FINAL DAYS WEB SITES Beliefnet www.beliefnet.com One of the most active Web sites for discussion of end-of-life care, Beliefnet offers users a regularly updated assortment of articles, columns, and essays on end-of-life issues, plus message boards and a Q & A section. Compassion in Dying Federation www.compassionindying.org/ Compassion in Dying Federation provides national leadership for client service, legal advocacy and public education to improve pain and symptom management, increase patient empowerment and self-determination and expand end-of-life choices to include aid-in-dying for mentally competent, terminally ill adults. Death With Dignity www.deathwithdignity.org Death With Dignity is a national organization that advocates voluntary euthanasia. The Web site contains information about euthanasia, legislation, and how to get involved with the organization. Detroit Free Press Special Section www.freepress.com/news/extra2/index.htm An extensive special report on Dr. Jack Kevorkian, including profiles of the patients he "assisted" and numerous articles from the beginning of his crusade. Final Thoughts www.finalthoughts.com Web site designed to assist people considering a wide range of end-of-life questions such as estate planning, digital wills and end-of-life care. There are also chat rooms, message boards and a member newsletter. Funeral Consumers Alliance www.funerals.org This Web site provides information on laws surrounding funerals, funeral planning, and how to avoid excessive charges when financing a funeral. Guide to Sociological Thanatology www.trinity.edu/mkearl/death.html Professor Michael C. Kearl of the Department of Sociology & Anthropology at Trinity University in Texas runs this extensive Web site about the sociology of death and dying ("thanatology"). It contains information and links for a large array of topics related to sociology, and provides a fascinating academic account of changing attitudes towards death through the ages and in different cultures. HealthWeb: Mortuary Science www.biomed.lib.umn.edu/hw/mortuary.html This is an extremely easy-to-navigate Web site based at the University of Minnesota Biomedical Library. It is filled with articles and facts about funeral preparations, what happens as someone dies, and other related information. Hemlock Society www.hemlock.org The Hemlock right-to-die Web site highlights alternative death choices and is designed for those who choose an expedient way to end their lives with dignity, including with the assistance of a physician. The Web site also contains information on advance directives, pain management and hospice care. National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA): Consumer Resources www.nfda.org/resources/index.html The NFDA sells many books, pamphlets, and videos about grief and funeral arranging. The Web site also provides consumer information about cost of funerals and funeral options. New York State Department of Health: A Consumer's Guide to Arranging a Funeral www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/consumer/patient/funeral.htm This document contains definitions, regulations, frequently asked questions, and other information on funerals. Some of the content is New York State-specific, but most of the suggestions make sense anywhere. U.S. Supreme Court Rules on Physician Assisted Suicide Cases wings.buffalo.edu/faculty/research/bioethics/court.html This Web site, based at the University of Buffalo Center for Clinical Ethics and Humanities in Health Care contains a comprehensive collection of Supreme Court briefs from PAS cases as well as amicus curiae (friend of the court) briefs, newspaper, and journal articles. Back to Top