Most older cancer patients received invasive care in the last month of their lives, a new study finds. That may not be what they wanted.
Tag Archives: Death and Dying
How Does Hospice Care Work?
Hospice offers crucial end-of-life care with a focus on the patient’s comfort and dignity. Experts explain who is eligible, what it entails and how to understand and navigate the process.
How to Make a Caregiving Plan (So It’s Ready When You Need It)
Talking about aging and illness can be difficult, but experts have tips for getting started.
The Romance Novelist Who Faked Her Own Death
Now how’s that for a plot twist?
Ryazan, Home of Elite Russian Unit, Still Supports Ukraine War
Ryazan, not far from Moscow, regularly sends young men off to fight. Some are now buried in the local cemetery, but there is no surge of outrage against Russian leaders.
Why You Should Record a Family Member’s Voice This Holiday Season
You can create an audio time capsule with anyone you love.
She Preached Death Without Fear. Could She Practice It?
Shatzi Weisberger spent years urging others to approach the process of dying with joy and wonder. Then she got cancer.
A Machine Kept Our Patient Alive, but She Couldn’t Stay on Forever, Right?
Even lifesaving treatments come to an end.
The Immensity of Seoul’s Sadness
The deaths at the Halloween celebration were the second mass tragedy to befall that generation.
The Fading Art of Preserving the Dead
A dwindling group of professionals is tasked with navigating the often fraught passage from life to death.
What My Father’s Death Taught Me About Living
The most precious thing my dad gave me was an example of how to live a life devoid of cynicism and pessimism.
French Feminist Rabbi Captivates Multifaith Crowds With Musings on Mortality
With Paris locked down over Passover, a rabbi started holding weekly talks over Zoom about Jewish texts. Thousands have tuned in to hear her reflections on death. “She is my rabbi,” said an atheist.
What John Donne Knew About Death Can Teach Us a Lot About Life
He thought humans a disaster, the most spectacular disaster there has ever been.
Gorbachev’s Funeral Begins in Moscow, With Putin Conspicuously Absent
Befitting his legacy, the ceremony for Mikhail S. Gorbachev, the last Soviet leader, avoided the aplomb of a grand state occasion.
I’m a Ukrainian Soldier, and I’ve Accepted My Death
So it must be for those who tread the path of war.
Archie Battersbee, Gravely Ill 12-Year-Old, Dies After Removal of Life Support
The boy’s family had made several legal appeals to keep him on a ventilator, but judges in Britain sided with doctors in finding that he had no hope of recovery.
Could I Forgive Him One Last Time?
When her ex-husband became terminally ill, she had a difficult choice to make. Over a decade later, her decision still resonates.
The Life and Death of Daniel Auster, a Son of Literary Brooklyn
Memorably depicted in his father’s books, he struggled with drug addiction through a life that put him close to a notorious murder and came to an end in a family tragedy.
A Million Americans Have Died From Covid. We Need to Mourn Together.
The magnitude of the loss is overwhelming. Every person who died represents a community, a family or a group of friends who will never be the same.
One Man’s Choice to Be Cremated Under the Open Sky
A small Colorado town maintains the country’s only public outdoor funeral pyre. Philip Incao saw it as his own perfect ending.
One Million
The number of known deaths from Covid-19 in the United States will soon reach one million. Listeners reflect on the lives lost.
When Hope Hinges on an Unapproved Drug
The limits of expanded access to experimental drugs.
Books About Death and Grief Can Bring Hope
The saddest stories can show us how full of grace the fallen world can be.
Oregon Ends Residency Requirement for Medically Assisted Deaths
In resolution of a federal lawsuit, state health authorities agreed on Monday to stop enforcing the residency requirement and to ask the Legislature to remove it from the law.
In Difficult Cases, ‘Families Cannot Manage Death at Home’
Health care researchers argue that hospice facilities could better serve some terminal patients, and ease the burden on exhausted loved ones.
