We are all going to die. And someone will have to handle what we leave behind. Odds are good that person will be someone who loved us, someone who will be grieving. Let’s not make it harder for them than it has to be. Let’s make some key decisions now in order to be kinder to those we’ll leave behind. What kind of decisions? Welcome to Dying Kindness, the podcast for people who are going to die someday. Host Cianna Stewart is learning about death and dying, and sharing information and tips along the way. Episodes include practical information, philosophical musings, interviews, and a dose of morbid humor. Because we’re all going die someday and we should learn how to talk about it.
Episodes
Thursday Sep 29, 2022
30: Eco-Friendly Burial Options – You Can Help Expand Them
Thursday Sep 29, 2022
Thursday Sep 29, 2022
A discussion with Edward Bixby of the Green Burial Council on eco-friendly burial options – and the consumer's role in helping expand what's available.
Mentioned in this episode:
https://www.dyingkindness.com/
https://www.greenburialcouncil.org/
GBC map of certified providers: https://www.greenburialcouncil.org/interactive-maps.html
https://destinationdestinymemorials.com/
https://www.steelmantowncemetery.com/
"Climate Change: The massive CO2 emitter you may not know about" by Lucy Rodgers for BBC
"Lawn Maintenance and Climate Change" paper by Princeton Student Climate Initiative
"This heatwave is a reminder that grass lawns are terrible for the environment" article by Akin Olla for The Guardian
Tuesday Sep 13, 2022
29: Who They Gonna Call?
Tuesday Sep 13, 2022
Tuesday Sep 13, 2022
In addition to choosing an emergency contact, you should prepare contact lists for who they should call if you ended up in a crisis or need longer-term support. In this episode, Cianna goes over what kinds of contact lists you should prepare for different situations.
Wednesday Aug 17, 2022
28: Preparing for Writing Your Will
Wednesday Aug 17, 2022
Wednesday Aug 17, 2022
We all know we should write a will, but how do you get started? Here are some tips on what to prepare that will make it easier and will save you time and money when you sit down to write your own will.
Referenced:
Episode 4: The Value of Physical Stuff
Book: The Poetry of Impermanence, Mindfulness, and Joy (affiliate link)
Wednesday Aug 03, 2022
27: Planning for Long-Term Care, with Matt McCann
Wednesday Aug 03, 2022
Wednesday Aug 03, 2022
People are living longer and longer. While generally that's a good thing, it also means that more of us are going to need long-term care – and that can get expensive. What is long-term care? What options are there? And how can we plan for it?
In this episode, Cianna talks with leading LTC expert Matt McCann. McCann is recognized as one of the nation's leading long-term health care specialists, and is the publisher of LTC News.
Mentioned in this episode:
- Consumer focused news & resources: LTCnews.com
- McCann Insurance Services: RadioLTC.com
- Information from U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services: LongTermCare.gov
- American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance: AALTCI.org
Medical bills are leading cause of bankruptcy
U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services report shows “70% of adults who survive to age 65 develop severe LTSS needs before they die and 48% receive some paid care over their lifetime”
About Larry Lujack
Tuesday Jul 19, 2022
26: In The First Hours After Your Death
Tuesday Jul 19, 2022
Tuesday Jul 19, 2022
If you were to become incapacitated or die suddenly, what would your people need to know?
This is a replay of Episode 1, updated to include an announcement for BinderDash, a workshop + co-working session to help you get the Essentials of your Death Binder done: https://binderdash-august2022.rsvpify.com
Saturday Jul 09, 2022
Brief Thoughts on SCOTUS and the Future
Saturday Jul 09, 2022
Saturday Jul 09, 2022
The decisions made by the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) during this past session raised some concerns about how certain classes of people and situations will be different treated from state to state. Cianna shares some initial thoughts about steps to take related to advance directives and other concerns around death and dying moving forward.
Tuesday Jun 21, 2022
24: What’s in an Obituary? A conversation with Michael Osborne, Famous & Gravy
Tuesday Jun 21, 2022
Tuesday Jun 21, 2022
What's the point of obituaries? Why are some people so into reading them? Should you draft your own obituary as a Dying Kindness?
Today we talk with Michael Osborne from the podcast Famous & Gravy, a podcast about what really matters in life, and what's gravy... one dead celebrity at a time.
Referenced:
Tuesday Jun 07, 2022
23: Joint Account vs Power of Attorney for Finances - which is better?
Tuesday Jun 07, 2022
Tuesday Jun 07, 2022
For most of us, there will come a point when we'll need to have someone else help manage our finances. Two common approaches are to set up a joint bank account, or use a Power of Attorney for Finances. Which is better? How do you decide which to use?
Monday May 23, 2022
22: How much does a funeral cost?
Monday May 23, 2022
Monday May 23, 2022
A funeral can get expensive. In this episode, I break down the elements of a traditional burial funeral in the United Stages, and the median costs.
Tuesday Apr 19, 2022
21: ”Asking for Help” vs ”Being a Burden”
Tuesday Apr 19, 2022
Tuesday Apr 19, 2022
After a lifetime of independence, it can be tough to age or get ill and start to need help. So many of us fear becoming a burden so we resist asking for help. But at what point will our independence become a problem? What's the difference between asking for help and being a burden?