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The end of any year is always a very busy time. Days and nights are filled with a variety of holiday traditions, family gatherings, and a bustle of year-end activities that tend to focus on the “administrivia” of closing out another year.

The rush of the holiday season comes to a close. Celebrants watched the crystal ball drop in Times Square signaling the start of a New Year. 2016 ended with a toast, perhaps a kiss, and sometimes a thoughtful New Year’s resolution.

This post was written by John Moreland, a retired accountant who writes for Elderimpact.org sharing resources and tips with his fellow retirees and their loved ones. 

4 Tips to Help Seniors Live to the Fullest While Planning for the Future.

There are many reasons adult children might struggle to face their parents mortality. Let's face it, no one wants to think about death and dying much less talk about it. Yet, it's inevitable and deserves setting aside time to have a very important conversation while you are able to. 

This post is written by Steve Johnson who co-created PublicHealthLibrary.Org with a fellow pre-med student.  While the topic of suicide is difficult, suicide is a sudden unexpected death that leaves family members and friends left behind needing help.

How to Help a Friend or Loved One Through a Loss from Suicide

You may have seen, or at least heard of, the 2007 Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson movie “The Bucket List”  - but have you ever taken the time to actually make one? 

What exactly is a Bucket List? A 2011 essay published on Slate.com suggests: “In 2004, the term was used—perhaps for the first time? —in the context of things to do before one kicks the bucket.” 

This post was written for LastingMatters by Janet W. Prescott, Executive Director of Hospice Help Foundation.

Helping Ourselves and Helping Others at the End of Life

I learned over the course of my nearly two-decade career that a good way to cut a conversation short was to mention I work in hospice.

Whether you plan ahead or you’re thrown into a situation due to a sudden health crisis, end-of-life conversations are never easy. Couple that with trying to initiate end-of-life conversations with your aging parents. These conversations can be excruciatingly delicate and sometimes difficult. One must simultaneously tread lightly, yet boldly.

This post was written for LastingMatters by Barbara Karnes RN, an award-winning End of Life Educator who wrote "The Hospice Bluebook", Gone From My Sight.

Just Close My Eyes and Go To Sleep

What do we want our last experience to be?  We have the power to direct it, yet most of us don't use it.

If you think you have run out of things to talk about with your adult kids, how about a worthwhile chat about incapacity and death? That’s certainly going to get their attention and a photo worthy reaction…usually a wide-eyed look that says “it’s time to head for the hills!” 

We need, however, to ensure that our next of kin are fully prepared and understand what we want should we become incapacitated or die.

Planning ahead for what happens at the end-of-life shouldn't involve frantic last minute searches for information that someone in your family will need, and want, after you are gone.  It's so much easier if you take some time now to plan ahead.

One of the biggest items to plan for is what happens to your real estate.