Making Death Less Scary

Couple on Beach — Image by © Royalty-Free/Corbis

The focus should be on the person, rather than death itself.

Death is generally a scary subject, because none of us can be absolutely certain what death will be like and what will happen afterwards. A side effect is that elderly people and the terminally ill do not always have people to help them deal with the process.  However, a new movement is trying to change that, according The New York Times in “The Positive Death Movement Comes to Life.”

The movement is not completely cohesive. It is just various people and groups trying to make the subject of death less taboo and to focus on the personal needs of the dying. In some places it has taken the form of “death cafes” where anyone interested can come together and talk about the subject. Other people are working on ways for hospice patients to receive personal attention in the same way a midwife helps those giving birth.

People often avoid getting an estate plan, because it makes them think of death.  However, a better approach may well be to focus on your loved ones and easing the loss, when death does occur.

Reference: New York Times (June 22, 2018) “The Positive Death Movement Comes to Life.”