

I am honored to announce that I am accepting a position on the Board of Directors for the National End of Life Doula Alliance with a term that begins 10/1/2025.
NEDA is an incredibly valuable voice in the growing movement to bring holistic support and advocacy to the terminally ill and their families. I am incredibly excited to join peers in this sacred space as we seek to expand awareness and education in our communities and beyond.

08/24/2025

“Instead of observing, they’re actively participating,” Mr. Phifer said. “We invite them to help lower the body into the grave with ropes, to put a handful or shovelfuls of soil into the grave” and to mound soil, pine boughs and flowers atop it afterward. Then, they might toast the departed with champagne or share a potluck picnic…”

More Americans are choosing burials in which everything is biodegradable.

08/07/2025

A new survey revealed that most doctors would decline aggressive treatments, such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), ventilation, or tube feeding for themselves if faced with advanced cancer or Alzheimer’s disease, choosing instead symptom relief and, in many cases, assisted dying.

“Physicians were surveyed regarding their end-of-life care preferences in cases of advanced cancer and end-stage Alzheimer’s disease. Over 90% preferred symptom-relief medication, and more than 95% declined CPR, mechanical ventilation, or tube feeding. Only 0.5% would choose CPR for cancer and 0.2% for Alzheimer’s disease. Around 50%-54% supported euthanasia in both cases. Support for euthanasia varied by country, from 80.8% in Belgium to 37.9% in Italy for cancer and from 67.4% in Belgium to 37.4% in Georgia, US, for Alzheimer’s disease.”

A survey of physicians reveals that over 95% would refuse CPR, ventilation, and tube feeding at the end of life, favoring symptom relief in cancer and Alzheimer’s scenarios.

07/29/2025

Exquisite. ✨

07/10/2025

An important day of learning about community resources, advance directives, aging in place, spiritual needs in aging and illness, hospice & palliative care, death & dying process, how to show up for friends and neighbors and we will end with companioning those who are grieving...

07/03/2025

Question:

How important is prayer?

Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche:

When someone close to death becomes so afraid that they panic, hospital doctors usually sedate them – they don’t have much choice.

If you are religious and are taking care of a sedated dying person, simply remain at their bedside and say prayers for them. Prayer always helps enormously, no matter which tradition you follow. Often there is nothing else you can do.

The English often say, “it is the thought that counts”. It’s so true! And prayer is a great deal more powerful and effective than a fleeting thought. So prayers from any tradition will be very beneficial.

If the dying person is Jewish, Christian, Hindu, atheist etc., and you are a Buddhist, there is no reason why you shouldn’t say Buddhist prayers for them. If the dying person is open to discussing their beliefs with you, ask them directly if they would like you to say a prayer for them from their own tradition.

Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche - from the book “Living Is Dying”

06/26/2025

I’ve started watching this (it’s 2 hours) and am already seeing things I’ve known but that more people need to understand, especially those who make policy and everyone who votes;
(1) people don’t think about caregiving until they are full on in it
(2) it is exhausting
(3) it affects all areas of life from one’s job to their marriages and other relationships
(4) the bulk is done by women, and more often than that, women of color and
(5) the immigrant workforce is vital to healthcare, particularly with direct care and particularly to seniors and the disabled…we are heading into a crisis of care with the “silver tsunami”.

“My dad was someone who I idolized,” actor Bradley Cooper explains in the opening frames of his new documentary, “Caregiving.” “I used to dress up like him when I was a kid … To go from that to giving him a bath is quite a traumatic thing.”

READ: https://shorturl.at/FSzSZ

06/26/2025

Grief is physical, too…

Loss can trigger a range of physical reactions, beware of these six health issues following the death of a loved one.

06/26/2025

Saturday morning…

06/26/2025

Our first draft of the books we recommend most at the grief groups we facilitate. (There will be a second page! 🙂) Oriol Health Care First Congregational Church of Princeton