Compassion & Choices

We are thrilled to share that the Illinois End of Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act has passed the state senate and is now on the way to @govpritzker ’s desk to be signed into law.

5 tips to make sure your digital life reflects your end-of-life wishes - Compassion & Choices Your online life is part of your legacy. Without clear direction, loved ones may face account lockouts, lost memories, or legal hurdles at a time of confusion and grief when clarity and compassion matter most. Taking time to organize your digital assets helps ensure your values are honored and your…

Your online life is part of your legacy.

Our blog shares five practical steps to help ensure your loved ones can access your photos, accounts, and memories when you’re gone.

Plan with compassion.

Read more: https://ow.ly/vUjz50XbfsT

Meet David Copeland, a death doula dedicated to serving the LGBTQ+ community with compassion and care.

From his roots in Selma, Alabama, to his work in Cincinnati, David helps people navigate end-of-life care, chosen family, and legacy with dignity.

Watch his story: https://ow.ly/BCEr50XbfV0

Emergency medicine and end-of-life care: A holistic approach - Compassion & Choices Emergency rooms excel at resuscitating, stabilizing, and saving lives. This care is essential for many individuals, but for patients who are terminally ill or nearing the end of life, aggressive interventions can be traumatic and misaligned with their wishes. Dr. True McMahan, an emergency physician in California, has often felt…

Emergency rooms save lives, but for people near life’s end, aggressive treatment can do more harm than good.

Dr. True McMahan brings palliative care to the ER so patients’ wishes guide the care.

“Every specialty should know palliative care, especially emergency medicine.” https://ow.ly/JOR150Xa93Q

Compassion & Choices and The Contemplative Doula have launched The Death Literacy Project, supporting educators who are helping communities across the U.S. talk about death, dying, and end-of-life care with confidence and compassion.

Read more: https://ow.ly/9bLZ50Xbibp

The fight to secure access to medical aid-in-dying continues - Compassion & Choices Judy Govatos has lived with cancer for over a decade. Now, at 81, she recently learned her lymphoma has returned for the third time. “I don’t want to die fearfully,” Judy says. “I want to die affirming the fact that I’ve had this opportunity to be alive in this amazing…

For more than a decade, Judy Govatos has lived with cancer.

Now she’s fighting for the right to choose a compassionate death on her own terms. 💜

https://compassionandchoices.org/blog/the-fight-to-secure-access-to-medical-aid-in-dying-continues/

Legal Advocacy Updates: Defending the Future of End-of-Life Care - Compassion & Choices The momentum of our legal advocacy continues to grow. With this year’s launch of Compassion Legal — the nation’s first nonprofit law firm for end-of-life rights — we’re breaking new ground in courts across the country. Here are the latest updates. Death Doulas Win in Indiana On August 28, 2025,…

Compassion Legal’s impact is growing.

• Death doulas win in Indiana
• Challenging the Kansas “Pregnancy Exclusion” law
• Fighting residency restrictions in Colorado & New Jersey

These cases are shaping the future of end-of-life care:
https://ow.ly/A0lq50XatsJ
#EndOfLifeOptions #LegalAdvocacy

Colorado Report Shows Improved Access to Medical Aid in Dying with Updated Law - Compassion & Choices August 7 marked one year since legislation to improve access to Colorado's End-of-Life Options Act was enacted. Signed by Governor Jared Polis last June, SB68 shortened the mandatory minimum waiting period between oral requests for a medical aid-in-dying prescription from 15 days to seven days, allowing a prescribing provider to…

A new Colorado report shows improved access to medical aid in dying — 28% more patients in 2024 after key law updates. Thoughtful reforms mean more people can choose care that reflects their values.
https://ow.ly/fl0T50XatEE

How the 2025 Government Shutdown Affects Your End-of-Life Care - Compassion & Choices As the government shutdown enters its tenth day, you might be wondering how this is going to impact patient-directed care at the end of life. We’ve got you covered! Here are some answers to people’s most pressing questions about what this means for your end-of-life options.  What is happening with…

The government shutdown has real consequences for end-of-life care.

Telehealth access has been rolled back, hospice programs face uncertainty, and vulnerable patients are feeling the impact.

Learn what’s changing and how we are responding:
https://ow.ly/gZBT50Xatqs

As part of Hispanic Heritage Month, we're helping Massachusetts communities begin end-of-life planning and overcome cultural and language barriers.

“It’s peace of mind for you and your loved ones." - Leslie Martinez Ramirez, Compassion & Choices.