Modern Love Podcast: A Mother’s Wild, Extravagant Love
She couldn’t be physically present for her daughter’s life. But she found a way to be there, still.
This Memoir About the Contradictions of Grief Plays by Its Own Rules
The novelist Kathryn Davis’s personal and time-shuffling new book, “Aurelia, Aurélia,” is about the death of her husband.
Ash Wednesday and the Hope It Offers
The pandemic has challenged any expectation that we can control our lives and be rescued from loss.
The I.C.U. Patient, and the Family
Exploring the dilemmas involving patients, their families and health care providers in end-of-life care. Also: Quotation marks; calling and driving.
Death Changed My Life
I see now that life is a series of peaks and valleys, and it is a fool’s errand to try to flatten them out.
Tough Decisions About End-of-Life Care
Readers offer personal stories in response to a doctor’s guest essay about advance directives.
How Families Can Navigate the I.C.U.
A new book offers guidance on how family members can support a critically ill loved one who ends up in the hospital’s intensive care unit.
Notes From the End of a Very Long Life by New York’s Oldest
With the death of Ruth Willig at 98, a Times series on a set of the oldest New Yorkers — chronicled over seven years in 21 articles — offers their lessons on living with loss.
When Faced With Death, People Often Change Their Minds
Do advance directives by healthy people actually deliver better care?
The Artists We Lost in 2021, in Their Words
Some artists held the spotlight for generations. Others left us lamenting careers cut short. Here is a tribute to those we lost this year.
A 3-D Printed Pod Inflames the Assisted Suicide Debate
The pod, known as Sarco, was conceived as a way for people to end their lives without involving a doctor. A plan to introduce it in Switzerland has raised alarm even among right-to-die advocates.
What if There’s No Such Thing as Closure?
Many of us are taught that if we work hard enough we’ll be able to get over our losses. The social scientist Pauline Boss sees it differently.
They Died From Covid. Then the Online Attacks Started.
The social media profiles of anti-vaccine victims of the pandemic have made them and their families targets of trolling, even after their deaths.
Is Truth the Best Medicine for Dying Patients?
Readers react to a doctor’s essay about regretting her honesty with a dying man.
Short on Staff, Some Hospices Ask New Patients To Wait
“It causes huge distress to tell a family, ‘We can’t serve you,’” said one state hospice organization director.
Why a Patient in Denial Is So Tough for Doctors
Why a patient in denial is such a challenge for doctors.
The Dead Get a Do-Over
In a flurry of streaming television shows, the departed get a second chance. And viewers find an outlet for sorrow and remorse.
On Death Row in Texas, a Last Request: A Prayer and ‘Human Contact’
Scheduled for execution on Sept. 8, John Henry Ramirez is suing to have his Baptist pastor lay hands on him as he dies.
The Sunday Read: ‘How Long Can We Live?’
New research is intensifying the life span debate — with profound implications for the future of the planet.
One Thing I Don’t Plan to Do Before I Die Is Make a Bucket List
Until my cancer diagnosis, I did not understand that one future comes at the exclusion of all others.
What I’ve Learned Over a Lifetime of Caring for the Dying
As a doctor who cares for the dying, I know that direct-care aides are invaluable to patients and their families. We need to honor the work they do.
Cryonics During the Pandemic
The business of cryopreservation — storing bodies at deep freeze until well into the future — got a whole lot more complicated during the pandemic.
‘Death Doulas’ Provide Aid at the End of Life
End-of-life doulas support people emotionally, physically, spiritually and practically: sitting vigil, giving hand massages, making snacks.
Palliative Care in the ICU: What to Know About Time-Limited Trials
Time-limited trials offer I.C.U. patients and their families a sense of empowerment in the face of low odds.
How Losing a Pet Can Make You Stronger
The process of acceptance and letting go builds the resilience necessary to navigate an array of life’s obstacles.