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Death&Dying: Conversations on End-of-Life MattersNovember 3-12 Online

In these pandemic times, it's more important than ever to have open and honest conversations about end-of-life topics. The Library is leading the conversation once again this November, with a virtual series devoted to the practical matters of death, including advance care planning, funerals, grief and a topic new to our community — social model end-of-life care homes. Our four events with area professionals will give you a foundation for continuing these important conversations with your family and friends. Visit this page before the events for links to access them.

Advance Care Planning

Tuesday, November 3, 2020, 7 p.m.
Virtual
For adults

Who will make health care decisions for you if you are not able to make them for yourself? As we navigate the challenges of living and dying during a worldwide pandemic, it’s more important than ever for adults to consider advance care planning. If you'd like help getting started, join us for a virtual workshop hosted by Pam Stoelzel with Respecting Choices of the Ozarks. The workshop will help you reflect on your values, choose a health care agent, take the first steps toward completing your advance directive and make your wishes known. Sponsored by the Library Center. Link to program will be posted here when available.

Go to program page

End-of-Life Care: Social Model Hospice Homes and How They Work

Thursday, November 5, 2020, 7 p.m.
Virtual
For adults

Even though the majority of us wish to die at home, those at the end of life face ever-growing challenges that keep them from doing as they wish, including a lack of caregivers and financial resources. Kelley Scott, executive director of Clarehouse in Tulsa, Oklahoma, will talk about social model hospice and the nationwide network of homes working to improve end-of-life care. Then representatives from the Hospice Foundation of the Ozarks and Jacob's Ladder, Springfield's new home for the dying, will talk about what this social model end-of-life care home means for the community. Sponsored by the Library Center. Link to program will be posted here when available.

Go to program page

Funerals and the Impact of COVID-19

Tuesday, November 10, 2020, 6 p.m.
Virtual
For adults

Brent Barnes, licensed funeral director and manager at Greenlawn North, will discuss the challenges families face with making arrangements for their deceased loved ones during pandemic times and how the funeral industry has adapted to meet those challenges. Sponsored by the Library Center. Link to program will be posted here when available.

Go to program page

Compounding Our Sorrow: Grieving During a Pandemic

Thursday, November 12, 2020, 7 p.m.
Virtual
For adults

Family members dying without loved ones around them. Funerals amid social distancing and quarantine. The pandemic has changed not only how we die and honor the dead, but also how we grieve for our loved ones, whether they die from the coronavirus or another cause. Staff from Lost & Found Grief Center will talk with us virtually about what you can expect to feel and experience when grieving the death of family, friends or co-workers during this challenging time and provide tips to help you cope. Sponsored by the Library Center. Link to program will be posted here when available.

Go to program page
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CONVERSATION STARTERS

5@55: The 5 Essential Legal Documents You Need by Age 55
A Good Death: A Compassionate and Practical Guide to Prepare for the End of Life
Advice for Future Corpses, And Those Who Love Them: A Practical Perspective on Death and Dying
At Peace: Choosing a Good Death After a Long Life
Crafting Meaningful Funeral Rituals: A Practical Guide
Dead People Suck: A Guide for Survivors of the Newly Departed
Death Rights and Rites: A Practical Guide to a Meaningful Death
Dying : A Memoir
Dying to Eat: Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Food, Death, and the Afterlife
Dying With Ease: A Compassionate Guide for Making Wiser End-of-Life Decisions
Extreme Measures: Finding a Better Path to the End of Life
Finding Peace at the End of Life: A Death Doula's Guide for Families and Caregivers
Hospice Voices: Lessons for Living at the End of Life
Modern Death: How Medicine Changed the End of Life
Online Afterlives: Immortality, Memory, and Grief in Digital Culture
Reimagining Death: Stories and Practical Wisdom for Home Funerals and Green Burials
The Aftergrief: Finding Your Way Along the Long Arc of Loss
The Depositions: New and Selected Essays on Being and Ceasing to Be
With the End in Mind: Dying, Death and Wisdom in an Age of Denial

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