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Philadelphia 'death cafes' argue it's time to bring death out of the closet
By Brandon Baker for Philly Voice Social franchise aims to topple death taboos Rachel Zeldin was unprepared for what came next. When her great-uncle died in 2011 without an immediate family to address his funeral needs, Zeldin was stunned that she and her family had been left to both foot ...
Continue ReadingWhat the Supreme Court Decision Legalizing Same Sex Marriage Means for Funeral Planning
The recent Supreme Court decision on the Obergefell v. Hodges case has legalized same sex marriage but what does the decision mean for end-of-life and funeral planning? Traditionally, legal authority over funeral planning goes first to an individual's living spouse, then next of kin (children), then parents, or if appointed ahead ...
Continue ReadingFTC proposes new guidelines for collecting debt from dead people
By Ylan Q. Mui for the Washington Post Monday, November 22, 2010 The Federal Trade Commission is seeking to revise the protocol surrounding two of life's touchiest subjects: debt and death. Debt collection has become an increasingly controversial practice as more Americans default on loan payments. Government data show the ...
Continue ReadingCredit Card Debt That Outlives Mom
By SHERISSE PHAM for the New York Times MARCH 10, 2011 8:00 AM March 10, 2011 8:00 am Following a recent post on the rising levels of credit card debt among the elderly, several readers raised an important question: What happens when borrowers die? Do they take their credit card balances to the grave, ...
Continue ReadingDying With Debt: Will Your Children Inherit Your Obligations?
By Jim T. Miller, Syndicated columnist, NBC Today contributor and creator of SavvySenior.org 04/11/2012 03:11 pm ET | Updated Jun 11, 2012 Dear Savvy Senior What happens to a person’s debt after they die? At age 78, I have accumulated quite a bit of credit card and medical debt over the past few years ...
Continue ReadingCremation by Water
In a 12-minute video, TIME on YouTube explained to the audience about an increasingly popular cremation alternative. It is still cremation in the end, except instead of using fire to cremate the body, it is water. Cremation rates are rising within the U.S., and researchers expect the number to see ...
Continue ReadingGetting Buried at Arlington Cemetery May Take Forever
Don R. Sykes was killed in Vietnam on Aug. 12, 1969. Ten days later he was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. His widow, Lorraine Tharp, isn’t eligible to be buried with Sykes because she remarried, but her current husband is a Vietnam veteran, and she thought they would both be ...
Continue ReadingAsk a Mortician: Alkaline Hydrolysis
Alkaline hydrolysis, otherwise known as flameless cremation, or liquid cremation, or water-based cremation, or even green cremation, is the process of liquefying the body after death. The 10-12 hour process combines pressure, heat, and lye to help dissolve the body. Some benefits of alkaline hydrolysis is the lowered impact it ...
Continue ReadingDeath with Dignity Gains More Attention, Meaning More Control for End-Of-Life Decisions
Death with Dignity, a movement to give the dying more control of their end-of-life care and decisions, has been gaining more media attention as of late. The Death with Dignity National Center advocates for mentally competent adults given six months or fewer to live the option to request medication from ...
Continue ReadingNew Jersey Assembly approves death with dignity bill
By JESSICA FIRGER CBS NEWS November 13, 2014, 7:03 PM Lawmakers in New Jersey passed a bill Thursday that would allow physicians to prescribe life-ending drugs to terminally ill patients. The Aid in Dying for the Terminally Ill Act passed the state Assembly 41 to 31, although it's not clear if the state Senate will ...
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