Public News Service
https://ow.ly/bGE650XaECi

More at peace than I’ve ever been - Compassion & Choices Compassion & Choices advocate Roseana Spangler-Sims wanted to have some say in what the end of her life looked like. After enduring more than a year of treatment for stage 4 pancreatic cancer with little to show for it other than the savage side effects, she decided it was time. …

Roseana Spangler-Sims chose peace in her final weeks with loved ones. Her story in People magazine shows the comfort of facing death without fear. "I’m ready to go." Read more: https://ow.ly/8CPh50X9Xg4 #EndOfLifeOptions #CompassionAndChoices #DignityInDeath

Group Requests to Intervene in United Spinal Association Lawsuit, Arguing Colorado Law Does Not Discriminate Against People with Disabilities - Compassion & Choices A patient, a physician, and a licensed professional counselor specializing in eating disorders joined Compassion & Choices Action Network  Tuesday in filing a motion to intervene and oppose a lawsuit seeking to invalidate Colorado’s End of Life Options Act. The proposed intervenors are represented  by Compassion Legal: The End-of-Life Justice…

End-of-life options are under attack in Colorado. Learn more: candc.link/co-intervention

A note from the CEO: It takes a village to protect patient rights at the end of life - Compassion & Choices By Kevin Díaz, President & CEO This week I’ve been reflecting on the death of Jeff McComas, a dedicated advocate for medical aid in dying and a plaintiff in Compassion Legal’s challenge to the residency requirement in Colorado’s aid-in-dying law.  Following his diagnosis with terminal intestinal cancer in early 2023,…

President and CEO Kevin Díaz reflects on the broad community that powers our legal work in his newest note.

Gov. Hochul: Our children died painfully without the option of medical aid in dying; please sign… Dear Governor Hochul,

Ben and Ayla’s grieving mothers are asking @governor.ny.gov to take action. She has the power to stop pain, so no other parent has to watch their child die with needless suffering. Read Kate and Amy's plea to have the Medical Aid in Dying Act signed into law:

#MedicalAidInDying #EndOfLifeChoices

Who will speak for you? A guide to choosing a healthcare proxy - Compassion & Choices Do you have questions about the language behind advance care planning? A critical part of the process  is choosing someone who will represent you in case you can’t represent yourself. But the terms…

Healthcare proxy, agent, power of attorney — what's the difference?

Learn more about these key terms and how you can choose a trusted representative to speak on your behalf:
compassionandchoices.org/news/who-wil...
#HealthcareProxy #AdvanceCarePlanning

YouTube video by Compassion & Choices Weight Stigma at the End of Life: A Conversation with Death Doula Isabella Carr

Death doula Isabella Carr, M.Div., is filling a critical gap in end-of-life care: supporting people in bigger bodies. She recently shared wisdom and guidance on navigating life’s final chapter: www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUaW...
#EndOfLifeCare #WeightStigma #DeathDoula #EqualityAtEverySize

How ‘The Pitt’ Gets Death Right The show’s unusually nuanced, realistic depiction of end-of-life decisions has already had a real-world impact.

Congratulations to The Pitt for its Emmy wins! The show boldly tackles a range of end-of-life topics, reminding us that portraying accurate information on-screen can positively impact real lives. www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-featur...

#AdvanceDirectives #EndOfLifeDecisions #2025EmmyAwards

YouTube video by Compassion & Choices National Arts & Culture Series - Vanishing: A Love Story with Sandra Luckow

In our latest National Arts & Culture webinar, filmmaker Sandra Luckow discusses her new documentary "Vanishing: A Love Story," which explores award-winning novelist Cai Emmons' heartful journey toward death. Watch on-demand now: www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYWe...
#EndOfLifeDecisions #PersonalAgency

The Medical Aid in Dying Residency Requirement - Compassion & Choices Compassion & Choices advocates for end-of-life options, including medical aid in dying, for all — regardless of a person’s ZIP code. Today, 11 states (California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawai’i, Maine,…

Outside Oregon & Vermont, residency rules shut out non-residents from MAID. We’re fighting to change that. candc.org/article/the-medical-aid-in-dying-residency-requirement/
#MedicalAidInDying #EndOfLifeChoices #HealthJustice

Microdosing Mushrooms, a Mountain View and One Wicked Game of Poker: A Calif. Woman's Last Day of Life (Exclusive) Roseana Spangler-Sims, 72, had stage 4 pancreatic cancer and ended her life on Aug. 31 through Medical Aid in Dying — with her family by her side. They shared photos and details from her final day.

C&C champion Roseana Spangler-Sims used CA's medical aid-in-dying law to end her suffering on August 31, 2025. In this People exclusive, her loved ones and care providers share their thoughts on the final hours they spent with Roseana.

