Death FAQs
We all have questions dealing with our mortality. We decided to seek out answers. We embarked on a year-long journey to ask end-of-life leaders to share their wisdom. The insights continue to inspire, inform, and comfort us. You can stroll through or search by category.
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Questions
Am I getting a fair price from an end of life doula?
Are there rituals to help with grief?
Are there rituals to prepare for death?
Are you afraid of dying?
Can I be cremated outdoors in a funeral pyre?
Can I change doctors, even late in the game, if I'm not happy with mine?
Can I create my own rituals for the death of a loved one?
Answers to whether you can create your own rituals to honor the death of a loved one.
Can I have a funeral in my home?
Can I plan my funeral or memorial before I die?
Can I tell someone how I want to be memorialized?
Can grief cause anxiety?
Do pets grieve when another pet in the home dies?
Do pets know when they're terminally ill or dying?
Do we live in a death-denying culture?
Does ayahuasca make you less afraid of death?
Does it help to talk about the death of a loved one?
Does my religion (Judaism) allow me to be an organ donor?
Does talking about death help reduce the fear of it?
How can I be less afraid of dying?
How can I get the best care at the end of life?
How can I help educate my community about end of life issues?
How can I honor someone who has died?
How can I live peacefully with a terminal diagnosis?
Answers about how to live more peacefully when facing end of life and a terminal diagnosis.
How can I make sure that my end of life wishes will be honored?
How can I support someone who is dying?
How can I support a child who is dying?
How can I support a family when their loved one is dying?
How can we collectively improve dying process for ourselves and others?
How do I advocate for my loved one who's dying without creating family conflicts?
How do I choose the best funeral home?
How do I comfort my pet when they are dying?
How do I comfort someone who has lost a loved one via suicide?
How do I cope with anxiety while grieving?
How do I cope with the loss of both of my parents?
How do I find meaning in my grief?
How do I find out the death care regulations for my state?
How do I go on after the death of my mother?
How do I go on after the death of my spouse?
How do I handle grief when my children are around?
Answers to how to handle grief when your children are around.
How do I help my kids with the loss of a loved one?
Answers to how you can help your children with the loss of a loved one.
How do I help when someone receives a terminal diagnosis?
Answers to how you can help someone who has received a terminal diagnosis.
How do I know if I'd be a good end of life doula?
How do I know that my loved ones ashes actually make it into the diamond?
How do I plan for my death?
How do I respond to someone with dementia who is losing their memory?
How do I survive grief?
Answers to how you can survive grief.
How do I talk about death if it makes loved ones uncomfortable?
How do I talk to my family about what I want when I die?
How do I talk to my family about what I want when I die?
How do I talk with my family about my illness if they’re trying to pretend nothing is happening?
How do I tell my family I don't want a religious funeral?
Answers to how to tell your family that you don't want a religious funeral.
How do end of life doulas get paid?
How do we continue to innovate the death and dying space?
How do you cope with the death of someone you love?
How do you plan a funeral if the deceased is being cremated?
How do you refrigerate a body if you're doing it at home?
How do you talk to children about death?
How long can I keep the body of a loved one at home after they die?
How long does a body take to decompose?
How long is it normal to grieve?
Answers to the question how long is it normal to grieve.
If I am Buddhist, can I choose medical-assisted death (in a state where it's legal)?
If I'm Jewish, can I choose doctor-assisted death?
If a loved one dies in the hospital, can I bring them home?
If you could live forever, would you?
Is cremation allowed in Judaism?
Is dementia a public health crisis?
Is dementia a terminal illness?
Is it bad that I felt relieved when my spouse died?
Is there a way to medically soothe someone who is drowning in their own fluids?
Is there evidence of an afterlife?
What are some things caregivers can do to take care of themselves when they don't have much support?
What are the options for my body after I die?
What are the various beliefs about the afterlife?
What can I do in preparation for dying?
What care does a dying person need in addition to hospice?
What do I do if I am having suicidal thoughts or intentions?
What do I do if I think someone is suicidal?
What do I need to consider if I’m thinking of medically assisted dying?
What do I need to do to plan my own funeral?
What do I need to know before deciding on a DNR?
What do I say to someone who has a terminal diagnosis?
What do you say to someone who is struggling with dementia?
What does a funeral director do?
What does a good death look like?
What happens after the heartbreak of losing someone you love?
What happens at a doctor-assisted death?
What happens if I don't have a will when I die?
Answers to what happens if you don't have a will when you die.
What happens if I have insurance through my employer and I get a terminal diagnosis and am unable to continue working?
What if I fear that I will die before my kids grow up?
What if I'm being challenged on having a home funeral?
Answers to what to do if you're being challenged by family, friends, or others in your life about having a home funeral.
What is a healthcare proxy?
What is a power of attorney?
What is a vigil?
What is alkaline hydrolysis?
What is an advance directive?
What is an end of life doula?
What is conservation burial?
What is embalming?
What is hospice?
What is kaddish?
What is palliative care?
What is recomposition?
What is shiva and how long does it last?
What is the cost to turn hair or cremated ashes into a diamond?
What is the process of decomposition?
What resources exist for kids who have lost a loved one?
What rituals can I do for the death of a loved one?
What should I know about dying in a hospital?
What should I know about dying in hospice?
What to say to someone who is grieving a recent loss?
When do I need to have a will and advanced care directive?
Experts weigh in on how the benefits on having an ACD
When do people begin hospice care?
When is it time to choose palliative care?
When is someone able to utilize hospice?
When should I call an end of life doula?
Where am I allowed to scatter ashes?
Where can I get grief support?
Who do I need to notify when a loved one dies?
Why do I need an advance care directive?
Why do Jews sit shiva?
Why do we think death is bad?
Why is there so much shame around suicide?
Will I be in pain when I die?
Will my grief ever go away?
With an unexpected death at home, can I keep the loved one's body at home to bathe it before it is taken anywhere?
Would you consider having your body frozen to be brought back to life in the future?
Would you consider medical-assisted dying?