Author Archive: Claudia Windal

There are no “shoulds” for dying people! I wholeheartedly support people who are dying to voice their funeral arrangement and service desires. After all, we only die once and most of us want to “get it right.” I take full…
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One would hardly expect a licensed funeral director, dedicated to embalming a body as hard as a rock, breathing in toxic embalming fluid fumes, and committed to bringing in a large fee per funeral based upon 100-300% mark ups on…
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I will speak to this with the understanding that the grief is following a death of a loved one. As it stands today. Most of society has experienced the model of the grieving family going to the funeral home within…
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If one is concerned about the decisions she/he has made regarding end of life, these need to recorded in an Advance Care document (also known as a Living Will). This document asks various questions regarding end of life and include…
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I have vivid memories from my childhood of meeting a funeral procession coming toward me. I was first aware that the procession moved extremely slowly and that cars facing the procession all pulled off to the side of the road…
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Imagine receiving the news that you have Lou Gehrig’s disease. You are told that the disease is progressive and will eventually render you wheelchair bound, prone to choking, often incontinent of urine and stool, unable to hug those whom you…
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Finding someone who has died is never a pleasant experience. Despite this, it is essential that you remain calm and with the deceased. First: Call 911 and explain the situation. Believe it or not, there are people who appear to…
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Following a three-month fight with cancer, my life partner succumbed to ovarian cancer. Her will and her advance directives clearly stated that she desired to be cremated. Even being a mortician myself, I find the idea of being cremated off…
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I work with death on one level or another every day. As a hospice RN I am often privileged to be at the bedside of those who die and I generally remain for some time with the family members following…
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Imagine being elderly and living alone. Your spouse died six years ago and his retirement benefits no longer come to you. You own your home, but it has been far too long since even minor repairs were made. Neighborhood grocery…
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