"Have you found closure yet?" It's a question so common that we rarely stop to examine what it truly implies. We use the word 'closure' as if grief were a door we eventually close behind us so we can move forward. But grief does not work that way.

What does it mean to have a "good death"?

It is a phrase that appears regularly in books, podcasts and conversations about dying. In palliative care, public health and death literacy, a "good death" generally describes one where pain is well managed, wishes are respected, relationships are acknowledged, and the person dies with dignity, comfort and as much choice as possible.

It is an understandable aspiration.
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Who wouldn't hope for comfort rather than suffering? For presence rather than isolation? For wishes to be heard where they can be?