#MedicalAidInDying #EndOfLifeChoices

Essential Conversations: Planning for life with dementia - Compassion & Choices When someone develops dementia, the changes to memory, judgment, and decision-making can make it harder — or eventually impossible — to communicate their wishes for care. That’s why early…

Dementia can make it harder — or even impossible — to express care wishes. That’s why it’s critical to plan ahead. Here’s how we’re equipping professionals to have these essential conversations: compassionandchoices.org/news/essenti... #DementiaCare #AdvanceCarePlanning

A pair of hands placing seeds into rich soil. The text over the image says: "Legacy. What is a legacy? It’s planting seeds in a garden you never get to see…" Lin-Manuel Miranda Hamilton: An American Musical

As #Hamilton turns 10, we reflect on the many lessons the show provides & hold one specifically very close to our heart: Legacy.

Have you planned your legacy? Give your loved ones the gift of helping you finish your great symphony today. candc.link/3HNqpjC

#EstatePlanning #MakeAWillMonth #Hamilten

YouTube video by Compassion & Choices Weight Stigma at the End of Life: A Conversation with Death Doula Isabella Carr

Death doula Isabella Carr, M.Div., shares how weight stigma shows up in healthcare — and how people can take control of their end-of-life journey.

🎥 Watch the full interview: www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUaW...

#HealthEquity #EqualityAtEverySize #FatLiberation #EndOfLifeOptions

Our next National Arts & Culture webinar will feature Fran Volkmann, author of Herself to the End. Register now! join.compassionandchoices.org/a/herselftot...

#EndOfLifeChoices #Alzheimers #AdvanceCareDirectives #VSED

The Community Death Literacy Project has launched! This collaboration between C&C and The Contemplative Doula is designed to empower educators to lead meaningful conversations about living, dying & grieving. Learn more today: compassionandchoices.org/news/the-com...

#Grief #EndOfLife #DeathLiteracy

Front view of the U.S. Supreme Court building with its grand marble steps and Corinthian columns.

SCOTUS ruled Medicaid enrollees can’t challenge harmful care restrictions.
This threatens access to trusted hospice, home health and palliative care providers. Read more: compassionandchoices.org/news/supreme...

#SCOTUS #Medicaid #EndOfLifeCare #PatientRights

Two hands gently holding each other above a heartfelt quote about wishing for a loved one's voice, attributed to Josh Roth, Director of Planned Giving. "All I could think about was: What would she have said? What would she have wanted? I wish her voice had been around to tell us."

Josh Roth's grandmother had no will in place when she died, so his family had to figure out what she would have wanted done with all of her assets.

Give your loved ones the gift of peace. Create your will today, free of charge! www.freewill.com/compassionan...

#MakeAWillMonth #EstatePlanning

Who decides your care? In today’s political climate, it’s time to pay attention. - Compassion & Choices “They cleaned out his house, they kept everyone from the funeral service, and they buried him, honoring a life that wasn’t true to who he was.” That’s how Osha Towers, LGBTQ+ Outreach Director for Com...

“They buried him, honoring a life that wasn’t true to who he was.”

When someone dies without an #AdvanceDirective, chosen family can be shut out. Read how it happened, and how we can stop it from happening again: compassionandchoices.org/news/who-dec...

#HealthJustice #EndOfLifePlanning

Keep End-of-Life Care in the Hands of Patients - Compassion & Choices By Kevin Díaz, Compassion & Choices President & CEO For more than 30 years, Compassion & Choices has worked to ensure that people can make informed decisions about the kind of healthcare they want as ...

End-of-life decisions should reflect both medical expertise and an individual’s values. Today, those decisions are under threat.

Read more from Kevin Díaz on why #PatientRights must be protected: compassionandchoices.org/news/keep-en...

#EndOfLifeCare #MedicalAidInDying #HealthJustice

Purple gradient paper-textured background with text announcing a new faith-based toolkit for end-of-life conversations titled "Faith at the Threshold."

Purple gradient paper-textured background with text saying: "Faith at the Threshold" provides guidance for: - Hosting educational & social events - Facilitating support circles - Organizing study groups - Creating a resource hub - And more!

A paper-textured purple background with a quote from Isabella Carr, M.Div., founder of Deathfat Doula and toolkit contributor: "Faith at the Threshold is a really useful and insightful resource with practical ideas for how to bring end-of-life conversations to faith communities."

A visual of the free downloadable "Faith at the Threshold" toolkit; there are several icons on the front page that symbolize love, fostering open communication, prayer and informing oneself on end-of-life matters.

New resource! Faith at the Threshold is a toolkit to help faith leaders bring thoughtful end-of-life conversations, resources and support to their communities.

💜Grab a free copy: CandC.org/FaithToolkit

#EndOfLifeCare #GriefSupport #EndOfLifePlanning #DeathCare #FaithBased