The hottest End-of-life Substack posts right now

Someone who once knew nothing about accompanying dying people has learned practical and emotional ways to be present with them.
A caregiver working as an orderly offers honest, personal confessions about what it’s like to support people at the end of life.
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Assisted suicide has become a routine part of healthcare, with well-established referral networks and forms to fill out.
About one out of every 20 deaths in Canada is due to the government-run MAID program, which has resulted in nearly 110,000 deaths overall.
The program can end lives very quickly — in Ontario in 2023 many people died the same day or the next day after requesting MAID — and that speed raises ethical worries that hastening death can become the path of least resistance.

Canada’s assisted‑suicide program lets people request MAID even if they aren’t terminally ill, as long as they say their suffering is intolerable and can’t be relieved in a way they find acceptable.
People with disabilities, chronic illnesses, mental‑health issues, and difficult social situations have been approved for MAID, and those decisions often cause deep pain and conflict within families.
Because eligibility rests on subjective judgments about intolerable suffering, the program blurs the line between medical conditions and everyday social hardship, and many Canadians end up choosing assisted death each year.

Strict hospital visitor rules during the pandemic kept families from being with dying loved ones, leaving people feeling those deaths were lonely and avoidable.
A strained father-daughter relationship softened in his final months, and small acts like holding his hand and sharing stories brought real comfort.
Pandemic fear and policy split people into opposing camps and deepened isolation, leaving a lasting resolve to be more present for others at the end of life.

He livestreamed his terminal illness, creating an unusually candid record of dying and drawing a mix of supportive, cruel, and medically questionable responses from viewers.
His daily show acted like a virtual support group and creative crutch, keeping him connected to fans while his anger and online echo chamber drove away many real-world relationships.
After his death an AI trained on his recordings began producing new content, touching off disputes over digital legacy, consent, and whether an AI can truly capture a person’s intentions.

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Even with practical preparations, emotional acceptance can differ: one partner may calmly accept death while the surviving partner struggles to be ready.
Long marriages often shift from sexual passion to a deep shared identity, so losing a spouse feels like losing an essential part of oneself.
Wills and advance directives help with logistics but don’t erase the daily loneliness, sudden tears, or the shock when life unfolds differently than expected.

People who have near-death experiences often report calm, acceptance, or vivid spiritual sensations, which suggests the brain may have ways to ease the transition even if the exact causes aren’t proven.
Much of the fear around death comes from the unknown, worries about meaning, pain, and being alone, so talking openly and making end-of-life plans can reduce suffering for both the dying and their loved ones.
Dying can be improved by expanding palliative and hospice care, creating kinder, more beautiful environments, and offering emotional support like end-of-life doulas, volunteer companions, Death Cafés, and carefully studied therapies (including psychedelics) to ease pain and anxiety.

It's important to express how much someone means to you, especially as they approach the end of life. Sharing your feelings can bring comfort to both you and them.
Facing death can be hard, but don't let fear keep you away. Being present, holding hands, and talking about your love can make a difference.
Staying busy with everyday tasks can help ease the burden of grief. Taking care of chores can be a good way to cope with loss.

Psychedelics are being embraced in end-of-life care facilities to provide relief from anxiety and existential distress in terminal patients.
Research has shown that certain psychedelics can induce mystical experiences and offer patients a new perspective to accept their fate and find peace.
Psychedelics are not about escapism but rather about helping individuals confront their mortality with clarity, acceptance, and reduced fear of death.