What It Means to Live Well... and Die Well

What if preparing for death is one of the most powerful ways to live? In this episode of Unlocked, Madelyn Blair is joined by Emmy-winning filmmaker and end-of-life activist Chris Palmer, author of Achieving a Good Death. Together they explore why death is a human and social experience—not just a medical event—and what it means to preserve agency, dignity, and connection at the end of life. The conversation introduces practical steps we can take now—advance directives, healthcare agents, decluttering, and legacy letters—to reduce suffering and ease the burden on those we love.

In this episode you will:
1) Reframe “a good death” as something shaped by how we live and prepare—not only by what happens in our final days.
2) Learn why end-of-life conversations (and documenting wishes) protect both families and clinicians when decisions get hard.
3) Understand key tools of preparation: advance directives, choosing a healthcare agent, death cleaning/decluttering, and writing legacy letters (ethical wills).
4) Take away a grounding “Grounds for Thought” reflection on how small actions now can ease future burden and restore a sense of steadiness today.

Guest introduction:
Chris Palmer is an author, speaker, professor, conservationist, and end-of-life activist. After producing more than 300 hours of television and IMAX programming—earning two Emmys and an Academy Award nomination—he turned his focus to aging, death, and dying. He is the author of Achieving a Good Death: A Practical Guide to the End of Life, and he advocates for more humane, values-aligned end-of-life planning that emphasizes autonomy, family connection, and thoughtful preparation