Author Archives: Antal Polony (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

How Do You Prepare for Dementia? An Interview with Stanley Terman

A discussion on the planning, choices and strategies for dealing with dementia

Stanley A. Terman, Ph.D., M.D., is CEO and Medical Director of Caring Advocates and the author of Peaceful Transitions: Stories of Success and Compassion; Plan Now, Die Later—Ironclad Strategy. He is also the creator of My Way Cards/Natural Dying Living Will Cards, … Continue reading

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“Body Brokers: Inside America’s Underground Trade in Human Remains,” by Annie Cheney

A 2006 book that by all rights should have caused a sensation

It’s hard to imagine subject matter more cringe-worthy than the for-profit tissue and body business. Perhaps this explains the relative obscurity of Annie Cheney’s “Body Brokers: Inside America’s Underground Trade in Human Remains,” a muckraking exposé on this for-profit, shockingly … Continue reading

Posted in Lending Insight | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

“Serving Life” by OWN TV and Lisa R. Cohen

An inmate-staffed hospice program in one of the roughest prisons in the U.S.

Angola State Penitentiary in Louisiana has a long held and justly deserved reputation as one of the roughest prisons in the United States. With over 5,000 inmates and 1,000 prison employees, it is the largest maximum security correctional facility in … Continue reading

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What American Indian Burial Rituals Can Teach Us

Green burial is all the rage today, but many Native American tribes continue to practice it as they have for thousands of years

In these days of increasing eco-conscious, less-is-more aestheticism, many of those preparing for an end-of-life are beginning to question the need for elaborate caskets, garish flower displays and environmentally unsound cemeteries. Home funerals too, that is, the family keeping, cleaning … Continue reading

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 “You’ve Got a Friend” by Carole King

A message of love, through space and time, that continues to heal wounds in Carole King

While death is never explicitly addressed in this classic song by Carole King, one can imagine it as a fitting piece of music for a beautiful memorial. There is something eternal and soul-like in King’s depiction of a friendship where … Continue reading

Posted in Expressive Music | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Dealing with Death During the Holidays: an Interview with Brad Leary

The holidays can be hard — a hospice care professional offers advice on coping with death in the midst of social pressures

  Brad Leary is Director of Social Services and Counseling at Hospice of the Valley, a San Jose facility that, according to its website, “affirm[s] dignity and hope for those facing serious illness by providing comfort through compassionate palliative, hospice … Continue reading

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