October 19, 2025. Board Secretary Christie Golemb and lifetime member Pamela Harper presented a history of our organization and an overview of end-of-life options.
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There at the End: Voices from Final Exit Network
September 23, 2025. This program celebrates the publication of There at the End: Voices from Final Exit Network—A Celebration of 20 Years. Guest speakers Jim Van Buskirk, the anthology’s editor, and Jenny Mowry, a senior exit guide and anthology contributor, discuss their essays, their roles within FEN, and share readings from the book. You’ll hear the powerful stories of individuals and their families who come to terms with their end-of-life decisions with the support of FEN’s trained volunteers. Jim and Jenny also share insight into how to access FEN’s free services and detailed the role of FEN Exit Guides who serve as end-of-life coordinators, guides, and confidants. An information question and answer session follows the speakers' presentations.
Beverly Thorn: Before I Lose My Own Mind: Navigating Life as a Dementia Caregiver
Beverly Thorn, PhD, a psychologist and certified End-Of-Life Doula, discusses her new book, Before I Lose My Own Mind: Navigating Life as a Dementia Caregiver, telling her own personal story of caring for her husband with dementia. The book is aimed at caring for the caregiver, who often gets overlooked. Since dementia is not an all or nothing thing, there is time before one loses decisional capacity to consider and talk about life values, healthcare and dementia care preferences, and end-of-life wishes. Planning and communication are key in a society where no one wants to talk about dementia or death. Visit Dr. Thorn's website: https://drbeverlythorn.com/
My Wife Voluntarily Stopped Eating and Drinking (VSED) to End Her Suffering – June 2025
Faye Girsh interviewed Larry, a man whose 82-year old wife voluntarily stopped eating and drinking. With the support of a doctor and hospice care, she was able to achieve a peaceful end to her years of unbearable suffering with chronic pain. VSED (Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking) is useful especially for people who do not meet the strict criteria for Medical Aid in Dying where it is legal. In California, the End of Life Option Act requires that two doctors agree that the person has six months or less to live with a terminal illness. In this case, the patient's chronic suffering was irremediable, but not terminal. Books mentioned in this video: The Handbook is: The VSED Handbook: A Practical Guide to Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking by Kate Christie The Scholarly work is: Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking: A Compassionate, Widely-Available Option for Hastening Death Editors: Timothy E. Quill, Paul T. Menzel , Thaddeus Pope, Judith K. Schwarz
Aging and Indepence Services – March 16, 2025
Do you feel alone and overwhelmed by the challenges of aging, facing the end of life, or coping with a life-altering disability? Do you need support to maintain your daily independence and don’t know where to turn? Are you overwhelmed by caregiving or unable to assist loved ones with self-sufficiency issues? Speakers from San Diego County Aging and Independence services provided an overview of nearly 30 support programs offered by various community providers, and shared how to access them locally and in other counties and states.