END OF LIFE

Most of us get very uncomfortable when contemplating mortality. Six out of ten U.S. adults don’t have a will. If you own real estate, having an estate plan is doubly important. Facing our fears and having hard conversations is step one. Here are several resources to help you:

In Being Mortal, practicing surgeon and author, Atul Gawande, reveals eye-opening research and stories from his own patients and family. He examines the medical profession, its limitations, and failures, as life draws to a close. Gawande’s book can provide perspective on what happens to the human body as we age, the need for dependence, how to provide assistance, as well as having the hard conversations and the courage to let go.

Peggy Flynn, Executive Director of The Good Death Institute, wrote a book entitled The Caregiving Zone. Flynn is a writer, caregiver, spiritual director, and geriatric care consultant with forty years of caregiving and “evening of life” experience. She encourages us to think about illness and death as incontrovertible realities that can be anticipated and made less burdensome. “Death is hard, but it doesn’t have to be hideous.” Her book helps individuals and families take charge of the inevitable. You can hear Peggy interviewed on 20 Minutes with Bronwyn.

Lastly, the Bay Area has several organizations dedicated to helping people through the end of life experience. The Family Caregiver Alliance is an amazing resource for research, education, and support groups. Pathways offer grief counseling, hospice care, and strategies to cope with chronic illness.

WHEN YOU NEED A REAL ESTATE GUIDE

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