National Healthcare Decisions Day Op-Ed

by Laura E. Bender A specific moment in my life taught me just how easy it can be sometimes to have a conversation about dying and death. Conversations about the end of your life can be scary, sad, or awkward, but these conversations also can be comfortable. A few...

Where You Live May Determine How You Die. Oregon Leads The Way.

by JoNel Aleccia, Kaiser Health News Americans who want to ensure they have a say in how they die should examine the lessons of Oregon, a new analysis suggests. Seriously ill people in that state are more likely to have their end-of-life wishes honored — including...

Tribute to Joanne Brekke

by Midge Levy   Joanne was a life long King County resident who was active in education and community concerns. She served in the Washington State House of Representatives for the 32nd District from 1978 – 1993, with a particular interest in human services...

First, Sex Ed. Then Death Ed.

by Jessica Nutik Zitter, The New York Times Five years ago, I taught sex education to my daughter Tessa’s class. Last week, I taught death education to my daughter Sasha’s class. In both cases, I didn’t really want to delegate the task. I wanted my daughters and the...

Seattle Times Letter to the Editor by our Board President, Robert Free

Reject Gorsuch: Aid in Dying Washington state residents should be particularly concerned about the prospect of Judge Neil Gorsuch becoming a Supreme Court justice. There are many reasons both to support or oppose his confirmation by the Senate, but one area of Judge...

Thorny issues hinder a dying man’s wish

By Karen Shakerdge – Side Effects Public Media/Kaiser Health News At 44, Dave Adox was facing the end of his two-year battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. He needed a ventilator to breathe and couldn’t move any...

Legalizing Aid In Dying Doesn’t Mean Patients Have Access To It

by JoNel Aleccia – NPR.org/Kaiser Health News In the seven months since California’s aid-in-dying law took effect, Dr. Lonny Shavelson has helped nearly two dozen terminally ill people end their lives with lethal drugs — but only, he says, because too few...

Physician Aid in Dying Gains Acceptance in the U.S.

by Paula Span – The New York Times Judith Katherine Dunning had been waiting anxiously for California to adopt legislation that would make it legal for her to end her life. The cancer in her brain was progressing despite several rounds of treatment. At 68, she...

Having tough end-of-life conversations — before it’s too late

by JoAnn Mar – KALW.org I thought my family had all the pieces in place, until the crisis happened and that’s when I realized how woefully unprepared we were. My 91 year old father had fallen in the early morning hours and was unable to get up from the bathroom...