Monthly Archives: February 2018

A brief history of the urn

Where there is cremation, there are urns. Urns have been prolific throughout history as symbols for death, be in practically or metaphorically. The history of the urn is as rich and varied as the people within them. When talking about urns, its impossible not to mention cremation, let alone our good friend Dr Price, who lit the […]

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What is Hospice Care?

What is hospice care? Here in the UK almost half of people spend their final days in hospital yet the majority of us say we would prefer to die in our own home or, increasingly, a hospice. A hospice provides end of life care for after you’ve been diagnosed with a terminal illness, which includes […]

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A Grey Matter: Dead Thinkers’ Brains

The Disappointing Afterlife of Great Brains Do extraordinary minds make for extraordinary brain tissue? Is it true that bigger really means better? Here, we look at the habit of researchers to cut open dead scientists and philosophers in order to pickle and preserve their brains. Many of these thinkers didn’t explicitly consent to having their […]

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Dying at Home

Dying at home Figures from a survey carried out in 2013 by the Office for National Statistics showed that 85% of those who died in hospital that year had wished to die at home. Now, the amount of people dying at home is at the highest it’s been for 12 years. With a growing trend […]

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How to write an obituary

Delivering bad news can be tough, but somebody has to do it. In some cases, a death may be under such circumstances that an obituary is going to be required. The role of an obituary is in its layers. While the outer shell is to inform, to celebrate life is at its core. As NY Times […]

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Repatriation

Repatriation We may have already touched on dying abroad, but sometimes people aren’t on holiday when they die – they are living there. This can also apply to people living in the UK who want to go back to their country of origin when they die. Repatriation is defined as the returning of an asset, […]

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