Living well to the end

LAKEWOOD, CO - SEPTEMBER 01: Hospice volunteers caress the hands of terminally ill patient Annabelle Martin, 95, as her health quickly declined at the Hospice of Saint John on September 1, 2009 in Lakewood, Colorado. The non-profit hospice, which serves on average 200 people at a time, is the second oldest hospice in the United States. The hospice accepts patients regardless of their ability to pay, although most are covered by Medicare or Medicaid. End of life care has become a contentious issue in the current national debate on health care reform. John Moore/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

World Hospice and Palliative Care Day was observed on Oct 12. Its aim is to spread awareness that talking about death makes living till the end easier.

WHY don’t people think about or talk about their own death?” an eloquent, expressive former TV-producer-turned-housewife Shin Na asked in her blog.