We are more than just our bodies. Humans are connected to each other and to the world around them in many ways, some of which are invisible.

Dying is a part of life, but it's unlike the rest of life in important ways. The weeks to days before the end of a life can take on a quality all their own, with additional layers of potent emotions.

While most of us want to be independent for as long as we can, it’s not always a possibility. A move, family finances, energy, or change in health can mean it’s time to think about other options and help.

The family unit is rife with difficult emotions and dynamics under the best of circumstances. Throw a health scare curveball into the mix and those dynamics become increasingly difficult to navigate.

Hospice care is often misunderstood. While its focus is the final months of life, it exists to help people and their families live well until death comes.

As with the rest of life, navigating illness, from any angle, is so much about communication—with yourself, and with family, friends, professional caregivers, and medical teams.

Comparing ourselves to others or to the past can lead to unnecessary suffering both for ourselves and for those who care about us

What is a health care proxy, what does the role entail, and who’s the best person for the job? What does it mean to have a POLST form? Or a DNR?

Caregiving can be both fulfilling and draining, leading to contradictory feelings on top of the practical hurdles of taking care of someone.

These difficult emotions can be felt by anyone in the care circle: patient, caregiver, friend, or family member. As a fundamental human process, grief is unavoidable.

We are emotional creatures, and a personal illness or that of a loved one can bring up all sorts of emotions and feelings you didn’t realize were there.

There are many trade-offs to be made with nearly every medical decision; it’s important to think through details and to weigh options, and to take care to link them to your own values and priorities.