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Is Mom considering an herb-based remedy? Or perhaps you're wondering if acupuncture could help Dad's arthritis. Nearly 40% of American adults are turning to complementary and alternative medicine ("CAM"). You probably have heard individual success stories. But the risks and benefits of many alternative treatments have not been scientifically confirmed. And sometimes seemingly harmless herbs or supplements can actually interfere with prescription drugs.

In past newsletters, we've talked about the holiday blues as you anticipate a loved one's final season. This year, we present touchstones for coping with the holidays after a loss. For instance, you may be comforting your mother as both you and she grieve your father's absence. Or you may be expecting a visit from a bereaved aunt or uncle. This is a fragile time of year. Use these tips to help support your loved ones through the season.

As we face our mortality, whether death is in fact weeks or decades away, we inevitably come up with questions about life's mysteries: Is there meaning to life? What is the point if we are ultimately going to die? Do we simply vanish when we die, or is there an afterlife? Is there a Being, Existence, or Force that is larger than ourselves? Will we be judged for how we have lived? Why have we been given the conditions we've been given? If we are in pain, why are we suffering? If we know we are dying, what reason is there for hope?

November 12, 2012 was a special day on the Hospice & Palliative CareCenter campus in Winston-Salem as we had a wonderful dedication ceremony of our new Wells Fargo Veterans Garden, built by donations from the community. The Veterans Garden was specially designed to be a place for Hospice patients and families to reflect, remember and be honored.