Category Archives: Something Special

More People Are Dying at Home Than in Hospitals, Report Says

For the first time in almost half a century, more Americans are dying at home

A new report published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that more Americans are dying at home than in hospitals for the first time in nearly 50 years. The study looked at natural deaths that occurred in the … Continue reading

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Hospitals Expanding Access To Hospice And Palliative Care Services

Access to both services is expanding beyond the confines of hospitals and specific care centers

Providing easier access to both hospice and palliative care services is becoming increasingly important for health systems and hospitals. In many cases, increased access can be achieved via home-based services and/or telemedicine. The nonprofit research group Florida TaxWatch estimates that … Continue reading

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Everything You Need to Know About Legally Scattering Cremation Ashes in the United States

A comprehensive look at the legality, trends, and potential consequences of scattering ashes in the United States

The appeal of scattering cremation ashes is immediate and visceral — it is to return to nature what nature created, “ashes to ashes, dust to dust.” A 2018 Consumer Preferences Study by the National Funeral Directors Association shows that of … Continue reading

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Digital Messages to Loved Ones Reach Out After Death

Websites and apps enable users to share wishes and advice from beyond the grave

A growing number of websites and apps are allowing people to document important information, store their funerary preferences and send postmortem digital messages to loved ones. Many, such as Final Wish, came about as the result of encounters with illness … Continue reading

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A Light at the End of the Tunnel for People in Chronic Pain

New HHS guidelines call for individualized treatment plans and "compassionate" care

In a somewhat startling policy reversal, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has issued new guidelines for opioid prescribing for doctors treating people in chronic pain. The guidelines caution prescribers that abruptly tapering or discontinuing opioids in this … Continue reading

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The Bay Area Debut of “A Love That Never Dies”

Jimmy Edmonds and Jane Harris present their moving film as part of this year's Reimagine End of Life Festival

Last February, SevenPonds wrote a review of a moving documentary from Jimmy Edmonds and Jane Harris, “A Love That Never Dies.” A film about the pain of losing a child, the movie chronicles the couple’s grief following the loss of … Continue reading

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