These resources are shared to help you better understand end-of-life, prepare for important conversations, and feel more supported in navigating what can often feel unknown.
EDUCATIONAL and SUPPORTIVE ORGANIZATIONS
Family Caregiver Alliance-
Services By State: Pennsylvania - Family Caregiver Alliance
INELDA – International End of Life Doula Association-online webinars for a good death
The Conversation Project helps people start meaningful conversations about end-of-life wishes so their care reflects hat matters most.
https://theconversationproject.org
End of Life Choices New York- Provides free guidance and information on end-of-life planning; support for non–New York residents may be limited. - Provides free guidance and information on end-of-life planning; support for non–New York residents may be limited.
The Compassion & Choices website is a comprehensive resource on end-of-life planning, including support and information related to dying and dementia. I have included just a brief glimpse of their offerings here. Links are active on the site.
Pennsylvania Hospice & Palliative Care Network
https://pahospice.org
Bucks County Elder Law LLC
https://buckscountyelderlaw.com
GRIEF & EMOTIONAL SUPPORT
Grief Share
https://www.griefshare.org
Modern Loss
https://modernloss.com
The Loss Foundation
https://thelossfoundation.org
LEGAL & PLANNING
Pennsylvania Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment- POLST form
Advance Directive for Voluntary Stopping of Eating and Drinking- A VSED directive is not a standardized form. Instead, it is typically created as a personal addendum to your Medical Advanced Directive, and ought to be used alongside a Pennsylvania Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST).
A documented VSED directive allows you to thoughtfully express your wishes around voluntarily stopping eating and drinking in the context of serious illness, suffering, or loss of quality of life—guided by your own values and sense of dignity. I offer a general-use VSED addendum, developed to support clarity and peace of mind. If you prefer to explore this on your own, you can create a document using trusted resources such as Compassion and Choices.
By Your Side, A Guide for Caring for the Dying as Home- knowledge and support for providing care at home. This 72-page spiral-bound guidebook addresses end of life choices (life sustaining, comfort care), advance directives, and funeral planning. It details signs of approaching death (what to look for, what to do); describes end of life care at home, pain management, care of dementia patients at end of live, and very importantly for the caregiver, how to take care of yourself as you fulfill your role.
Triage Cancer
https://triagecancer.org
National Institute on Aging
https://www.nia.nih.gov
Washington Law Help
https://www.washingtonlawhelp.org
ALTERNATIVE BURIAL OPTIONS
Earth Funeral
https://earthfuneral.com
Aquamation
https://aquamationinfo.com
COMMEMORATION & LEGACY
Loose Ends Project
https://www.looseendsproject.org
Center for Grief Therapy
https://centerforgrieftherapy.com
Remembering A Life
https://rememberingalife.com
VIDEOS
Being Mortal (FRONTLINE)
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/documentary/being-mortal/
YOUTUBE
Dying Your Way- The “Dying Your Way” video content offers thoughtful conversations and insights on end-of-life planning, featuring voices from caregivers, professionals, and individuals sharing real experiences. They offer a free ebook: FACING DEATH-What Do I Do Now?
BOOKLETS FOR CAREGIVERS/DVD SET-NEW RULES
Barbara Karnes
https://bkbooks.com
BOOKS
Dear Death,: Finding Meaning in Life, Peace in Death, and Joy in an Ordinary Day
Dying Well: Peace and Possibilities at the End of Life
The Best Care Possible: A Physician's Quest to Transform Care Through the End of Life
At Peace: Choosing a Good Death After a Long Life, by Samuel Harrington MD- https://a.co/d/05V334Ku- In At Peace, Samuel Harrington draws on decades of medical practice and personal experience to explore what it means to have a “good death” after a long life. He gently challenges the default use of aggressive medical interventions at the end of life, showing how they can sometimes prolong suffering rather than support comfort. Through real-life examples and clear guidance, he encourages honest conversations, thoughtful advance care planning, and a shift toward comfort-focused care, including hospice when appropriate. The book offers a compassionate, practical perspective on approaching the end of life with dignity, clarity, and peace.
Finishing Strong: Putting Your Priorities First at Life's End by Barbara Combs Lee
Choosing to Die: A Personal Story, by Phyllis Shacter — This is perhaps the first personal story ever written about the choice and experience of voluntarily stopping eating and drinking. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Choosing+to+Die+A+Personal+Story
The Good Death: A Guide for Supporting Your Loved One through the End of Life, by Suzanne B. O’Brien RN- https://a.co/d/0hznVxIy
The In-Between: Unforgettable Encounters During Life's Final Moments, by Hadley Vlahos R.N.-https://a.co/d/0a0ZG0ZR
Herself to the End by Fran Volkmann - Facing an Alzheimer's diagnosis one courageous woman chooses to end her life by VSED (Voluntary Stopping Eating and Drinking).
PODCASTS
Search within your preferred podcast app for hospice, end-of-life, and grief-related conversations.
Take what feels helpful. Leave what doesn’t.
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